Im new.. please help !!

Hi,
I have recently aquired some cut throat razors.

a set of two razors made by mappin and webb in a wooden box enlayed with green fabric with "nulle secondus" engraved on the blades. I think these might have Ivory handles ?

Another set of four in a wooden box also made by mappin and web with "the celebrated sheffield hollow ground special steel" etched/engraved on to the blades. These have black handles.

so a few questions ..

Are these good razors
Im sorry for asking but are they worth anything ?
is it worth keeping them and learning to use them ?

I will post some pics on the weekend if i get time and if it helps.

cheers

Welcome to SRP. We don't do appraisals of value on SRP. Mappin & Webb was a very well respected top of the line maker of straight razors. Nulli Secundus , second to none, IIRC have had ivory scales (handles) on many I've seen. Whether these are in good enough condition to use would require photos and a more detailed description of any damage or wear.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Welcome to SRP. We don't do appraisals of value on SRP. Mappin & Webb was a very well respected top of the line maker of straight razors. Nulli Secundus , second to none, IIRC have had ivory scales (handles) on many I've seen. Whether these are in good enough condition to use would require photos and a more detailed description of any damage or wear.

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okay thanks for replying, okay so if i post some photos would you be able to tell me more about them ? i can understand the valuation thing but on other forums i use there is a whats xyz worth thread.. i couldnt find one on here ? I will probably sell one set and keep another i was just after a little advice about them so i could decide.

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Originally Posted by magicmistertea

Hi,
I have recently aquired some cut throat razors.

a set of two razors made by mappin and webb in a wooden box enlayed with green fabric with "nulle secondus" engraved on the blades. I think these might have Ivory handles ?

Another set of four in a wooden box also made by mappin and web with "the celebrated sheffield hollow ground special steel" etched/engraved on to the blades. These have black handles.

so a few questions ..

Are these good razors
Im sorry for asking but are they worth anything ?
is it worth keeping them and learning to use them ?

I will post some pics on the weekend if i get time and if it helps.

cheers

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Send them to me and I shall look at them and send them back in about five years. :matrix:

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Originally Posted by LeBois

Send them to me and I shall look at them and send them back in about five years. :matrix:

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ha okay whats your address ?? :gl:

but seriously you obviosuly know about these things... i am a complete newbie !! are these things bottom of the range ? mid range ? im guessing not high end as they arnt encrusted with diamands....

Supply pictures if you can't send them to me. Let us all look at them.

here you go..

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Originally Posted by magicmistertea

okay thanks for replying, okay so if i post some photos would you be able to tell me more about them ? i can understand the valuation thing but on other forums i use there is a whats xyz worth thread.. i couldnt find one on here ? I will probably sell one set and keep another i was just after a little advice about them so i could decide.

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No valuations and no sales, or talking about intent to sell within the regular forum. That is what our classifieds are for. If you intend to continue as a member here check out the rules you agreed to when you registered. If you only came to sell your razors ebay is probably your best bet.

SRP rules of conduct - Straight Razor Place Wiki

they have a little surface rust here and there.. they are all very very sharp... which i guess to you guys is normal !! the guy i got them from was a carpenter.. he was old school and all his tools were super sharp !! he obviously had the skill to shapen things properly.. i also got some super smooth what i would call "oil stones" again im guessing you guys might call them something else ?

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

No valuations and no sales, or talking about intent to sell within the regular forum. That is what our classifieds are for. If you intend to continue as a member here check out the rules you agreed to when you registered. If you only came to sell your razors ebay is probably your best bet.

