Thread: Has anyone purchased from razorman2?

I have run across this sellers auctions a few times on ebay. He starts his descriptions by talking about the razor books he has authored then describes the razors for sale. He never includes more than one photo of the razor or razors he is selling. Has anyone ever bought from this seller and was the experience pleasant or not? It seems to me if you are an "expert" and have authored books on a subject, you might put a little more time into listing items for sale. At least some more detailed photos to start with. By the looks of these listings, I don't think I am going to waste any time searching for his books on the subject of razors.



Thanks and happy bidding!

I think his books were more for collectors and as you know we are light years away from the collectors

Philip Krumholz A.K.A. razorman2 wrote the Complete Collectors Guide To Gillette Razors. He also wrote one on DE blades and another on straight razors. The Gillette book is the bible for DE collectors and the straight razor book is pretty good. In the Gillette book he describes how he shaves with a disposable.

He is a respected collector and has been at it for decades. Like many razor collectors he does not look at the razor from the point of view of it being shave ready or restorable to the same. If you've ever listed stuff on ebay you will know how much work it is. With the amount of items he lists I am not surprised that he gives few pictures and details.

I find it annoying that he frequently doesn't name the razor in the title of the listing but he is a good guy and though I have never bought anything from him but the Gillette book I wouldn't hesitate if he had a razor I wanted.

Originally Posted by Doc

as you know we are light years away from the collectors

Doc makes a good point there; it could be a real challenge bidding on a pure collector's straight razor listings if the pictures are poor and unrepresentative of the blade's shaving ability. It seems many pure collectors are concerned primarily with how a straight razor looks on display and, if need be due to blade damage, how the razor looks even with the razor closed.

There certainly are razors on Ebay that get prices for their scales that surprise me when the blades sometimes are worthless garbage for shaving due to large chips, etc.

Chris L

Thanks guys,
All very good points. It all makes more sense when you look at it from a non shaving angle. Jimmy, my girlfriend sells her art on ebay so I have first hand knowledge as to the headache of listing items but I think the extra time she takes to make the item look as good as it does in person really pays off. Anyway, I guess if he offers a razor I really want I will use my best judgment on the photos provided.

Thanks for the info gentlemen.

I've bought at least one razor from him, no issues that I recall.

I agree that he's pretty minimal in his descriptions, but it doesn't really makes sense that collectors would settle for fewer pics than we do, I'd want to see more of a razor if it were a collectors item rather than a user that's gonna be sanded down anyway.

I've picked few razors from him - had good experience. He's began to realize people buy razors from him for shaving with them, but his comments on shaving suitability should be taken with a grain of salt.

One razor I bought had a large chip you could see on the picture and was disclosed in the text, but in person there was also a crack. He promptly refunded all my money and did not want the razor back, even though I had no use for it - it's currently with one of our ambitious members

If you're not too experienced I'd advise staying away from his auctions, but if you've been at it for a while and can judge the condition of a razor from his pictures he has some good things.

Originally Posted by gugi

I've picked few razors from him - had good experience. He's began to realize people buy razors from him for shaving with them, but his comments on shaving suitability should be taken with a grain of salt.

Very true. I've only purchased his Gillette razor book, and he's the nicest guy in the world to correspond with. But in his Gillette razor book, he has a whole dedicated section where he confesses that he actually hates to shave, and uses a cartridge razor exclusively, with a locally-sold shaving oil. He then outlines his personal shaving method, with special emphasis on getting through the chore in the least possible time.

His Gillette book is fantastic, and he is an authority. But I can't comprehend how somebody who hates shaving and never uses a straight or a vintage DE could have such an interest in collecting them, and write so well about them.

That said, I'm grateful that a guy who hates to shave, writes books that have helped make it a very pleasant experience for me.