Thread: Ebay selling dangers - blade width

He wanted an 8/8 and didn't get one - that's really the long and short of it. Who cares whether he shaves with them, collects them, or grinds them up and blows the dust out his window - he's the buyer, he can do as he likes.

FWIW other things worth considering are:

where was it measured from? cutting edge to - where? top of spine? ridge of spine? centre of hone wear? Could make another 1/16th of an inch difference.

was there much of a curve? if so, is a tad under 8/8 (which is what it was) representative, the widest bit, the average (nah, its not the average!)

Furthermore I have read a lot of nit-picking posts right on this forum from people who have complained about getting a lesser width than they bargained for...

Just playing Devil's advocate, you understand...

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

He wanted an 8/8 and didn't get one - that's really the long and short of it. Who cares whether he shaves with them, collects them, or grinds them up and blows the dust out his window - he's the buyer, he can do as he likes.

FWIW other things worth considering are:

where was it measured from? cutting edge to - where? top of spine? ridge of spine? centre of hone wear? Could make another 1/16th of an inch difference.

was there much of a curve? if so, is a tad under 8/8 (which is what it was) representative, the widest bit, the average (nah, its not the average!)

Furthermore I have read a lot of nit-picking posts right on this forum from people who have complained about getting a lesser width than they bargained for...

Just playing Devil's advocate, you understand...

Regards,
Neil

Really...bought this razor awhile ago, and the seller said it had this beautiful "patina", when I got it, I couldn't find any "patina", but I sent it back to him as it was covered in dirt!!!

Is there any standardization for the measurement? When I think of a 6/8 razor, I think of 6/8 under the spine, and not 6/8 including the spine. If I sell a razor and it measures 6/8 including the spine, I call it 11/16th. I can understand if the guy was mad due to the razor being just a little shy, but when you're buying, it's good to ask the question first.

If I can't get 6/8 under the spine, but it's really close, I'll say just shy of 6/8.

If it makes you feel any better, I had a guy send me an escher back because he said he liked it but his wife didn't. All he has to do is make something up to get ebay to force me to offer a refund, so I put him on the never-sell-to list and that's about all I can do.

To me, the crux of the issue above 6/8 is rarity. I can understand:
* why someone buying a 7/8 would be upset to get something that's actually 6/8 under the spine (because 7/8 are rare compared to 6/8)
* why someone looking for an 8/8 would be upset to get something that's actually slightly under 1" from edge to top of spine.

In rarified air like that, you're compromised if you don't think you can personally resell something labeled the same way you bought it.

If you want to play with the guy, you could send him an email with links to a few auctions that have razors with measurements on the box and tell him he should stick to those . haha!!

Straight Razor Frabil 7 8 Solingen Antique Shaving Cut Throat Vintage RARE | eBay

(I bought this razor last week and at first glance, I thought "i'm not sure if that's really a 7/8, which is a big deal because I know 4/8 to 6/8 were sort of common sizes for die forged blanks", and then I looked at the box...see the measurement on it? I guess I can't get in a fight with this guy about it!)

I quote DaveW "In rarified air like that, you're compromised if you don't think you can personally resell something labeled the same way you bought it. "

Daves statement says it all

Originally Posted by cubancigar2000

I quote DaveW "In rarified air like that, you're compromised if you don't think you can personally resell something labeled the same way you bought it. "

Daves statement says it all

I say that as a guilty seller. About a quarter of what I've bought in tools and razors and have resold has been sold at an almost total loss because I didn't feel like I could list something the same way a seller did (as in to my detriment) when I bought the item. I don't generally buy things thinking of flipping them, but knowning my nature, most of the things I buy I will probably sell eventually because of an itch to try something else and a desire not to have an endless pile of things to keep rust off of (tools or razors). It sucks to take a big hit when you feel you have to list a flaw that quarters the value of something!!

