Thread: Old Razor

Hi guys,

Although I have been wet shaving for the past 15 years or so I only recently began studying the proper way to shave.
I have also started looking into straight razors.
My father in law gave me an old razor marked Supplee-Biddle Howe, Philadelphia. The point is square and I measured the blade at 5/8 although it looks wider than normal. The razor came with a very old looking leather case marked Estas The Warranted Trade Mark.
Is anyone familiar with either of these marks. I have not been able to find any info and figured that someone here may know.
Thanks for any advice.

Sal

Hey - welcome! Many stores - hardware stores, homegoods and plumbing supply stores in particular, used to have straight razors either made or branded when they were in vogue back in the day. A search focusing on the early days in Philly might just turn-up the company.

As for the razor, is it in good shape? Knicks in the blade edge? what is stmped on the tang (handle end of the blade itself)?

If it is in decent shape, and (even better) if the blade was made in Germany ("Solingen"), then you might just have a real nice piece to shave with!

Hope this helps a little .....

Good luck!

Chaaaz is right .... Supplee-Biddle Howe was a Philadelphia hardware store that sold also through mail-order and branded its own merchandise, including razors, firearms, tools, etc. The razor likely dates around 1920-ish ....

You can pretty much expect that a razor is only rarely in its own case, the one it left the factory in. Razors and cases almost always got seperated. Paperboard cases were relatively quick to disintegrate in the humidity of the shaving environment.

Thanks for the quick replies!

I do not see anything on the tang but the other side of the blade is marked "Barbers Choice 166".

The blade seems solid compared to the $3.99 Ebay special I have. However, there is a knick in the middle of the blade and there is a little rust on the other side of the blade. I guess I cannot really use it.
I avoided honing it because I was afraid to ruin it (before I noticed the small knick). I will practice honing on the ebay special and on the working razor I bought from one of the SRP members.

Thanks again


Sal

Depending on the size of the knick, it may be able to be honed out! You might just save the razor. If you have a courser stone, say a 1000 grit, you can use that to try to remove the chip/knick/ding. Once you have it pretty well gone, you can reestablish a working edge with the 4000 grit, and polish it with an 8000 or higher.

Many a blade here has been salvaged after a lot of stone work!

I tend to like 'backhoning' and 'circular honing' to get knicks out. then, I use a standard "X" pattern to put the shaving edge back on.

Don't give up yet!

Luck -

Thank you for the advice. I will try honing it but I have a lot of questions. Perhaps you or someone else on the group can help me or direct me to some good resources.

1) Is back honing the process where you hone the same way as you would strop? What is the purpose?

2) What is circular honing?

3) I assume the X pattern is the same described in the how to section of classicshaving.com. If so, why is it that you are not supposed to lift the blad when going up or down the stone (after completing the first or second pass)? Is this just a preventive measure to avoid any dents?

4) My father in law gave me a hone as well as the razor. This hone is all grey and feels very smooth. There are no markings of any kind. Do you have any idea of what kind of grit it may have, or what kind of stone it may be? Should I buy a new hone for the job?

Forgive all the questions but I am an absolute beginner.
Thanks.


Sal

I'm assuming that back honing is honing just like you would to strop.
Circular honing is most likly honing in a circular motion instead of a single direction. This would remove more metal more quickly.
The gray hone is most likly an old fasioned barber's hone, probably ceramic. They are very smooth, as you stated, which means they take less metal off the edge, therefor it will take many more passes on it to hone it properly.

-Jon

Wecome to the SRP! Rest assured that your questions are normal.

Backhoning is the same motion as stropping. The general use is to remove a wire edge. Don't worry about that just yet.

Yes, circular honing is used by some to remove metal rapidly but it is a bit more difficult to master than the regular, edge leading Xpattern stroke.

The grey barber hone that you have is probably to fine to remove nicks with. You would be honing for a month of sundays. If a nick is visible then 1000 grit is usually used and if only visible under a small, handheld microscope ( Radio ShaCK MODEL 63-1133, $10) then a 4000 grit stone can be used followed by your grey barber stone to finish it.

You do not lift the blade off the stone because of the possibility of having the edge touch the hone first, this might damage the edge. You should roll the razor on its spine at the end of a stroke.

The hone you have could be anything from a 2000 grit up to a 8000 grit. It is hard to tell. Only a SRP member with experience using the classic hones could answer that.

The most popular hone used by the members of the SRP is the 3 inch wide Norton 4000/8000 grit combination waterstone. It is easy to use, easy to clean and lap, very fast cutting and will last you a lifetime. It is not cheap but it is regarded as the best.
Classicshaving.com has this hone at a good price and Ray, the owner is a member of this group and a very good guy. I would buy from him.

Hope this helps,