SRP rules of conduct - Straight Razor Place Wiki

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To be honest mate i think you are being a bit harsh !! you might be a moderator but i think you will find i have asked advice on if they are worth learning to use ? and my only intent is certainly not to sell them !! i wanted to know roughly if they were any good or not ? i would like to keep one set and sell the other ? what is the problem ? i thought someone might be interested in adding them to a collection ? I dont need the money !! just thought i would ask on a "friendly" forum !! i regually use forums... one being in to retro mountain bikes... there is a similar problem with valuations so they have a specific thread for it... i looked and couldnt find a similar thread on here ? i even asked. it has allready been pointed out to me that you dont do valuations.. which i excepted there is no reason to say it again..
any more info about these would be greatly appreciated
and yes please i would like to stay and become a member but remember i am new so i might not fully understand exactly what questions i can and cant ask

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Originally Posted by magicmistertea

To be honest mate i think you are being a bit harsh !! you might be a moderator but i think you will find i have asked advice on if they are worth learning to use ? and my only intent is certainly not to sell them !! i wanted to know roughly if they were any good or not ? i would like to keep one set and sell the other ? what is the problem ? i thought someone might be interested in adding them to a collection ? I dont need the money !! just thought i would ask on a "friendly" forum !! i regually use forums... one being in to retro mountain bikes... there is a similar problem with valuations so they have a specific thread for it... i looked and couldnt find a similar thread on here ? i even asked. it has allready been pointed out to me that you dont do valuations.. which i excepted there is no reason to say it again..
any more info about these would be greatly appreciated
and yes please i would like to stay and become a member but remember i am new so i might not fully understand exactly what questions i can and cant ask

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He can explain it to you but he can't understand it for you.

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Originally Posted by magicmistertea

To be honest mate i think you are being a bit harsh !! you might be a moderator but i think you will find i have asked advice on if they are worth learning to use ? and my only intent is certainly not to sell them !! i wanted to know roughly if they were any good or not ? i would like to keep one set and sell the other ? what is the problem ? i thought someone might be interested in adding them to a collection ? I dont need the money !! just thought i would ask on a "friendly" forum !! i regually use forums... one being in to retro mountain bikes... there is a similar problem with valuations so they have a specific thread for it... i looked and couldnt find a similar thread on here ? i even asked. it has allready been pointed out to me that you dont do valuations.. which i excepted there is no reason to say it again..
any more info about these would be greatly appreciated
and yes please i would like to stay and become a member but remember i am new so i might not fully understand exactly what questions i can and cant ask

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On the one hand you say you only want to know if they are worth using and on the other you say again that you want to sell one of the sets. As a moderator it is my responsibility, not a pleasure at all, to point out that we do not allow talking about intent to sell on the open forum.

Essentially that is advertising. Fishing for PMs to sell the razors. If that is not your intent I have no way of knowing that. I just do the job I agreed to do when I was offered the position. Most of the other moderators on this forum would probably have pulled this whole thread and sent a PM warning you not to post any selling related posts. Maybe that is what I should have done but I also like to do some of this in public so that other new people, who probably didn't read the rules either ...... I didn't when I was new ..... will understand how it works here. As you've noted, not all forums are the same.

Those are beautiful razors and look to be in great condition. I would have them honed by a professional and get into using them. See the classifieds 'member services' for members who provide honing for a nominal fee and check out the SRP library beginner's guide for tutorials on all things shaving with straight razors ....... except how much they're worth. :gl:

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Originally Posted by 32t

He can explain it to you but he can't understand it for you.

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Its okay thanks for that comment its very helpfull !! I now fully understand you are a valued source of information and must be a credit to the forum making usefull posts like that.

I can understand it myself thankyou very much, I was just after a little advice.. im sorry if my first posts here might have offended a few people I honestly thought it would have been a nice way for a newbie to introduce himself with a friendly discussion ??

bugger it... i might throw them in the bin and stick to my mac3

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

On the one hand you say you only want to know if they are worth using and on the other you say again that you want to sell one of the sets. As a moderator it is my responsibility, not a pleasure at all, to point out that we do not allow talking about intent to sell on the open forum.

Essentially that is advertising. Fishing for PMs to sell the razors. If that is not your intent I have no way of knowing that. I just do the job I agreed to do when I was offered the position. Most of the other moderators on this forum would probably have pulled this whole thread and sent a PM warning you not to post any selling related posts. Maybe that is what I should have done but I also like to do some of this in public so that other new people, who probably didn't read the rules either ...... I didn't when I was new ..... will understand how it works here. As you've noted, not all forums are the same.

