Thread: A gift from my great grandfather.

My great grandfather recently passed away. He saw fit to leave his great grandson a few "man" necessities. Among the many treasures I received were two straight razors. one is a Grah & Plumacher and the other is Barnsley Bros. Ive been looking for information about the razors however I cannot find anything. I would appreciate it if anyone can provide any information about the razors. I've never shaved with a straight razor but I am very interested. I do use a brush and shaving soap though. Thanks for your help.

You have come to the right place, I am not the unofficial blade historian but hopefully someone will chime in. In the meantime I wish to welcome you to SRP and advise you that pics of your blades are always appreciated. Razor porn as it is known around here.

Here are the razors, the razor on the left is the Grah & plumacher. The razor on the right is the Barnsley Bros monett, Mo.

Get in contact with a user with the name manah. His website is srazor.com, I think. He has a some holy grail of razor knowledge book and is extreamly helpful. I got my first razor from him and he takes old rough razors and makes them extreamly sharp and beautiful. I'm sure he'd be more than happy to lend his extensive knowledge. And from a fellow herloom starter welcome and best of luck.

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Devilpup

You have 4 options that come to mind immediately.
1. Sell them as is.
2. Get them restored and honed and sell them.
3. Get them restored and put them into a display case. (No need to hone them to sharp if they are just for display.)
4. Get them restored and honed and then use them.

Now, if you opt for number 4, which all of us want for you except for those of us who want you to sell your razors to us for cheap, then please realize that these razors should NOT be the razors you use first. You need to learn how to break a cheap razor. You need to figure out every possible way to destroy a razor and then get it out of your system. Only then should you shave with your great grandfather's razors.

these look pretty nice. it seems quite reasonable to pick up another razor without sentimental value and use that one first.

I do intend on using the razors at some point, I don't think Ill ever sell them. Are they of good quality? What razor should I get to start with, before using my grandfathers razors?

sure, most vintage razors are of good quality and your great grandfather used these, so they are good for the job.
probably get something similar - around 5/8, I can't see the grind of the right one with the covered tang, it looks to be somewhat stiff, the left is full hollow and its a bit smaller than 5/8. in fact they may be 4/8 to 9/16, you can measure the width and tell us.
most important is to be well honed and ideally shave-tested by somebody with experience in these things.

Bullmoose,

Welcome aboard. Great looking razors! I never got to meet my great grandfather, you are one lucky man. Sorry for your loss.

My grandfather died when I was about two (50 years ago) and thanks to the help on this board I recently was awarded the opportunity to shave with his razor. I would recommend learning on another razor first as well and then come back to these.

I now have both my grandfathers razors and in the progress or restoring one of their strops so I can use that as well.

Happy shaves and many good memories!

Originally Posted by Utopian

You have 4 options that come to mind immediately.
1. Sell them as is.
2. Get them restored and honed and sell them.
3. Get them restored and put them into a display case. (No need to hone them to sharp if they are just for display.)
4. Get them restored and honed and then use them.

Now, if you opt for number 4, which all of us want for you except for those of us who want you to sell your razors to us for cheap, then please realize that these razors should NOT be the razors you use first. You need to learn how to break a cheap razor. You need to figure out every possible way to destroy a razor and then get it out of your system. Only then should you shave with your great grandfather's razors.

+1 to all of that!
It is exactly what I am doing.

Originally Posted by Bullmoose

I do intend on using the razors at some point, I don't think Ill ever sell them. Are they of good quality? What razor should I get to start with, before using my grandfathers razors?

There are several options available to you for finding that "starter razor"--which is simply a term for a razor you won't cry over if you break it.

Top of the list IMHO is:
The Classifieds section here.
whippeddog.com
Straight Razor Designs (SRD)

Everyone has their own favorite places and their own experiences. I list these three for value and for their reputation. All three have a VERY good reputation for accommodating new shavers and making sure that the razor you purchase from them is truly sharp and ready to go.

There are plenty of other avenues for picking up a razor, though; from a multitude of online vendors, local antique shops, flea markets, etc. Buying a new razor from an online vendor will get you a new razor, but not all new razors are equal. Buying a used/vintage razor from a local market or online shop could get you a fantastic razor, or a terrible razor. Then you've got about a 99.99% chance of needing to send that razor out to a honemiester to be properly sharpened (honed) for shaving...even with a brand new "shave ready" razor.

As they say: Knowing is half the battle. So be sure to read the Wiki and FAQ (found in the bar toward the top of this page), and learn everything you can, that way you don't end up getting burned on your first experience with a straight.