Thread: Ebay straight razors... need help

i would also like to add that i have bought razors on ebay for as little as $12, they clean up nice and have good metal in them that hold an edge well. these are great for learning proper hone and strop techniques. i look for the older ones stamped boker and solingen as well as some of the antique american razors. i also agree with the other members that master, zeepk, kreiger, frost are a waste of time and money. good luck

It is possible to get a cheap razor to be good, but (generally) it won't be good straight off the bat it will require, at the very least, honing but possibly much more. Also, you have to know what to look for, I strongly recommend you hang around here for a few weeks or a month before you buy on ebay, there aren't a huge number of variables on a razor - and it doesn't take long before you can spot the good ones from the trash. Even then, you're taking a risk on ebay - pictures lie!

However, here's a couple I've bought off ebay:





The top two had pictures that were taken from about 8 feet away, and were risks, the bottom one seemed pretty clear cut but had a some weird hone wear and slightly warped scales - it is also one of my most favorite shavers. They've all only been polished with metal polish, and they've all needed honing.

Happy hunting

I personally have bought three off of ebay, all less than ten dollars. One was a crap Solingen that I've learned to love, one was a Frenchie that I'm excited to get honed when I get the cash because hi_bud_gl says they're good and I found that they may be somehow related to TI (there are nay sayers but I'm still excited), and a Sheffield with a nick. All of them were not pretty. Polish helped a little. But I can deal. Now the real deals come from lurking... antique stores, trades with members, the classifieds... I got a Goldedge for $80 from an Alaskan craigslist. Just stumbled upon it. Typed in Goldedge on google. I know they're usually going for that on ebay, but I really liked this one because it was round point and the perfect size for me, so... $80 well spent IMO. My other great find was from an antique dealer, $35 for two NOS Solingens. If that isn't good I dunno what is. On ebay they would've been bid way up. Deals can be had everywhere, but just remember, on ebay, you'll have to get lucky for a deal.

Originally Posted by Joed

It's very rare to get more than you pay for on EBay, but they are to be had if yo know what you are looking for, can do the work required to get them to shave ready condition yourself and have the patients to find them. Since you are just starting out I would say that it is not someplace you should be shopping if you want to get to shaving with a straight razor soon. I would recommend finding a Double Arrow or WAPI from a vendor here on SRP that sells them shave ready of buy a cheaper one from the classified section on this site. Get one or two of them to shave with along with a strop. You should be good for around 5 or 6 months if you get 2 and don't damage them. While you are shaving with them you can pick up an EBay special to restore and learn honing with. If you don't want to go past the DA or WAPIs all you will need is a barber's hone, small coticule or Chinese Water hone to touch up your shave ready razors when they get dull, in 5 or 8 months. I am assuming that youare not working with a large budget here. If money and time are not an issue and you don't mind a long learning curve, go for the EBAY specials and have fun learning from your mistakes. Good luck.

+1 to all that. Joed forgot to mention the cuss words that seem to go along with cleaning, repairing, replacing, and hone work Money spent on a good razor that is shave-ready, is money well spent. The Evilbay fixer upers will end up costing more than you'd think in the long run.