Those are beautiful razors and look to be in great condition. I would have them honed by a professional and get into using them. See the classifieds 'member services' for members who provide honing for a nominal fee and check out the SRP library beginner's guide for tutorials on all things shaving with straight razors ....... except how much they're worth. :gl:

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I honestly wasnt fishing for PMs, Thanks for the advice and the positive comments I now know they are worth keeping and arnt just cheap tat !! I will have a good read through the forum and have a go at learning to use them.
No I didnt bother reading all the rules, I figured id work it all out soon enough... Im a fast learner !! :D

I know if they were mine I would never sell them. At least that's how good I think a Mappin and Webb is. I have never used one, but that's because I ultimately realized that it's impossible to try everything there is out there that's appealing. They look like outstanding razors. I agree with the advice to have them professionally honed, and perhaps refurbished if you would like them to look more pristine.

I'm not a moderator but do have lots of moderator experience on other forums. There are people who get their jollies out of aggravating members, ripping off members, and making money off of members. It's a lot more fun to be a member than a member-moderator, believe me.

We are a community of people who have an above average interest in traditional wetshaving, plus we like to exchange advice and help new members with their learning curve.

Assessing a value of something opens a can of worms that could cause a razor to be sold for too much or too little. It can only hurt a forum. Values fluctuate if you study ebay, depending on how popular something is at this particular moment. Buyers and sellers don't always know what something is worth. Through participation and over time you can form an opinion, but it might not agree with someone else's.

No intent to make you feel unwelcome here. If I were you I'd get those babies fixed up and enjoy them all to yourself.

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Originally Posted by CaliforniaCajun

I know if they were mine I would never sell them. At least that's how good I think a Mappin and Webb is. I have never used one, but that's because I ultimately realized that it's impossible to try everything there is out there that's appealing. They look like outstanding razors. I agree with the advice to have them professionally honed, and perhaps refurbished if you would like them to look more pristine.

I'm not a moderator but do have lots of moderator experience on other forums. There are people who get their jollies out of aggravating members, ripping off members, and making money off of members. It's a lot more fun to be a member than a member-moderator, believe me.

We are a community of people who have an above average interest in traditional wetshaving, plus we like to exchange advice and help new members with their learning curve.

Assessing a value of something opens a can of worms that could cause a razor to be sold for too much or too little. It can only hurt a forum. Values fluctuate if you study ebay, depending on how popular something is at this particular moment. Buyers and sellers don't always know what something is worth. Through participation and over time you can form an opinion, but it might not agree with someone else's.

No intent to make you feel unwelcome here. If I were you I'd get those babies fixed up and enjoy them all to yourself.

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Thanks for the advice... do i really need all six of them ? I have looked on e-bay i cant find any the same, well the ones i do find have had the listings removed because they are over 60 days old or what ever it says.... I really did try to find more information on them before i posted on here but couldnt find a great deal..... hence finding this place and deciding to ask about them... its natural to wonder what something is worth...
Do i need to get them honed ? they seem very sharp and as i mentioned were previously owned by a carpenter ... all his tools were very sharp, every chisel, every draw knife, custom made knifes etc... every thing in his garage would slice a rizzla paper no problem... i also have the old honing stones from the same collection... he obviously was a pro when it came to sharpening blades.... how often do you normally get them honed ?
Thanks

If you look around this site a little you will find a little info on Mappin and Webb here Mappin & Webb "The Celebrated Hollow Ground" 11/16 - Straight Razor Place Wiki . Pairs and sets of multiple razors are seen less often than single razors so you may have to be patient in your e-bay searching for them to show up.

If you think they are sharp enough to shave with as is then have at her, you'll know soon enough if they aren't. If you find they aren't sharp enough you could always try to hone them up on the old stones. I don't think anyone on this forum would advise doing either for a beginner who has never shaved with a straight razor and I am certainly NOT doing so, that was meant tongue in cheek. You are certainly free to ignore any well meaning advice given.

