Knightly Throw 1940's German razor (Ebay listing)

I've been looking for a razor to put away as a project, something to restore and get working nicely, but I don't want to buy something that's ruined or a nightmare job.

So I'm curious if any of you fellows might cast your knowing gazes over these two entries, let me know what you think.

Military Medical Straight Razors Germany 1940 | eBay

Military Medical Straight Razors Germany 1940 Manufacturer "Knightly Throw" | eBay

Also I should note I chose these as possibilities not based on my appraisal of their condition. I leave that in your hands.

Meh. Both are excessively high-priced. The seller is, obviously, a know-nothing with regard to straight razors -- he might as well be selling scrap metal by the pound. I say this, because posting photos of a straight razor, unfolded, next to a ruler, is meaningless (whereas, it would have been helpful if he had bothered to measure and post the blade width). Unless you've got a yen for WWII medical memorabilia, I'd pass on both of them. Heck, I can't even tell what the grind is! My advice? Steer clear. YMMV.

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Unless you've got a yen for WWII medical memorabilia

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I do, but I tend to be more interested in British/Commonwealth stuff. Even to me though the price seems high compared to what exists in the classified here.

Thanks for the warning.

I can tell you are enamoured with the shiny scales. Anyone could do worse than an old medical razor. Usually 1/4 grinds and good steel. The scales are heavy, if that makes a difference to some. Always seem to shave great. Local things are great to concentrate upon!

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I can tell you are enamoured with the shiny scales. Anyone could do worse than an old medical razor. Usually 1/4 grinds and good steel. The scales are heavy, if that makes a difference to some. Always seem to shave great. Local things are great to concentrate upon!

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Thanks for the advice, but my interest in the scales is less about the 'shiny' quality, and more that all my grinding, polishing and restoring kid is for various metals and glass. So as something to restore, and have it looking new I don't need to buy new tools.

Well I have two very disparate opinions. For now I think I'll er on the side of caution.

We all do as we wish! You did post about opinions on a few medical razors? If you have kit for metals, well.... Good luck! No sense in overpaying :D

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You did post about opinions on a few medical razors?

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Yes, I'd like to consider them patiently before diving in. So far I have one for and one against. If I wait I may get more advice. No sense in rushing.

My point is(was) that metal-scaled razors begin in price with the reasonably-priced medical ones in early stainless. Metals were used in order to sterilize them between uses. Comparable aluminum-scaled razors command higher prices, it would seem, and silver is off the charts. If you like the metal scales in a vintage razor, the medical ones are a good choice. JMO!

I think that at their current price they are not for me. What I have done in the past is watch them. Nobody is likely to pay it and they will relist, sometimes for a low opening bid. If it goes cheap enough for your tastes its good otherwise let it slide. I try to never get into a bidding war because even if you win you loose. As far as the metal scales go, I have a few Wapi razors, those metal scales throw the razor so far off balance it is like learning to strop all over again. So for me I see it as a maybe if it relists it could be a new scale project. Not sure where your restore skills are at or how deep you want to go. First restore project I wouldn't suggest starting with a razor worth too much

Go inexpensive for your first few restoration projects. Last night I was cleaning out some old files in my computer and came across the eBay listing for one of my very first projects. It was a very nice Paseo blade that had incredible etching and colors in the blade itself. It only needed work on the scales - no big deal right? So I won it and a week later had it in my eager hands. After I looked at it a few minutes (and I mean like 4 minutes) I decided I needed to clean up the blade with a Dremmel and some Maas. Within less than a minute the toe 3rd of the blade was flying through the air and I was holding just the back 2/3 of what had been a beautiful blade. All this time I thought no big deal - I assumed I'd paid maybe $25 for it total. Last night a got the rude realization I'd spent just under $100 for a nasty lesson in restoration! Glad it was years ago!

The lesson is that it's okay to buy up a ton of blades intending to restore them, but practice on "throw aways" until you've mastered most of the aspects of it all. It can be a very expensive learning experience! More importantly, you can (I did) trash a blade that you may not see again for years if at all.

Off topic but has anyone looked at this sellers other items? Is it even legal to sell working syringes? Regardless of the age?

I have no idea about where you are but they are an over the counter item at pharmacies around here.

