Thread: Help Identify This Razor??

Hey everyone! I have a razor my grandpa bought from an antique shop and I need some help identifying it, it says "159 ERN" on one side of the tang, and "C. Friedr. Ern Wald-Germany Highest Award" on the other. I have researched a bit and learned about the company and seen some other razors from this brand, but I have not seen any razor marked "159".
Any help??

Welcome to SRP Jazonhart. You would do well to post this in the razors area there will be more readers with knowledge. Also if you PM Manah he is a living encyclopedia of razor knowledge.

I agree with the above post. Manah never fails to amaze me with the amount of knowledge he has.

Originally Posted by jazonhart

Hey everyone! I have a razor my grandpa bought from an antique shop and I need some help identifying it, it says "159 ERN" on one side of the tang, and "C. Friedr. Ern Wald-Germany Highest Award" on the other. I have researched a bit and learned about the company and seen some other razors from this brand, but I have not seen any razor marked "159".
Any help??

Post a picture....
In general "ERN" razors are darn good old razors. Numeric markings
often were model numbers that specified the width of the blade
and other detail. Since folk have been known to wear a one inch
razor down to a bit more than 1/4" take a picture on grid paper
with a ruler for scale. Also many a square point has been hand ground
round ....

A good ERN can be a very nice shaver....
and that has more to do with the result of a shave
test after a proper honing than anything.

So pictures please.
There is a bit of history...
Ern, Carl Friedrich - Straight Razor Place Wiki

Thanks guys, I'll message Manah and heres a couple pictures - though not on grid paper. I don't believe theres much wear on this one:


It looks like an ERN Damascus but I'm not sure because of the "159".

Jazon, Welcome to SRP.
I've found your thread.
You're the owner of the nice blade, that was made by Carl Friedrich Ern company, Solingen-Wald. It's a well-known and authoritative company.
There is a proper WIKI link to the company history in the post above, by niftyshaving.
And a little bit more company history.
"159", as stated above, is the model/catalog number.
"Highest Award", without any details like "Award on the Great Exhibition" or something like this. I think, it's a simple advertising.

It looks like an ERN Damascus

All razors are very similar.

Thanks a ton guys, now would you recommend trading a Larkin razor that I have for honing the ERN? Or should I keep that Larkin and just drop the money for the honing?

Originally Posted by jazonhart

Thanks a ton guys, now would you recommend trading a Larkin razor that I have for honing the ERN? Or should I keep that Larkin and just drop the money for the honing?

For the price get it honed.

My shave today was an ERN, you could do worse.




The above is an ERN 404 and while not
spiffy and sparkling like some it shaves
as well as any.