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Hi All
I always see the members with these amazing vintage razors. I have new models that do not have the appeal of a vintage. I would like to get one but ebay is a bit tricky when it comes to quality. Does anyone have advice on how to get a vintage razor at a reasonable price?. The new razors are nice and shave well, just looking for one to show off a bit.
Luis
I have purchased several off of the Bay with success. Make sure there are quality pics of all parts of the razor. Ensure there is a good rating on the seller. Look for a return policy, but realize you are buying something potentially 100 years old. Look for words like sheffield steel, or Solingen. Stay away from blades that have non-straight cutting edge (Smiles, frowns, wavy), and definitely not chipped. If you are not going to replace the scales, inspect the pics for warping, bug bites, splits (mostly at the pins).
Light patina isn't any issue, but rust is going to take restoration work.
Are you going to restore these yourself?
Price is all over the place. My first razor I bought was bargain at $15, and is one of my favorite shavers. Took no restoration, just a little honing.
I personally will not spend more than about $50, but I like to restore them myself, and can make my own scales.
Good luck.
Keep your eyes open at yard sales and flea markets too. Usually, there are many competitors on the Bay, but not at a Flea market.
Classifieds here or whipped dog. Ebay razors can be problematic as you cant see them before you buy. And some of them can take hours to get into shave ready. Ask me how I know! But I will say most of what I bought on ebay was good. Few junkers but comes with the territory. Great selection, where are earth can you find so many for sale? I would advise checking feedback and return policy and terms. I will not buy another unless I can send it back. Even if I have to pay the ship.
Thanks.
I am not able to restore. Thanks for info.
Luis
And Ive never found a straight razor for sale in NY in a flea market or antique shop. I grew up the other side of the bridge in whitestone. Small world. Bough a few in Pa last week. Clean as a whistle too.
Luis,
I think you would b able to restore.. I said the same thing when I started .. I did a lot of reading learned how to sand clean polish and rescale.. The only thing I stink at is making scales.. But I'll get the hang of that I'm gonna buy a scroll saw and give that a whirl.. Don't give up my friend
I've bought several from eBay and have had good luck. But when I'm looking at them I consider the fact that I may have to have them rescaled and/or honed. So you have to factor that into the total cost. But if you're willing to go through that or can do it yourself, there are some possibilities. Give the blade the most attention looking for rust, pitting, black crud, chips, and cracks. Pay special attention to the very edge. A little pitting on the shank or spine won't affect anything but any of that near the cutting edge is a real gamble. But if the blade is in good shape, don't be afraid to invest some in new scales, honing, or buffing. You can end up with something really nice and unique.
Luis
I purchase razors on ebay. Look closely at the photos and ask questions of the seller if you are not sure. If the blade has a lot of pitting or the scales are cracked or broken beware. I generally buy ones that can be polished and then resell them on ebay shave ready. I have three now that I am working on and will put on in a week or two. sometimes you have to place your bid the last 4 seconds of the auction and hope that you get it.
Bear in mind that there is a very broad spectrum of 'restoration'. There is a huge difference between fixing up a razor with good scales, minimal rust/pitting, etc (which amounts to a really good clean/polish, but which some guys still refer to as a restoration), and a full-on restore that requires significant work on the blade, making new scales, re-pinning, etc.Quote:
Originally Posted by Luis
If you find a vintage razor that just needs to be cleaned, odds are you will be able to do it yourself. (depending on personal skill, dexterity, comfort working with your hands, etc)
I spent most of the last week in Vermont/upstate NY, and found quite a few in antique stores. My budget was mercifully limited so I only came home with two razors, but if you can escape the city, they are definitely out there. :) BTW, there's an antique store right on 28 somewhere around Indian Lake that had quite a few decent vintage blades.Quote:
Originally Posted by bill3152
JMO,Luis,stay away from ebay for now.Your best bet is to watch the SRP classifieds.The people that sell here are all members in good standing.
They have reputations to protect.
Tho ebay can be a great venue for seasoned resto folks,it is also fraught with many pitfalls,Is a crap shoot most of the time.
I have sent several friends here: For Sale - Gem Star Customs.
Glen is one of our Moderators,He on occasion sells vintage blades in his damn fine shaver section,IMO the best way to start your journey,good luck.
It's a combination of luck, taking a chance and covering all of your sources. I haven't bought any razors on Eboy in a couple of years now however in the past I got some great bargains. Sometimes things go under the radar because of titling a piece poorly or sales during the period between Xmas and New Years when many are financially tapped out or maybe poor photos or bad descriptions.
You have to keep looking day after day.
Here's one I posted before that I thought was a good deal. Still haven't honed it though.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...tson-huge.html
+1 on watching the classifieds here. I've also gotten some great deals from some of the vendors here too. You might want to check out their ads. Like those who advertise in SRP classifieds, they are members and very reputable.
Your best bet is to keep an eye out here in the classifieds. You'll not only find a nice vintage but in all likelihood it will be shave ready.
I will echo what several others have already said - the SRP classifieds will be your best bet. The other main advantage of buying here is that most blades are tested and shave-ready, which is a huge bonus. I took a quick scan of the classifieds and found many razors that are very affordable.
Good luck and have fun :)
Another option that can be very hit or miss is antique shops, depending on the location of the shop I find they often have nice razors. If you're ever passing through Wisconsin for example I got a beautiful pre 1850's Sheffield from an antique store near Wasaw for $12 and they seemed to have lots of good razors. In Minneapolis the stores seem rather more picked over.
After I made probably 3-5 antique store purchases (that shave excellent) I decided to try out ebay. It is a little trickier, but after you kind of know what to look for with vintage razors it becomes a little easier. Sometimes pictures can be deceiving too, razor will sometimes show up looking better than pictures, other times it will be extremely worse than the pictures. Just use good judgement and don't spend more than your comfortable with. I usually find better deals at local antique shops. Ebay makes it easy to look for a specific razor, compared to antique stores which are luck of the draw.