Whether for the OP or anyone else I have found these comments to be true for me!Your choices by the photos are your responsibility
Those razors are "Schwert" who made possibly the best stainless made. Others were made on other countries. Wapanicas and Wapi copies made by the same very good Polish manufacturers. There are English Mappins and a couple French Thiers medical razors also. Still good quality. THe stailess scales do really need to go as they are very heavy and make the razor hard to hone and shave with.That is a good (NOW) price for a Schwert. Expect a good long time on the hones they are hard!! the factory edge was to be strop honed in the field and the bevel is not what we are used to.
I have a few from a while back and with a good clean blade they are along with my HESS Frozen Steel and a Friodor.
Cheers
~Richard

Bye the way the guy has reduced the shipping by half lately.

I would not go that high for a lesson in restoration, which it would be if it is your first. Is the price too high? There are intrinsics involved here. Military memoribilia means nothing to me. Stainless scales, seem more of a curse than a blessing due to the weight.
The blades look in restorable shape, but I try to stay under 30 for a resto that has no intrinsics that interest me.

Just to give a little info on where I am as far as restoration and repair goes I've worked with old perfume bottles and a fair amount of nautical brass fittings and trinkets. This gave me the confidence to jump straight at my grand-fathers 1917 Gillette, which appears to be brass, and I've done a good enough job on that to feel happy with other DE razor work. Obviously none of these things have blades. However as I understand it cosmetic restoration is, on a nuts and bolts level, a fairly similar job even on different objects and with different materials. The tools and compounds may change, but the goals and means are generally the same.

That said to get practice working with blades I've bought many GD razors to work on. Many of these have uneven grinds and all sorts of other problems with the blade geometry. I'm trying to get them to the point where I can hone them, and just for fun I've used a die grinder to scratch the hell out of a few of them just to see if I could polish the blade back to a shine. That much I can do. The rest is an on-going project. When I get to where I'd trust myself with a good, old razor is anyone guess. I've yet to even try working with or replacing scales, but something tells me that will be easier.

My interest in this razor was to put it away until such time as I do feel confident, but I may wait instead and see how the price changes or doesn't. Moreover I hadn't thought about how the weight of the metal scales would effect stropping/shaving.

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My point is(was) that metal-scaled razors begin in price with the reasonably-priced medical ones in early stainless. Metals were used in order to sterilize them between uses. Comparable aluminum-scaled razors command higher prices, it would seem, and silver is off the charts. If you like the metal scales in a vintage razor, the medical ones are a good choice. JMO!

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Thanks for the clarification. I do like the idea of metal scales as I feel they'd be easier for me to restore cosmetically. However the other posters are giving me the impression that they're not the best idea if you want to use the razor in the end.

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What I have done in the past is watch them. Nobody is likely to pay it and they will relist, sometimes for a low opening bid. If it goes cheap enough for your tastes its good otherwise let it slide.

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I believe I may do this after having read the rest of the input in this thread.

Thank you everyone for posting.

Yeah, some people can do it, but shaving with heavily unbalanced razors is not all that pleasant experience.

Of course, I have a few special ones (mother of pearl, engraved and plated brass, sterling silver, etc) and would probably never part with them, but they're just that - for special occasion, the functionality is just not there for regular use. Stainless steel scales are just the worst of both worlds - not special and just heavy. They were put for the important functionality to be sterilized, but we don't need this nowadays.

The blades look in pretty good condition though. You're already familiar with hard steel, stainless would be tougher to work with. But Geezers says they are very good shavers, so if you're after that, you could consider them. Or you can look for other similarly good ones.
Personally that style is appealing to me - it's utilitarian, but not odd like the hart razors, but I have many others.

Only you can judge how special they would be to you - there will always be more vintage razors, even if you may not be able to find these easier in the future. Generally you shouldn't be buying today something for down the road, unless you really want it and are fairly sure it would be hard to get later. For example I got my first turtle shell heljsetrand mk32 only a few weeks after I joined this hobby, but those are really hard to find and I love the esthetics and the scales material. It would've made no sense though to buy a custom Livi at that point though, and I didn't venture into custom razors until I was ready to get one and use it from the day I received it.