Pretty much all I've found locally is Bengall, Invicta and a Birko. No Dubl Ducks, W&B etc.
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Pretty much all I've found locally is Bengall, Invicta and a Birko. No Dubl Ducks, W&B etc.
I did find a Joseph Allen wedge in the Kiama junk shop but being right on the coast everything they had was so rusty & they were asking silly prices for it. Of course the ubiquitous Bengall was there also :p
I saw some nice razors in Sydney today. One was a Bengall 7/8 maybe even 8/8, another was an Invicta probably 7/8. What she was asking was way out of my price range though, :cry: seriously :cry::cry:. They were in beautiful condition too.
Anyone who wants more info feel free to PM me.
Grant
The McKinney's are still in business, but are based in Brisbane now not Toowoomba.
One of the co-owners of the restaurant I work in is a McKinney (4th Generation) and John McKinney (3rd Generation and still going strong at 80) comes into the restaurant all the time.
Very nice people. Link to their website: Welcome to McKinney's » McKinney's Jewellers
I think I have told Onimaru this, but here in Darwin I have found two Fillamonica Doble Temples. The first was in a local antique shop that tried to sell it for $150. The chips, rust and heavy pitting was ridiculous and he wouldn't budge on the price. For someone who is supposed to know the value of older things, he sure acted arrogant when I offered at most $40.
The second is sitting in a pawn shop, just down the road. A white scaled doble with some small nicks on the blade and some very minor rust. The owner uses it as an ornament and told me matter of factly that no one on earth uses straight razors any more. He wont sell it either.
There are also Bengalls (of which I have to tell people are British and not Indian razors) and Invictus razors up here. Since this is a port of call city, many sailors during WW2 brought and sold their razors here.
Sounds like theres some fun to be had up there if the price is right and your into restoration.
I heard the same thing from a barber in Moe who had a display of straights on his wall. He had a full beard and told me that no one uses straights anymore. But he also told me that Bengalls were the best razors ever made. One more thing, he also told me that he had never used one.
OI! I takes offense at that! :D
Mick
No, he's right. Bengalls are useless. Don't buy them. (I wonder if I could drive the price down?)
If I had the money, I would be driving them back up again!
Mick
I regularly rotate the following
Gotta 120 6/8 -never been used before I got it. I think it was for the German rather than the English market.
Blue Wonder 6/8 or 5/8?
Cadman Bengall 5/8
Dovo Ebenholz 6/8
Shumate 9/16... purchaced from Onimaru -Thanks Oz
I also have a few more awaiting attention
Bengall 4/8
Bengall 7/8 or 8/8?
Blue Wonder
Gotta 120
Dovo 4/8 samtschnitt
Bismark 5/8 Hamburg ring
and more that I cant remember atm.
all except the Dovo's and the shumate are vintage 2nd hand from within Aust.
Nice collection there. Thanks for the input. Hey, got any pics of the blue wonder, I'm just curious to see another one?
Grant
My Barber has a collection of razors, mostly old ones given to him by customers who have found grandad's razor in the back of a drawer.
Bengalls are the most common, with Dorko and Flic making up the rest.
He also says that the steel in the ivory handled ones is better than the bakelite handled ones and that they hold their edge longer.
I was too polite to disagree. And since he has an extensive collection of ivory and bakelite handled Bengalls I really didn't think I had the experience to disagree.
Although it does make some sense that you'd put your best quality steel into your expensive high quality handles and your cheap steel into your cheap plastic handles.
I would say you put the higher price on the Ivory and the same steel in both Ivory and Bakelight. Personally the edge that was on my scabby old wood handled Bengall:p, when I got it back from Os could have nipped off ma head, and I wouldn't have known it till I heard the thunk :).
Mick
He may well be right about the durability of the edges if they had some sort of selection process picking out those with the best heat treat but I still think the steel is all the same & any over flow after the ivories were all scaled up would have gone straight into plastic scales & shipped out for sale. Cadmans were a prolific maker & they wouldn't have left blades lying around waiting for the next shipment of ivory. It's interesting to go thru some of the old newspaper ads & see that the Bengall was always touted as a superb & durable edge with no pulling.
how bout we just give the old fella the benefit of the doubt and say that from his experience, his perception is that the ivory scaled razors were superior to his Bakelite razors.:w
G.
If there was some selection process then there is some logic to back up the perception that Ivory handled razors were better than other razors.
If I was running Cadmann I'd put a selection process in, but whether or not they did is an open question.
I think this just comes down to personal preference. It is just like a shiny red sports car goes faster then a rusty pink one. Expensive and shiny ivory must shave better than a cheap plastic one.
Wanted to stash this info where it would be hard to find for people who aren't dinki-di
W.Woolhouse Australian Made Cut-Throat Olden Days Razor (eBay item 390303180930 end time 14-Apr-11 08:46:28 AEST) : Collectables
Doesn't fit my collecting niche, but it may suit some others who post here.
Good on ya cobber. I just put a bid on. See what happens. I only went for it because it said Aussie made...Don't know the truth of it, but if I lose I lose. If I win, well and good too.
Mick
Back in the days of prorectionism Oz had a varied manufacturing base. Doesn't surprise me that someone had a go.
Also found something interesting in the trading post. Boxed 7 day set by Timor for a very reasonable price. PM me if you're interested.
What are you trying to do?!?! Inflame my RAD and send me broke?!?! I got enough addictions...That's it! I'm going for a smoke and a stiff Bourbon... :P
Mick
Timor... Giesen & Forsthoff have that brand don't they?
and still make them.
dont know if G&F obtained it from another manufacturer that went out of business or if they started it.
(like how Dovo have Bismark brand ,and maybe others now)
either way, it sounds like good quality to me and definitely work following up.
just depends on the condition.
Btw, I'm not angling to have it , I have enough already, but not enough that my wife wouldn't notice another addition. :D
It would be good to see it in the safe hands of someone here on this forum though.
Yes they do, and still do. They started that brand in the 1920's I believe. I have a Timor, and it is a damn fine shaver. G&F also supply blades to Dovo as well so I've heard. I wish I could afford to look into that 7 day set, but I'm on a tight budget, mores the pity. I'm always happy if anyone wants to send belated birthday gifts though...:)
Mick
I have a G&F Adoration DeLuxe which is a very lightweight shaver. Not so good at mowing through a 3 day growth but makes an excellent daily shaver.
I've had a few nibbles, so with any luck the box set will go to someone from here.
I'll make sure I do that for you Oz...If I win it! I'm about the unluckiest fellow I know. I'm nearly always 'pipped at the post', as I believe the saying goes. :)
Mick
Judging by the rust at the edge it might be $15 well saved if you lose :p
Is that all you're going to charge for honing it up for me if I win?! :P Geez you're good bloke! :D
Mick
Yah per 1/2 inch :roflmao
Damn, shoulda known there would be a catch...:p
Mick
I am totally agree with the others; Bengalls,Invictas and Gotta is a most likely brands fund in OZ,
but I've seen a few RICH.ABR.HERDER from solinger as well and also some really old imports from England like:
Jone Parker Hall, John Watts. And really old ones-J.Croisdale of Kirkgate leeds and W.Parramore.
By the way does anyone have any info about the last two manufacturers?
As soon as I manage to do some pictures of this realy old ones with the ivory scales I'll post them on, thanks