Thread: Best Books on Straights

Hey all --

Have spent enough time ogling ebay straights, and that got me wondering about the histories and narratives of the various razor companies -- particularly because many of the US companies (like Genco and Catteraugas) were located nearby my adopted hometown of Buffalo NY...

So, that leads me to this question:

What are the best books on straight razors? A quick amazon search turns up quite a few -- which ones (if any) are worth buying? Which are the best for identifying / dating vintage straights? Are there any histories of the razor industry (or industries, acknowledging that there must be different histories for NY, Sheffield, Solengen, etc.) out there? Any other books of note on straight razordom?

cass

Which ones have you encountered thus far?

I think the "Standard Guide To Razors" Third Edition by Roy Ritchie & Ron Stewart is a good one to have. I keep mine next to my computer. It's definitely not all inclusive, but at 255 pages, it is informative. The values listed really don't mean much since Ebay sets razor values which fluctuate as wildly as a Geiger counter near a hunk of Uranium or a Kraftwerk album. But, I've just flipped through the book looking at the razor pictures hundreds and hundreds of times.

Chris L

Chris. Is there another book besides that one which is hardbound?

Originally Posted by iron maiden

Chris. Is there another book besides that one which is hardbound?

Are you asking whether there is another good razor book that is in hardcover? The copy of the one I've made reference to is soft cover. Sorry it's late, I don't think I understood the question correctly.

Chris L

Originally Posted by Chris L

I think the "Standard Guide To Razors" Third Edition by Roy Ritchie & Ron Stewart is a good one to have. I keep mine next to my computer. It's definitely not all inclusive, but at 255 pages, it is informative. The values listed really don't mean much since Ebay sets razor values which fluctuate as wildly as a Geiger counter near a hunk of Uranium or a Kraftwerk album. But, I've just flipped through the book looking at the razor pictures hundreds and hundreds of times.

Chris L

you're addicted to razor porn....

Originally Posted by Detach

you're addicted to razor porn....

Yep, but actually if there was a hone/stone book, I'd be flipping through that one even more. Go figure.

Chris L

Chris, to be specific. I was wondering if there was perhaps another book besides the 3rd ed. which was hardcover.

IIRC there was/is a hardcover razor book I saw listed at Amazon or Barnes & Noble quite some time ago? Hopefully someone else will chime in.

Chris L

Not a hardcover but "Straight Razor Collecting" by Robert A. Doyle is a very good book. It came out in 1980 and while dated as a price guide it is full of history and illustrations. Many color photos of razors, particularly with figural handles. I see it on ebay every now and then. A hardcover book for those interested in the history of the turn of the century cutlery industry in the USA is "The Knifemakers Who Went West" by Harvey Platts. There is a page on it here. I believe that it is also out of print.