Originally Posted by DaveW

I say that as a guilty seller. About a quarter of what I've bought in tools and razors and have resold has been sold at an almost total loss because I didn't feel like I could list something the same way a seller did (as in to my detriment) when I bought the item. I don't generally buy things thinking of flipping them, but knowning my nature, most of the things I buy I will probably sell eventually because of an itch to try something else and a desire not to have an endless pile of things to keep rust off of (tools or razors). It sucks to take a big hit when you feel you have to list a flaw that quarters the value of something!!

My only beef with sellers are the one's who bury in the description that there's a crack or some major flaw while under, "condition" they have it listed as used but otherwise fine. Yes, it's up to the buyer to fully read the description, but there's been some blades I've seen where it's hard not to think that "this minor, cosmetic flaw", is purposely buried to mislead...but again, caveat emptor....buyer beware.

Originally Posted by Phrank

My only beef with sellers are the one's who bury in the description that there's a crack or some major flaw while under, "condition" they have it listed as used but otherwise fine. Yes, it's up to the buyer to fully read the description, but there's been some blades I've seen where it's hard not to think that "this minor, cosmetic flaw", is purposely buried to mislead...but again, caveat emptor....buyer beware.

I agree. Ebay will side with you if the description is subtle but the flaw is not, all you have to do is start a dispute process. I personally take those items as a loss and list the flaw front and center. My escher with mild cracking (but stable), I bought for $400. The seller didn't know enough to look at it, they just found it at a yard sale. I used it for a while and cut them a break. When I sold it, I got $155 (it was a 10x2 y/g with a half inch of thickness remaining, it had been used hard) on a straight up auction. That sucked!!

Iv'e got a few stories where I've made $10 on a razor when I finally decided to sell one and a lot more where I took a $10 loss, and too many stories about stones where I really took the exchange in the shorts (especially jnats that a seller thought were fine but I know from experience are not actually finishers in the sense that most people will expect).

It sucks to take the loss, but what else can you do? I guess the only thing I can think of is to do a better job of avoiding getting stuff you feel you'd have to compromise on.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Is there any standardization for the measurement? When I think of a 6/8 razor, I think of 6/8 under the spine, and not 6/8 including the spine. If I sell a razor and it measures 6/8 including the spine, I call it 11/16th. I can understand if the guy was mad due to the razor being just a little shy, but when you're buying, it's good to ask the question first.

There is not. Some manufacturers measure from the top, and some from under the spine, at the honing flat. Kind of weird but that is show biz. I bought an 8/8 Livi and thought that was really cool. I wanted a Takeda and he made them 7/8. So I was stuck with that but wished for that 1/8". Some of us are strange folk. With W&B FBUs I have to have at least 8/8 or I don't want it. I was really stoked getting one at 8/8, a variation at 9/8 and yet another variation at 10/8. Funny thing is I prefer shaving with a 6/8 or a 5/8. I don't know what the psychology is behind all of this.

Originally Posted by DaveW

If I can't get 6/8 under the spine, but it's really close, I'll say just shy of 6/8.

+1. I listed a razor in the classifieds as 11/16, 'cause that's what it was. It was dieing a slow death up there so I edited the title to read 1/16th less than 6/8 and it sold. That may say something about perception, or maybe it has nothing to do with it ?

Originally Posted by DaveW

I say that as a guilty seller. About a quarter of what I've bought in tools and razors and have resold has been sold at an almost total loss because I didn't feel like I could list something the same way a seller did (as in to my detriment) when I bought the item. I don't generally buy things thinking of flipping them, but knowning my nature, most of the things I buy I will probably sell eventually because of an itch to try something else and a desire not to have an endless pile of things to keep rust off of (tools or razors). It sucks to take a big hit when you feel you have to list a flaw that quarters the value of something!!

I saw you do that with a 7 day Solingen set. I was curious as to why you didn't try to get your $ out of it, but that ain't my business.

Why, didn't you know Jimmy...Dave's running a charitable organization.