Boker Straight Razor 6/8" Schwarzgold

In honour of the racing mare Schwarzgold from the Schlenderhahn stud, Böker has issued this exceptionally beautiful 6/8" straight razor. The gold-plated blade with ruthenium coating is extra hollow ground with rampart, made of carbon steel with a degree head.

With the elegant Schwarzgold straight razor with black ruthenium coating on a base of full 24-carat gold plating, the Böker razor manufactory in Solingen wishes to commemorate the extraordinary racing mare Schwarzgold.

Schwarzgold was born in 1937 at the Schlenderhahn Stud as the daughter of the stallion Alchimist and the broodmare Schwarzliesel. Schwarzgold was an exceptional horse in every respect. Her contemporary sport lovers called the English Thoroughbred a galloping machine, a wonder mare and a super horse. She won the Prize of Diana in 1940 by 6 lengths, the German Derby in the same year even by an incredible 10 lengths. The classic Kissaszony race was named after her the following year.

Despite this sovereign and unheard-of superiority, it is assumed that Schwarzgold was never fully ridden out, i.e. she actually always galloped below her actual capabilities. The reason for this, and another fascination that gave rise to the legend, was the mare's difficult character. Her trainer Georg Arnull forbade any use of the whip during training or racing. Everything Schwarzgold did, she did voluntarily. In addition, Schwarzgold could only be used on sand, as she was impossible to control on grass.

The shadow of the Nazi regime hovered over all of Schwarzgold's victories. Waldemar von Oppenheim, the owner of the Schlenderhahn Stud and thus the owner of Schwarzgold, was forcibly expropriated shortly after the victories. Schwarzgold's international career was thus thwarted. As a brood mare, Schwarzgold gave birth to two foals. One of these two foals - Schwarzblaurot - continued the Schwarzgold line, in which numerous champion horses can still be found today.

In order to do uncompromising justice to the elegance and sovereignty of the mare in the knife dedicated to her, Böker thought about a lot and finally came to the solution of completely coating the extra-hollow and wall-ground blade with 24-carat gold in the first step. Only on this surface does the ruthenium coating, applied in a negative process, adhere optimally and obtain its incomparable anthracite-coloured and silky sheen. Ruthenium is a chemical element with the element symbol Ru and the atomic number 44. It is an extremely hard platinum metal that is only used in very small quantities. It therefore congrues with the exceptional character of the razor's namesake. The handle material used is just as consistently noble. The selected and proverbial black bog oak wood picks up the charming colour combination of the blade and is worthy of the outstanding quality of the entire knife. Certificate of authenticity and presentation display included.