There is a ton of info here and if you wade through it most of your questions will be answered.

Bob

If you get into wetshaving and find that you enjoy it as most of us do, you'll be happy to have both of those sets (and probably end up with about a hundred more razors to go with them). I think if you sell a set now, you might regret it a lot later. I know I sold some razors when I was new at this that I now kick myself for selling.
If you decide straight shaving isn't for you then you can sell both sets and be no worse off. (actually better off - as long as I have been doing this razor prices have consistently outpaced inflation)
Just my opinion...

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Originally Posted by BobH

If you look around this site a little you will find a little info on Mappin and Webb here Mappin & Webb "The Celebrated Hollow Ground" 11/16 - Straight Razor Place Wiki . Pairs and sets of multiple razors are seen less often than single razors so you may have to be patient in your e-bay searching for them to show up.

If you think they are sharp enough to shave with as is then have at her, you'll know soon enough if they aren't. If you find they aren't sharp enough you could always try to hone them up on the old stones. I don't think anyone on this forum would advise doing either for a beginner who has never shaved with a straight razor and I am certainly NOT doing so, that was meant tongue in cheek. You are certainly free to ignore any well meaning advice given.

There is a ton of info here and if you wade through it most of your questions will be answered.

Bob

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ha... thanks Bob so not cheap enough to learn honing with then ?

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Originally Posted by magicmistertea

Thanks for the advice... do i really need all six of them ? I have looked on e-bay i cant find any the same, well the ones i do find have had the listings removed because they are over 60 days old or what ever it says.... I really did try to find more information on them before i posted on here but couldnt find a great deal..... hence finding this place and deciding to ask about them... its natural to wonder what something is worth...
Do i need to get them honed ? they seem very sharp and as i mentioned were previously owned by a carpenter ... all his tools were very sharp, every chisel, every draw knife, custom made knifes etc... every thing in his garage would slice a rizzla paper no problem... i also have the old honing stones from the same collection... he obviously was a pro when it came to sharpening blades.... how often do you normally get them honed ?
Thanks

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There may be a day when you want all six of them. It would be a shame to let go of them before you give yourself a chance to get hooked.

For the most part, I use 7 razors and touch them up about every three months. That's probably 10-12 shaves, which is likely more often than I need to. I have more but don't want to part with the little fellers.

I would still send them out to be honed because they may be sharp, but you don't know for sure how sharp. I bought a razor about three months ago. The seller made no claim they were shave ready, but it seemed really sharp. My face was filleted. I have a little 100X microscope and ooooh, it looked like the teeth of my saw in the outdoor shed.

Regarding the value of the razors, I don't really care how much mine are worth. They treat my face nice, and I have fun looking at them and using them.

okay if they are worth keeping and using them is that good then i will keep all of them, get them honed and try shaving with them....

what are the handles on the black set made of ? are they plastic ? is there any way of telling what date they were made ?

Just go here and there are lots of how tos Straight Razor Place Wiki - Straight Razor Place Wiki .

Bob

okay I would like to say thanks for the advice... I have now had a good read around the site... I have read the starters guide.... and I can see that there is a lot to learn !!! I have had a pm about buying my razors... to which i replied they are Not for sale and I have fired off a few pms about buying some cheap shave ready razors from the classifieds to practise shaving and honing etc... I have learnt a lot in the last day including the fact you guys call the handle the "scales" :) amongst lots of other things !! I work with tools everyday and love the fact you guys take so much care of your blades... I have found out a little more information on my razors... including the fact valuations can vary massively. But i would like to know a few more things if anyone can tell me please ??.... what material are the scales on my black set ? and also roughly what year would these sets date from ?
Thanks

Yea, there is a lot to learn. If you want more info on the razors clearer photos of the stampings on the tangs would help. If the stampings say Sheffield and England is absent then they could be pre 1891 or there abouts. If England is included then post 1891. You could try a web search for the retailers named on the boxes who originally sold them. Can't help you much more just not an expert on that stuff.

Bob