Thread: Found via A Letter to the Editor

This razor came to me because of a letter I'd written to the Editor of our local newspaper.
Letter - A straight razor is more than step back in time | Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

The day of the publication of the letter I came home from work to find a note from my son telling me that 'some lady called about a straight razor' and there was a phone number and a name. It was about 7:45pm so I called.

The woman said that they had seen my letter to the Editor and wanted to tell me that they had recently purchased a home that had been built in 1920 and had been owned by a couple from 1946 to 2013. Up in the attic in a cupboard on the very top shelf and WAY IN THE BACK they had found a straight razor and wanted to 'give it to me' as they had no interest.

They brought the razor to my workplace and showed it to me and I told them what I could about it and encouraged them to 'think' about keeping it as the husband has been using a DE for YEARS! OR to at least keep it in a display case as it is part of the history of their home!

We'll see what happens but here's the razor. My apologies BUT like an old fart that I know that's up in Northern Idaho I got all excited and instead of taking 'before pictures' I just started cleaning it up!

On the backside of the celluloid scales was a 'name' scratched into the scales and it was very faint in places I thought that it said: Joe McGoyern and I emailed the owners telling them what I'd found and 'what I thought it said' but I wasn't sure.

The response from them was 'at least to me' outstanding! The wife of the previous owner's Maiden Name was 'McGovern'! SO! This razor has some History to it!


I hope all enjoy it!





The backside was the one with the most damage but it came out decent.



Thanks for looking and listening

Beautiful razor and great story, Cuda!

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Beautiful razor and great story, Cuda!

Thanks! I've probably had between 10-12 of our regular customers were I work come up and tell me how much that they enjoyed the letter. One co worker complimented me on how well I'd written it and that it was breath of fresh air as there is a School Bond on the up coming ballet and most of the letters have been about that.
I don't know when I'll send another, I don't want to come off as one of the 'cranks' that constantly writes about their own personal 'gripe'

I'm very glad that I did write that letter, it seems to have had some positive results. I don't know if any one else would get the same results but I think that if one were to put things forward in a positive manner the general public might take notice.

I really wish I hadn't had to cut out 2/3rds of that letter to meet their 400 word limit. I pushed the window and finished with 397

Great story here, well deserved blade for you! Keep on writing.

Any chance you could post a pic of the spine as well - unless it's just my eyesight it looks like there's some nice filing along the length of the spine?

Excellent story! Great save sir!!
Did they take it back to keep for their history?

Ray

Originally Posted by Suavio

Great story here, well deserved blade for you! Keep on writing.

Any chance you could post a pic of the spine as well - unless it's just my eyesight it looks like there's some nice filing along the length of the spine?

There's nothing wrong with your eyesight! However my digital photography sucks but here's an 'idea' of what the spine looks like. It's in two sections and I've never seen a blade like it. All of the worked spine's have had the same decoration all the way down. The section that is on the majority of the spine leading to the toe 'kind of' looks like a spiral of something wrapped in rope or such.





Good thing that I hadn't honed it quite yet as it bit me anyway while I was trying to get it in the right lighting!

Who ever decided on the design sure wanted to make sure that it could be held securely as it also has jimps on the bottom.

By the way, I'm not planning on keeping it as I said originally I'm hoping that the new owners will either display it as part of the history of their home or the husband will use it. My money says that if they keep it, it will be a display piece.

If they don't want it I will add it to my collection of razors that have been given to me. They will never be sold by me! There was one exception and it was a 4/8 and I don't prefer the 4/8's and a barber who does the cutting of designs in his customers hair wanted to see if he could get sharper edges of the design with a straight so I asked the donor if it would be alright to let the razor go and he said sure, go for it.

Now the guy is trying to figure out how to meet all of the State's Requirements to be able to use it!

Sanfte Rasur, mein Klingenbruder!

(Smooth Shaving My Brother In Blades)

Once again.

YA' DONE GOOD , ROY!!!!

Originally Posted by Wullie

Once again.

YA' DONE GOOD , ROY!!!!

Willie, I don't know what I'm going to do with you! I thank you for the compliment! However I'm sitting here laughing my ass off at the looped video! Man if only I could figure out how to make that my avatar with it still being 'live action'!

That is a sexy blade. I love the story behind it.