Thread: Greetings

Hello everyone-
This is my first time on the site, which I found while researching an old straight razor that my Dad gave me some years back.

Welcome and enjoy the wildest journey the internet can give short of naughty! The wikis have great and deep knowledge and clarification can be found by asking anything and everything. We all like to answer and converse. Are you planning to use the razor or just after info? If planning to use adjust your bio so that members near you can encourage to meet up and have one on one learning.

I am mostly looking for info. I posted a response to a member who was seeking info. about the same razor I was researching, although he hasn't been online since 2010. I added photos of the razor as well. His was missing the scales--and was asking about what they would have looked like. Mine is complete...so I decided to shoot a few pics and upload them for him. :-)
I'm a retired barber...and have a few old straight razors~not interested in using them, however...at least not on myself...lol. (I'm female..and really don't want to shave my legs with a straight razor...although they do give an incredibly close shave.)

I stand corrected. I'm sure then that you have knowledge we could all benefit from. Stick around and offer advice where you see fit.

Hi and Welcome.

I found your pics and that's a sweet looking razor. The first one I've seen.

Hope you enjoy the forum!!

Best Regards,

Howard

Welcome to SRP!

that king bell is a nice looking razor. I doubt we will ever know which frim made it but some of the history experts might have heard of the retailer... just wait and see.

enjoy,
jim

Hi and welcome. Beautiful looking razor. Ed

Hi and welcome to the forum,

Maybe I can shed a little light about your razor. The King Bell brand was made by Gebr. Bell (Bell Brothers) of Solingen, Germany. They sold their razors under their own name (see photo) and likely wholesaled their wares to retailers in the U.S. market. Your razor was purchased by the Arnold Co. (possibly the Arnold barber supply co. of Little Rock, AR) for resale with their company name stamped on the tang. This was a common practice used by smaller businesses to have their own brand of razor, etc. The German manufacturers were offering this service at a very inexpensive price and undersold the American competition.

The one thing that puzzles me is that your razor was stamped M. I. (made in) Germany and the Gebr Bell were located in Solingen. There was a distinction between the two as razors being produced in the Solingen area were held to a higher production standard than razors made in other parts of the country. That's not to say that other German razors couldn't have been made to same high standard, but it was not required.

Regards - Walt