Thread: new guy!

My name is Mike and I'm very new to the straight razor hobby. I recently found two razors in a box in an old shed. I found this website while researching these razors. While I dont know if I'll ever try and shave with a straight razor the history and craftsmenship has me intrigued! And another hobby to annoy my girlfriend with is an added bonus!
So about these razors, one of them I found some information on (here at SRP) but the other I cannot.
The one I know about is a J.A. Henckles "19" sold by Graef & Schmidt. It has black scales and a chip in the blade, but no rust and seems to be in good shape.

The other one is in really good shape, and came with a box. It is an "ACE special" and was sold by Central Barber Supply Co in Dallas Tx. It lookes EXACTLY like the F.W. Engels "special" in the straight razor database. the only difference is on the bottom of the scale instead of having the initials "F W E" in the clover, it has "ACE".

so, these are the beggining of my collection and was wondering if anyone had any information on these razors.

Thanks, in advance, i've already learned a lot from this website, and hope to learn more as my collection progresses! Last night I was on here for hours, and also watched a long series of youtube videos on restoring razors.

Mike

Hi Mike and welcome to SRP!!! Pictures would really help, but I can tell you that the Henckels are superior shavers. It will depend how large and where the chip in the blade is if the razor can be saved or not. Don't know about ACE brand, but Engles are a fine shaver also. Best, wildhog

Greetings, Mike. G'mon in & get comfy. 'Good company in this crowd.

+1 on Hog's take on the Henckels. I was a skeptical convert. They're excellent.

The Ace, I don't know about, but with either, they're gonna need some work to make shaveable. Many can do it, but if you have a pro do it, you'll not have any nagging doubts about the quality of the work. You don't need the doubts when first taking blade to face.

There's learning curve, but doesn't usually take long before you're just thrilled w/ the shaves and hate when you have to use anything else.

This place will be your best friend there. The quality of the help and the attitudes are as good as you'll find. 'Hope to hear soon of your first shaves.

As a recent newbie in the world of straight razors, I cannot stress what has been said already enough. This forum is your best friend when it comes to anything straight razors. Just stick with it and utilize SRP as much as possible, and your experience will quickly get better and better with each shave, because these guys know their stuff and are super friendly and knowledgeable when it comes to answering questions. Hope you have as great a time as I am having.

Welcome to SRP Mike. Your ACE razor was made on consignment for the Central Barber Supply Co. by a German maker who may never be known. Barber suppliers, hardware and department stores, cutlers, souvenier shops, etc., etc., would have their company names stamped on razors for resale. These razors may have been made by a well known company or any of hundreds of anonymous German razor manufacturers. There just isn't enough existing documentation to track them all down. Good luck with them.

Regards - Walt

Welcome! Straight razor collecting is great and the history you connect to when using them is even more rewarding. This is a great forum that I'm sure you will greatly enjoy!