Thread: Found my grand-grandfather's old razor!

Nope, I wouldn't have been doing that. I would want better light to work in to ensure my marking out was a close to perfect as I could humanly get it. For that same reason I'm not working on my replacement satchel bag. It's only a slap up job, being made out of third grade cow hide, but I still find myself scrutinising over each step of the process to ensure it is as right as I can get it, even though I'm trying to just slap it together without caring too much how it looks. Can you see how much conflict is going on inside me right now!!!


Mick

Originally Posted by MickR

Nope, I wouldn't have been doing that. I would want better light to work in to ensure my marking out was a close to perfect as I could humanly get it For that same reason I'm not working on my replacement satchel bag. It's only a slap up job, being made out of third grade cow hide, but I still find myself scrutinising over each step of the process to ensure it is as right as I can get it, even though I'm trying to just slap it together without caring too much how it looks. Can you see how much conflict is going on inside me right now!!!


Mick

I guess there is slapping and slapping isn't there. If your end product turns out crap just to save a few minutes then you will be annoyed by it until you stop using it, which would probably be fairly quickly if you didn't like it.
Quality workmanship will overcome poor grade materials, it's not like the leather is going to fall apart, presumably it is just scarred.
It would be worth getting a 2x36w fluoro with a flex on it, and some daylight (865) tubes, whack some hanging chain on and there you have an excelent work light.

That would give me no excuse to whinge about lack of light then Ed. Where's the fun in that! In truth, that sounds like an excellent idea, and one that I will have to do when I can. Thanks for the advice.


mick

Originally Posted by MickR

That would give me no excuse to whinge about lack of light then Ed. Where's the fun in that! In truth, that sounds like an excellent idea, and one that I will have to do when I can. Thanks for the advice.


mick

No probs, I really don't like working in the dark, so it's the sort of thing I would do, in fact you should see my shed. Everytime I moved my workbench a new light went up, though in fairness I got all my light fittings in my shed as salvage from different jobs I have done.

Oh and make the cord long with an inline switch in it, well if you can be bothered.

Originally Posted by JackeHj

Hello from Åbo(Turku), Finland!

The last 3 weeks I have been reading a lot in this forum and soon i will be ready to try shaving like a man, haven't bought any supplies yet thou. Anyway, I asked my grandfather if he ever used a straight razor, he never did :/ but he rememberd his father do it. So we started looking and found my grand-grandfathers old razor.

It is an D. Peres "The Columbia" Solingen 5/8. From the 1920's.


Attachment 141287Attachment 141288

So I have some questions:

1. Do any of you know a place (in Finland, or many even in turku) where I can get this honed and shave ready?
2. Can I learn to shave with this razor? Is D. Peres razors any good? Any experiences?
3. If I should by another to start with I have my eyes on the Dovo carpe deim 5/8 or the Ralf Aust Solingen 6/8 round point. Any recommendations?

Thanx a lot for all the great information on this site!

From another newbie, Welcome!

Nice looking razor! I also recently received my Great-Grandfather's straight razor. For now, it sits, with the blade oiled, undisturbed. I intend to hone it myself, once I have a little more experience at honing. Later, I might do a full restore once I have experience with that. I want to make all my mistakes on somebody else's family heirloom, not mine! If it was me, I would buy a few shave-ready straights first, then learn to shave with them, then learn to hone on them, and THEN, hone the one that really matters. But I see you already have a most excellent and generous offer from Birnando. The straight razor community is one of the most generous and sharing bunch of guys I have ever been priveliged to be a part of.

Of course you can learn to shave with that razor. (Don't drop it!)

Well, like I said, it would be my choice to learn on something more expendable. Stuff happens.

The markings on the blade are etching. It is done either with an acid resist ink and chemicals, or with electricity through a stencil. The modern way is to use a laser. I was privileged recently to watch a guy electro-etch a few blades. Along with some new tools. That's old school. Old time mechanics 100 years ago etched their names or initials in their tools. Anyway yours looks very deep and bold, and I am thinking that normal polishing won't mess it up at all. Very impressive, I would say, too.

By the way, I don't know if you know this, but the number of stars on the U.S. flag is the number of states. So if you count the stars, and look up the years for the number of states, you can get a pretty good idea of when the artwork was done for the etching, and date the razor. For instance, if there are 33 stars, look up the year the 33rd state and the 34th state joined the union and that is the time frame for this razor, I would expect. I doubt that back then, they would have just put some random number of stars on there. Just sayin.

I thought about doing the same thing, learning shaving, honing and repairing on some other razor. But it also will be kinda nice if this where my first razor, it will make it more special. And if I can't afford buying another razor right now (at least not one in shave ready condition) since ti is relatively expensive to buy all the other supplies I need... So eventually I will buy more razors and learn to hone then.

I didn't think about that. I counted the stars, dont remember the number now, it was 40-something... But i didnt think of that! Thank you when i get it back from honing i will recount them!

I got the razor back from Birnando a week ago So i have been able to try it!

I foud it was easier than expected to shave Have now shaved 3 times and i can get the sideburns pretty good. still having problems around the chin and the neck, cant get the neck smoot. But i guess it's a learning curve that will take a while to learn.

After my shaves my neck is very irritated, I have a bottle of nivea after shave balm witch stills the irritation a bit. but is there anything else i might do to prevent this? could this depend on a bad lather? I think i do the face prep right. (apply hot water, lather up, hot towel and relather)

I was looking for a second razor and foud this on ebay:
Gold Dollar 208 or 66 Straight Razor 3in1 Stand Holder Shaving Brush Bowl | eBay

Opinions? Is GD's good for learning to hone? Whats the different between GD's 66 and 208?

Originally Posted by JackeHj

I got the razor back from Birnando a week ago So i have been able to try it!

I foud it was easier than expected to shave Have now shaved 3 times and i can get the sideburns pretty good. still having problems around the chin and the neck, cant get the neck smoot. But i guess it's a learning curve that will take a while to learn.

After my shaves my neck is very irritated, I have a bottle of nivea after shave balm witch stills the irritation a bit. but is there anything else i might do to prevent this? could this depend on a bad lather? I think i do the face prep right. (apply hot water, lather up, hot towel and relather)

I was looking for a second razor and foud this on ebay:
Gold Dollar 208 or 66 Straight Razor 3in1 Stand Holder Shaving Brush Bowl | eBay

Opinions? Is GD's good for learning to hone? Whats the different between GD's 66 and 208?

Neck irritation could well be you use too much pressure pushing the razor on the skin. Use no pressure against the skin.

GD's are generally considered a waste of money, but people have the odd success story to tell. you might be lucky.


Mick

Welcome aboard, Jackie! I think you may have found out that you have discovered the best site about wet shaving on them there internets! Please take advantage of the generous offer by Birnando, you won't regret having a true heirloom shaver!

i like waffles with icecream

Silly boy.......waffles are only good with chicken!

Originally Posted by jfleming9232

Welcome aboard, Jackie! I think you may have found out that you have discovered the best site about wet shaving on them there internets! Please take advantage of the generous offer by Birnando, you won't regret having a true heirloom shaver!



Silly boy.......waffles are only good with chicken!

Thanks...
Now I want dinner again!!!