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I'm going to take a trip to some antique stores to see if they have any old straight razors. Since there probably won't be much information available about the razors, what criteria should I use when shopping around? I've heard that most old razors are pretty good anyway and that I should look to see where it was manufactured. This information will be on the tang, correct?
Yes. Generally it will be located on the tang/shank. Although I have a Filarmonica (the one that is sold on classicshaving) that doesn't have any markings on the shank. Generally any blade made in USA, Germany, France, England, Spain, Sweden will be a good one.
Other words to look for include Solingen and Sheffield. Those are types of steel--both are good. :)
Pakistan, however, is bad.
Look for razors with a blade that's the same width all along its length. A lot of old razors are worn away at the toe, causing a taper.
Also, look for flat spots on the spine (back) of the razor. These indicate hone wear. Some wear is normal, but if the flat spots are very wide then you should probably pass on that one.
Look for rust on the blade, which is a problem if it's close to the edge. Also look for chips in the blade, which can be honed out with a lot of effort, and cracks, which can't.
Good luck! I've found some really nice pieces in antique shops for $12 to $15.
Josh
Here are some tips on buying razors from antique stores:
1) Bring a jewelers loupe, like a 10X triplet. It will be very helpful in checking for edge defects, etc. Also good for reading small or nearly faded wording on the shank, tang, blade, etc.
2) I walk away from just about anything with lots of rust or corrosion. I really don't like to do restoration work and prefer relatively clean razors. A little gunk is ok for me, but not lots. If you are one of those that likes to do restoration, dremel work and such, then go ahead. You should know your limits though. The one exception for me would be if I knew the rusty razor was extremely rare as a collectable and could be salvaged as such.
3) First thing I do with a potential purchase is ping the edge carefully. On some razors you will get a nice ring sound. A crack in the blade will prevent this. The problem is that not all razors, even intact ones, will ping. That's when the loupe comes in handy.
4) Next I run the edge over my thumb nail. This gives me a really good indication of just how much work I'll have to do to get the razor shave ready.
5) Avoid any razor that has a deformed edge like a frown, narrower at one end, etc. Or, see #2 above.
6) Check the spine and bevel for wear. Is it even or uneven? I choose even. Or, see #2 above.
7) Price. You know what a brand new razor costs. An antique store razor should be a bargain. I've paid under $20.00 for some great shavers that passed my tests.
8) Last, but not by any means least, origin of manufacture. You most likely will not go wrong with any razor made in Solingen, France, Sheffield and many in USA. But do a little of your own research on this area.
9) Almost forgot the handle. Make shure the scales are intact. Some may have hidden cracks that you won't notice untill you get home. Of course these are the most easy part of the razor to replace, but why go there if you don't have to. Exception - great blade, damaged scales. If the price is right, buy it anyway.
Anyway, I'm sure others can add to this list. I just wanted to share a few tips of mine. Hope they help.
Happy hunting!
Scott
I think Scott, Josh and 19George have pretty much got things covered. I'd only add to take a look down the blade for warping if you can. Warping's bad, M'Kay... Oh, also take a look at how the blade fits into the scales - you don't want the blade hitting the scales as it closes or you'll ruin the nice edge you spent hours creating. Personally, I don't like wobbly pivot pins either, but that's a bit related to the last point.
The thing I've found, at least in Australia, is that sales of razors in antiques stores are relatively rare and you will often be able to haggle a bit on price, 'cause you're the only one whose even sniffed at these things for the past year. And, you can usually walk away, do some googling or foruming on what you've seen, and go back if you're still interested. But maybe that's just Australia.
One thing I do know is that what with ebay, antiques dealers tend to not carry the stock they used to - had about 5 dealers tell me they don't see the point in stocking such a niche item for off the street walk-ins.
Anyway, I've found this useful reading (I printed it out and used to take it with me on my hunting expeditions):
http://www.uniclectica.com/misc/manuf.html
Good luck.
James.