Thread: Why the crazy markups?

Oh! In addition to my previous post...

The other thing about prices going up a bit is this... With the price going up a bit, maybe I'll eventually take the plunge and start doing scale work on razors to bring them back in to decent condition. As much as I love razors, I can only afford to lose so much money on them. To keep buying them, I'm eventually going to have to start selling some. If I'm reasonably sure I can recoup my money for the rescale after I've used the razor for a couple months or couple years, then maybe I'll take the plunge...

What does this have to do with anything? Well, if I'm thinking so, then maybe others are as well. With more people willing to do more work or razors currently in poorer condition then that means more razors that would have just been left to rot away will be given life again, which certainly can't seem like a bad thing in the eyes of those with the passion.

Maybe someday every old rust bucket out there will be in someone's rotation.

In the Western World we are all fortunate that we have a freedom of choice.

If the price is in your opinion high, don't buy the razor or the service. Simple.

But if you are envious of the price somebody else achieves don't carp about it, that's life in our capitalist society.

It's called supply and demand.

The second hand razor market is not going to make anybody a millionaire.

But if some guys earn a beer or two out of it, good luck to them I say.

If they can earn a living out of it, I doubt it.

I've watched SRP closely now for a couple of months and I've seen a couple of prices I would not pay. But I have not seen anybody ripped off. I have also seen some outstandingly high quality razors sold at what can only be described as very reasonable prices.

I tip my hat to the SRP buy and sell section as a credit to the membership.

Originally Posted by English

In the Western World we are all fortunate that we have a freedom of choice.

If the price is in your opinion high, don't buy the razor or the service. Simple.

But if you are envious of the price somebody else achieves don't carp about it, that's life in our capitalist society.

That's might be the greed that stupidyank is referring to

Originally Posted by English

I tip my hat to the SRP buy and sell section as a credit to the membership.

Hear hear!

Originally Posted by stupidyank

I think that honing is not something that should cost 15-20 dollars per razor, in some exceptional cases it should cost this. From what I've seen it takes about 15 minutes for an experienced honer to set a bevel and bring up an average Ebay razor to shaving sharp, and I doubt the average SRP member is making $80.00 per hour. I have paid for honing and have recived prices much lower then that for honing razors (7 euro in fact)

Others before me have put it quite well, but I suspect you just earned a special rate from SRP members for honing.

Originally Posted by stupidyank

As far as me getting an exceptional deal and costs of "restoring" a razor, I just don't feel that in general it takes that much time to get a razor cleaned up unless it is a rust bucket. Get a no name dremel some sandpaper and a little polish and your pretty much set unless there is major pitting.

Ineed why don't you just follow through and post the razor in B/S/T. I will buy your first razor, honed please.
Oh and while we're doing business I'd also take that combo belgian stone of yours - you paid $75 - I'll pay you the same. I'm sure it won't take you that much time to find a better one for cheaper.

Originally Posted by gugi

Others before me have put it quite well, but I suspect you just earned a special rate from SRP members for honing.


Ineed why don't you just follow through and post the razor in B/S/T. I will buy your first razor, honed please.
Oh and while we're doing business I'd also take that combo belgian stone of yours - you paid $75 - I'll pay you the same. I'm sure it won't take you that much time to find a better one for cheaper.

My man Gugi!

Originally Posted by gugi

Others before me have put it quite well, but I suspect you just earned a special rate from SRP members for honing.


Ineed why don't you just follow through and post the razor in B/S/T. I will buy your first razor, honed please.
Oh and while we're doing business I'd also take that combo belgian stone of yours - you paid $75 - I'll pay you the same. I'm sure it won't take you that much time to find a better one for cheaper.

Tell it like it is! Owww!

I also second what Glen said; I would be hard pressed to put a vintage razor to my face if the person who honed it said they did it from start to finish to as sharp and as comfortable (a precarious balance to be sure) as I like my razors in 15 minutes. My first thought was: "I'd like to meet that speedmeister". Quickly, my second thought was. "Naw....I'm cool.".

I realize this next statement is only partially related to honing services; One of the main things I enjoy about honing my own razors (or trying to in some cases!) is drawing it out and taking..........my..........time......! Some razors I futz with over a weeks time. Get it shaving sharp, but then tweak it ever so slightly, then tweak it some more and more until I say it can't be tweaked any more and the edge I put on it is probably the best that razor's steel can give. I would never have a desire to even try to hone a razor in 15 minutes. Any razor.

Chris L

Chris L

If you ever find yourself in a hospital facing surgery do you want an M.D doing the job who can do it in 15 minutes and charge less or one who takes 2 hours and charges you more? Or if you ever have a plumber or electrician come to your house to do a job argue with him that you could have done the 2 hour job in less than half the time and he should charge less. If you don't want to pay a honemeister the simple solution is learn to do it all yourself.

I have about 50 or so vintage razors I got off of Eboy and some just needed light honing and some need major restoration but I never spent 15 minutes on any razor. Probably about an hour is the least I ever spent on the best of them.

Originally Posted by Chrisl

main things I enjoy about honing my own razors (or trying to in some cases!) is drawing it out and taking..........my..........time......! Some razors I futz with over a weeks time.
Chris L

Hell yeah.

When I buy a new razor, I'm usually very excited to start work on it. Then I to tend to drag it out a bit. It's a hobby, something to keep me busy. I'm glad I'm not the only one silly enough to make things harder on themselves than need be in some strange form of entertainment. :P

I'll be the odd man out here. I've been perfectly willing to shave with a razor I honed in only about tweny minutes, its not fifteen but......

There are also those that take a lot longer.

Then there is being able to tell the difference between the two, and being able to get either equaly as sharp. A pretty priceless skill as I still haven't managed to aquire it. Those guys who have hones thousands of razors have. and they charge for it just like any other skilled tradesman.

By the way I'm in the skilled trades, and while you could hire me to do grunt work on one of your projects for less than $80 per hour, if you contract the project out to me to complete to my best level of skill you will be paying close to that for my knowledge and abilities and warrenty of a job well done.

First off: Sorry if I offended anyone with the greed comment, I realized that was offensive after I wrote it. I intended on removing that but people responded prior to me coming to the decision to take it off.


Well I suppose the difference is that for me this is a hobby, I enjoy trying to find a deal, I'm not out to make money on my hobby. As for my hone yeah sure when I'm done using it or outgrow it I would be more than happy to give it to you at that price, personally I would rather feel good knowing that I have helped someone with something or given someone who is interested in the hobby an awesome deal rather than making a bit of money. If that means selling something for the same price or less that I bought it for so be it. (I've already given away one of my razors to a friend).

I personally would feel guilty selling the 7/8 Henckles I bought for ~$15 on E-bay for $50 on SRP. I spent one hour with sandpaper on it, even if I spent several hours on it I would feel this way. I got that from restoring cars. I fixed them up as a labor of love, simply because I enjoyed it, I knew I would lose money on restoring them but I did it anyhow simply for the pure joy of it.

I suppose I see that BST as a place to trade among friends not to make much of a profit. In my opinion if you are looking to make some money post your restored razor on E-bay. I don't have an issue with people doing that but I consider BST to be a sort of trading between friends, and personally I don't try to make a profit off my friends.

Perhaps it is a cultural difference.