First Post... And some questions about a vintage razor

Greetings All,

I had been researching straight razor shaving for some time, and was lucky to receive a German razor as a Christmas gift. The buyer was told that the razor was honed, and just needed to be stropped. The strop she purchased appears to be of low quality, and is not terribly smooth on the leather side. On the back, it appears to be some sort of suede. I plan to purchase a quality 3" strop prior to my first use of the razor. I'm also thinking that I'll send the razor to Lynn for honing, so I'm sure to be starting off with the proper edge.

The razor is marked as being made in Germany. On the tang, it has "The Alpha Co" on one side, and "Wm Penn" on the other. From my research, I am aware that many hardware and shaving supply stores purchased German razors and sold them under their own names. I also found that the store was on Passyunk Ave in Philadelphia. Does anyone know any more about this razor, as far as time frame, quality, etc.? The razor seems tight, has no pitting, and the scales appear to be in great shape.

I'd also appreciate any suggestions for a relatively affordable, high quality 3" strop.

EDIT: I've attached pictures of the razor.Attachment 150893Attachment 150894Attachment 150895

Thanks in advance for any help!

first welcome to SRP. really don't know much about the razor in question but your idea of a good stropp and sending it lynn hit the bulls eye. lynn and others who hone razors do a fine job and it's always best to start with a blade you know is rite. again welcome

I should probably have introduced myself and provided a little background... My name is Dave. I'm 26 years old and live in Bethlehem, PA. I've been using a DE razor for a couple of years, so I'm familiar with the idea of wet shaving.

I'd also be interested in using someone local with experience in SR honing. As anyone out there in the Lehigh Valley area?

Have you ck out the classified here on the SRP. also when you get the strop your looking for ck out the videos on u tube on stropping and basically everything else that pertains to straight razor shaving. this form and the videos helped me greatly. the members here are fantastic with there advice.

Hi Dave and welcome to SRP!
My first strop was a 3" Black Latigo. I picked it up at Straight Razor Designs as part of my Starter Kit.
I think it was reasonably priced and it served me well despite my Newbie technique.
Now that I've got the stropping action down, I'm ready to get another (the edges look like a zipper...LOL).
SRD also sells replacement strops (just the leather) and I've upgraded that to the Premium IV English Bridle.
A couple of turns of a few screws and I'm back in business.

That's the way to go IMHO, but it never hurts to look at the classifieds and/or other approved vendors who are part of the community (that means their adverts are on the pages of the site).
That's just one of the real values to this forum/community, the reduction of the whole "Caveat Emptor" (buyer beware) aspect of SR equipment. Again, this is just MHO.

I have a book "Standard Guide to Razors, Third Edition" and the only Alpha Razor Company listed is in Chicago, IL. It doesn't list dates the company was in operation, so this information was not known by the authors. Probably there were so many companies making these razors it was impossible to document them all. I also think this book is no longer in print.

The book does say that most American cutlery companies made straight razors at the beginning of the 20th century, then as the demand for straights declined, it became more profitable to sell imported razors from England and Germany (p. 18).

The pictures are quite soft but the left over scratches make me inclined to think that that razor was restored by somebody on a buffer. The 'Germany' means it was made there, and imported by the american company - in the early 20th century these labels were more strict and better enforced than they are today.
If that strop doesn't look good to you I wouldn't put the razor on it - get a known quality strop first.

Thanks to all who replied. I appreciate your input. My plan is to eventually become self-sufficient by honing my own razors, but my main concern now is to perfect my stropping and shaving technique- after I buy a quality strop, of course.

I agree with ColonelG on the 3" Black Latigo strop from SRD. I'm absolutely loving mine... The leather is top notch quality and easily replaced for $25 or so (can't remember offhand) if you gouge it up.

Also, you could try to shave with it to see if it's been properly honed, but if you do and get a poor shave, you'll never know if the root cause is poor technique or a dull razor. By eliminating one variable, you can focus your attention on the other. You'll also know exactly what a freshly honed and shave ready straight razor feels like for future reference (especially if you plan on learning to hone yourself). It's your face and your razor, but I would definitely agree with you that sending it to Lynn (or any of the other members that advertise honing services here) is the smartest way to go. It seems you're on the right track there. :)

Keep us posted on how you make out and how your first shave goes!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by crouton976

I agree with ColonelG on the 3" Black Latigo strop from SRD. I'm absolutely loving mine... The leather is top notch quality and easily replaced for $25 or so (can't remember offhand) if you gouge it up.

Also, you could try to shave with it to see if it's been properly honed, but if you do and get a poor shave, you'll never know if the root cause is poor technique or a dull razor. By eliminating one variable, you can focus your attention on the other. You'll also know exactly what a freshly honed and shave ready straight razor feels like for future reference (especially if you plan on learning to hone yourself). It's your face and your razor, but I would definitely agree with you that sending it to Lynn (or any of the other members that advertise honing services here) is the smartest way to go. It seems you're on the right track there. :)

Keep us posted on how you make out and how your first shave goes!

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Ok, for those waiting in the wings, I know, I know, not very bold of me to "Like" a post that agrees with me. LOL
I the "Like" is for everything that came after.

Have a great day !!

Thanks again, everyone, for your input. I will certainly be seeking professional honing for my vintage razor. In the meantime, I purchased a professionally honed GD (gasp!) razor to practice my stropping technique. The last thing I want to do is purchase a good strop and chop it to bits with bad technique. I seem to have gotten it down, and didn't cut my inexpensive strop even once.

Everything was going well, so I gave in to temptation and went for my first shave on about two days' growth. Thanks to the reading I've been doing here on the forum, I stuck with one pass WTG, and did only the flatter parts of my face. For the chin and neck, I switched back to my DE razor. While I didn't get a super close shave, it felt great- no nicks, no pulling, even with the left hand. I'm sure I'll achieve a close shave once I've got the angles figured out, but for now, I'm glad to say that my first straight shaving experience was a great one. I'm definitely hooked.

I'm really looking forward to starting with my vintage razor, but until that's been honed, I'll keep on practicing with the GD.

Thanks again to Lynn for compiling great videos and information here on the forum, and to everyone who has taken the time to reply.