Thread: Request for advice on the choice of the vintage razor

Greetings, my name is Paul and I am new here.

Being curious about straight razor shaving I would like to get some more information before buying a razor and setting on to pursue a practical hobby of straight razor shaving. Being organized kind of guy I did some research myself before asking questions, namely I have read an electronic copy of the book «The Straight Razor Shave» by Christopher Moss, the Beginner's Guide by Lynn Abrams and some of the entries from this forum's FAQ and knowledge database.

However, there are still some questions that I was not able to find answered, precisely the criteria by which to judge quality of a vintage straight razor. I understand, that aesthetic considerations set aside, things to look for include quality of steel and length, width and hollowness of the blade. Now to the question itself. Currently, there are more than 500 vintage straight razors that match the search string offered by the FAQ under the price of $30. How can one prospective buyer, aside from looking for cracks, chips and signs of corrosion on the blade try to understand what quality of steel the blade is made of? What should I stay away from?

I understand that one way is looking for a blade of specific make and origin. Can anyone point me to a list of a known good vintage razor manufacturers, or make a few examples? I was not able to find one such list myself, of find a comprehensive guide that answers such question as mine.

Thank you in advance.

P.S. I understand that most of such razors are not going to be shave-ready and must be honed professionally before use.

P.P.S. Here are some links to the razors that have caught my eye — [1], [2], [3]. Please feel free to tell me what you think about them.

Welcome to SRP. Good to see someone enthusiastic enough to do some research with the tools provided. Those links opened to generic ebay front page for me.

Names such as Boker, Puma, dubl duck, and almost any older vintage Solingen made razor will be of a high quality IME. Check the SRP classifieds too.

And I have found that almost any American Made Steel is fantastic. And I have 7 different makers in my current rotation and have honed about 20 American made razors, shockingly nice shavers. In that case I would check specifically on Torrey, Shumate, Robeson, Case, Genco, and most of the others that have US States that were made in Germany like Simmons and Morley. Then you have all of the great Sheffield Razors, and I found two of my very favorite shavers were from there, a Wostenholm and a Joseph Perry and Sons... Although you will hear lots of praise for Wade and Butcher - for me they aren't as easy to hone, but when done well from what I hear are phenomenal shavers. Oh, also Jimmy is 100% correct about any of the vintage Solingens! Wait, that is a whole lot of no help! Sorry! And Good Luck!!!

Welcome to SRP!! Practicality Is good, but straight razor shaving as a hobby can take on a life of its own. If you're just wanting to shave with a straight, you can do it economically. But, if you're pursuing it as a hobby, then (?). It can be very expensive!! I guess I'm one that thought I was very disciplined, but there's just so much to try and experience that now I find I'm not disciplined, just hooked. Good Luck!! Hope you have a great experience with straight razor shaving. Again, welcome!!

Regards,

Howard

Thank you for all the kind words.

I have updated the links to the Ebay, I think you would be able to see razors I requested feedback on now.

FWIW --

Most vintage razors are good. They were made of decent high-carbon steel, and properly tempered. Sheffield, Solingen, and American blades all work well.

Makers who made bad razors would have been shunned by buyers.

So the condition of an individual razor -- and the random sample-to-sample variation in heat treatment and grinding -- may be more important than:

. . . "What's a good brand?"

There's a document in the Wiki that lists 'good brands', and another that lists "brands to avoid". All the "brands to avoid" are modern.

Charles

Thanks, I will take a look at this list.

I would also like to mention 2 things.

1.) Check out Larry at whippeddog.com. He will get you started off right with a functional and ready shaver for little investment.
2.) Check out your local antique shops. You may be amazed at what you find. I have already found an early Shumate Barber (Austin, TX) and a Torrey (Whip-line) that were in almost new condition. Each was under $15 and just needed a little cleanup and a honing. The Shumate even came in the original box, also in excellent condition.

-ADAM

Originally Posted by Somebody

Thank you for all the kind words.

I have updated the links to the Ebay, I think you would be able to see razors I requested feedback on now.

All three are good. Note that the boker already has 4 bids. When you see an item on ebay you can't go by what the bid is 'now'. A lot can happen in the last few seconds. I would go for the first or second one since they are not 'big names'. OTOH, take a shot at all three. Get 'em all pro honed and you'll have a rotation that will last the rest of your days.

Can anyone explain or point me to the article explaining benefits of rotation, if there is any aside from longer life for the blade and enjoyment from using multiple razors?