Thread: Buying straight razors for restoration projects

Hello,

I have been wet shaving for a while now and have a small collection built up of mostly restored vintage and a few new ones. In fact, I just won a brand new Dovo Mammoth straight on a Facebook raffle. My question is, if I want to get into the restoration aspect of wet shaving, where is the best place to shop for vintage razors besides eBay. I have combed through the local thrift stores and flea markets but for some reason straight razors don't pop up to often in my area in West Texas, or maybe I am just not looking hard enough or often enough. I have shopped the SRP classifieds and bought from there but it is currently down for whatever reason. Are there recommended website out there that sell straights for restoration projects? I have done some Google searches but have not seen anything that have jumped out at me. Any thoughts?

Also, what do you guys usually look for when buying vintage restoration projects online? How can you tell your getting something worth restoring? I know its a learning process and mistakes usually have be made had in order to learn from them. I want to limit my buying mistakes by asking some experts.

Thanks in advance.

The former Classifieds are now Buy/Sell/Trade.

Have you tried Craigslist, either looking for razors or putting in a want to buy ad? I try to make regular rounds of the local antique stores. I know once or twice a year I will find something good. Most of the stores in my area have Facebook pages so I will check those often for new items coming in.

When i started restoring i went around to my local antique shops and made sure to chat them up about razors. The Northeast seems to be filthy with old razors but i still had to ask around to see which vendors usually sold shaving stuff. Some shops actually started putting out more razors after i visited them and told them i was looking. Some vendors won't put stuff out unless it's selling. Let them know you're looking, call ahead, give out your number to shops. Your razor hunting will gain momentum as you figure out your area.

They can come out of the wood work if you start talking/asking about them. e-Bay is where I get most of mine but you better sharpen your photo analysis skills and learn what to ask sellers. My Mother brings home some winners sometimes from antique shops but she has to ask and they come out of the back room. She hands me 4 razors she picked up 1 day and says I owe her 50 bucks. At first I was like ""WHAT, MOM Don'T EVEN spend that much without me looking. But after inspecting I had 3 polish and sell and then she pops out this little rock in a leather bag and says they threw this in the deal. A #0.20 Frictionite, pfffff I gave her $75. Oh and she now knows what hone wear and cell rot is :<0)

My wife was a lot better than I spotting shaving stuff at flea markets. eagle eye, that girl.

I've bought all mine online (Ebay). I don't buy unless there are plenty of pictures. Look at the edges for pitting, look at the scales at the pin for cracking. I look for types of blades that I like such as 6/8 round tip or barber's notch.

The best deals are when Wade & Butcher or 6/8" isn't in the listing title. The best deals are when everyone else isn't bidding and when the seller isn't all that knowledgeable about razors. If they don't list the width they aren't knowledgeable.

If they apologize about the box being torn or dirty that's a good sign as well.

There are a lot of pitted straights out there for $20 and a lot of fairly clean straights out there for $20 so why buy the pitted versions?

I've gotten clean 6/8" straight shipped for $10 because there were no other bids and that was generally because of they way they were listed.

Originally Posted by rolodave

My wife was a lot better than I spotting shaving stuff at flea markets. eagle eye, that girl.

You might notice it's because razors are always kept near the jewelry and other such valuable trinkets made of gold and diamonds and such :<0)

Most turn out to be rusty jewels, sellers asking a fortune for them.

As others have mentioned, talking to people is key. If you are looking around your area trying to find razors "in the wild" it helps to start that conversation with lots of people and follow up with them later. I keep list of "leads", names, phone numbers, reminders.

You have to be the one to remind shop owners and flea market vendors what you are looking for. After a time, they hold stuff for you. Sometimes people don't display rusty razors with broken scales. Let them know your are a potential buyer for those items. Becoming a regular at an antique shop is a good thing, keep going back and checking. At yard sales you also have to ask because nobody wants to put grandpa's razors out in the driveway and have a little kid pick them up and get cut.

Also, and very importantly, enjoy the hunt. It's part of the fun. When things are going great I'm finding stuff maybe only half the times I go out, and that's in the summer. Winter is harder. But, you never know what's for sale unless you stop, check and ask. Good luck, I look forward to seeing what you find one of these days!

Yup, Antique stores are your best bet, because you can look at them and hold them in your hand. Buy razors in the best condition you can find, then negotiate. Most dealers will negotiate, especially near the end of the month when rents come due.

Do chat the dealers up and leave your name and number. You can have cards printed for a few dollars and hand them out. Dealers come across stuff all the time, they are always looking and will buy an item they know they have a ready buyer, for a quick flip.

I have several dealers that will text me photos from an Auction or Estate Sale asking for advice and call me a few minutes or hour later saying they have them in hand.

You can get deals on Ebay, but as said, study the photos. Copy the photos to a good photo editor and examine the photos at high magnification. Expect to buy some clunkers, because you cannot truly examine them properly, but also expect to pick up some sweet deals.

Buy in lots, I have bought a lot of 6-10 razors just for one good one, that was worth way more than the cost of the lot.

Bottom line, keep looking and talking to folks. Carry a magnifying glass and flashlight for looking in dark cabinets, can’t tell you how many I have found in the back of a dark cabinet under other stuff.