Thread: Shaving collectables extravaganza

Spent all day yesterday with some great individuals who are very passionate about their shaving items. Members of the National Shaving Mug Collectors Assoc. were there, many collectors of DE's, straights, perfume bottles, blades, auto stroppers and more were on hand as well as SRP's / SRD's own Lynn and Don.

Hats off to Jerry Rosenthal for putting this thing on. A fine gentlemen and a pleasure to talk to. He was also a walking classified ad with a shirt that read "DE razors wanted". Whether it worked or not I don't know.

Many presentations were given from the history of Gillette, in and outs of shaving mugs (which I missed due to my presentation), overview of razor sharpeners and stroppers (he had more contraptions than Inspector Gadget), Lynn with honing demonstrations and I gave a power point on razor restoration.

As for my presentation, I used many items from the Wiki and used many examples of our members work. I am not the greatest at restoring and scaling so I used many of our members work and techniques, giving absolute credit as it is due. You guys are awesome craftsmen.

Lynn repaired a razor for me, and after watching his technique, breadknifing will never be an option for me. Some very valuable honing lessons were learned in that short time sitting at his table. Thanks Lynn!
(this was not stated to create a honing firestorm, only that I learned other options)

I found the guy who owns all the pretty handled straightrazors in the world, which is why we can't find any. Seriously he had a couple hundred on display but owned about 4000. MOP, sterling, intricate patterns of all types. I tried talking him into shaving with them, but he didn't seem to go for it. I did buy keen kutter royal in great shape of of him. To plain for his collection. Awesome collection.

The gentleman on the other side of me had a very impressive display of Str8's as well. Between the 2 of them they traded / bought about 15 razors off of each other. I wonder if they do that at each show?

Mugs galore and beatiful ones at that. Prices and styles were all over the spectrum and just impressive to view. Another gentlemen collected only military shaving items. Str8's, DE's, most all of them in some form of a kit issued to the soldier.

Mike Ippoliti from the Canal Winchester historical society (OHIO) was there promoting the Ed Jeffers Barber Museum. This is must see on my list of things to do. HHMMM, maybe an OH/PA get together there.

I also spoke with a few former barbers. The one gentlemen was picking out my Red Imps, Temperites and such stating on the many shaves he had given with them. He aslo stated that Str8 shaving was all but dead. I spoke of SRP and a resurgence in Str8 use, but his point was of the use in barbershops. He spoke of many a time when the process of hot towels and lathers and the plain pampering would just put a man to sleep in his chair. I feel he right in stating that is all just about gone. The resurgence of the barber shop is needed, not just the razors.

As a final note I was able to pry the brand new, not on the market yet, only seen by a few, new SRD strop from Don and take it home with me. A proper review will be forthcoming, but it is AWESOME!

What a great day.

Here are a few pictures of the event:

Wow looks like it was a fun time!

Wish it was closer...

Just as a sidenote here, someone brought up the breadknifing idea as an alternative honing method and I wish they never did. I think it has done a disservice to many. Many think its just another honing method or some shortcut. Yes its a way of saving a straight that is in extremely bad shape but it should be looked at as the nuclear option in blade restoration and not just another method and its not for someone without alot of experience.

Thanks Bigspendur, and I do feel that is for another forum topic at another time for sure. But this convention was a HOOT.

I have to say that alot of the older gentlemen are happy to see a younger generation enjoying their craft. It reminds me of watching live Bluegrass music. Younger people enjoying it are few and far between, but the ones that do, appreciate it to the fullest degree. At 40, I was probably the second or third youngest person there. And it being a new experience to me, I probably enjoyed it more than many attending.

The appreciation for the older things, for better or worse, gives one a better understanding of how technology has gotten us to where it is today. Several in attendance watched the progression firsthand, through themselves and there fathers. Those are the ones I enjoyed speaking with.

It was funny though talking to straight collectors. They would ask if I liked collecting because of the scales or the blade style. My statement was always "I prefer the ones that shave the best". As much as they loved their collections (impressive as they were, VERY IMPRESSIVE), I feel they might be missing the best part of collecting. We all know it as "The Shave".

Fun none the less, and enjoyed seeing all the shaving items from early straights to the special edition cartridge razors (product endorsements). The history was there for all to see.

I should also mention that Schick and Gillette co-sponsored the event. My son should enjoy the free razors given away in the goodie bags. Those fellas have a few more years of him using their products. I'm still trying to convert him.

As much as we as a group steer away from their offerings, those companies are what offered the concept of clean shaven gentlemen to the masses, at an affordable price. One thing I learned this weekend was that the first Gillette offered, with 12 blades, was $5 in 1901. This is the equivalent of about $75 today. Pretty big money just to shave. I know we spend more for one razor or another, but we are not the "average Joe" or the plain masses.

Alot of history learned by me. Truly enjoyable. My friends will never understand.

Jerry

I would love to have gone to that, but if it was in Bangkok I think I would be the only person there.

I want to go there!

The pictures of the straight razors in the huge razor rolls: What did all the paper tags signify? Were all those razors with tags for sale, or were they used for some other purpose?

Chris L

Yep, they were for sale.

My theory is do you buy a car to drive, or just show it off? $500 + for a razor - use it or show it. I know my answer, but yet I won't spend $500 on something $50 would accomplish.

Very nice - beautiful razors. Class envy is nothing new. Black plastic scales for the comon man, sterling scales for the aristocrat. Shaved the same, but more class. Damn I want one of those.

I pitty the man who spends $1,000,000 on a car but doesn't know how to drive and I also pitty the man who spends $500 on a straight razor but doesn't know how to use it.

Man, I wanna crash that party.

Jerry, what were some of prices of the celluloid scaled razors in the blue razor roll? Or an average? Or....the least expensive razor you noticed? Just for perspective.

Chris L