Custom scales (or, as we here call them, "costume scales") have recently reached several new climaxes in tastelessness. Enough for our research team to launch an investigation into the custom scale maker scene. Here is what they found out: The archetypal maker and his inspiration.

This is the first in a series of illustrated guides to straight shaving mysteries. Many aspiring honers are confused by the concept of hone progressions. This concept requires the honer to use as many hones as possible in haphazard order. Apparently, this concept is not easy to digest. Which is why I have created the illustrated guide to hone progressions (see below).

'How much is that razor worth?', is one of the questions encountered far too often in shaving forums. Issued by either a clueless buyer or a clueless seller, it is annoying either way. Because it is nigh impossible to answer.

There are numerous reasons why not to be a member of a shaving forum. Probably the most prominent is people abusing these forums for their not-so-well-hidden sales attempts. The single most annoying group of such vendors is soap makers. Paul recently wrote a great article explaining why artisan soaps are mostly not worth their money. In a nutshell, making high quality soaps or creams is a lot harder than some people would like you to believe. Yet there is money to be made in this area. But how, given that we are talking about a - pardon the pun - cutthroat market?