Thread: Coming out of the *Clauss*et

here's my new USMC that's in need of some work, as soon as I get the bread together it's headed to gssixgun

Just won this beauty on ebay! It's in pretty fine condition and with the original box(which is beat up a little)...the scales are perfect and the blade is overall perfect with the exception of a little corrosion dimple on the top of the spine and a slight frown to the razors edge. Hard to believe it was shaving a "Leatherneck" almost 100 years ago.

Also posted to Clauss USMC - Base Camp thread

ahhhhhh, it's nice to put a name to my competition, at least it went to someone on SRP

Oops! I know how it feels...I was outbid on a coticule I really wanted

Finally got myself a Clauss. As much as i'd like to score a USMC Clauss being a Marine, i was able to make a nice score from eBay. I'm happy and cant wait to try my hand at cleaning up the blade. I'm thinking the scales are celluloid but not sure any info on this is appreciated. Also, any tips in removing the rust spots around the gold inlay without removing the gold?

Very nice Clauss Josh. I have one very similar and a bunch of others. Cleaning around the gold wash and keeping it intact is difficult. Soap and water, an old tooth brush and a single edge disposable razor blade for scraping the rust off (available in hardware stores and used in box cutters) is the best I have been able to do. Any metal polish will take the gold off. If you're careful, som netal polish on a cotton swab or a tooth pick will help but be careful not to get it on the gold when wiping it off. Good lick! You will love your Clauss!

Here is my edition to coming out of the Clauss*et

'Lo, all!

I'm a raw newbie to straights, brought in by a combined love of elegant tools and hatred of disposable razor pricing.

This little fellow suggested I might introduce myself in this particular corner of the forum:

Clauss - Lily Nouveau 8 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

Clauss - Lily Nouveau 1 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

I just got this in the mail after winning the eBay auction. I'd guess I overpaid for it at $60, but I can't really track down any good info on it. The only thing I've done to it is unpack it, photograph it, and tuck some of the silk lining back into the box flange.

Searching the forums here, digging through old catalogs of ads, reading court records and union bulletins about unfair wages brought me no closer to knowing when this was made.

I can't find many boxes like this one.

Clauss - Lily Nouveau 2 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

I know it was made after the factory burned down, which I can't find a firm date on. Though it definitely happened before 1911. I can guess it was made no later than the '30s because the style was in serious decline by that point.

Clauss - Lily Nouveau 4 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr


Clauss - Lily Nouveau 6 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

I know the headless body of a young man was found on the site of one of their former factories. I know they may have fraudulently sold razors stamped 'Sheffield' and that they had the world's largest factory for manufacturing shears sometime before 1900.

I also know that I'm extremely happy to have this razor.

Now to just get good enough at cleaning and sharpening that I can make this usable without fear of wrecking it! I've got two other blades at the moment, which I've been slowly working on getting usable, and I've got 5 more on their way. I would really like to learn to restore and hone myself (artist here, working with my hands is one of the main appeals of this whole razor business). But that's a topic for the restoration forum.

Clauss - Lily Nouveau 5 by Zak Jarvis, on Flickr

If anyone has any better ideas on when this was made, I'm all ears! I bought this razor because I loved the design, both the blade and the lily-of-the-valley inlay. I don't really get excited over that particularly turn-of-the-century yellow, but it works here.

My intent was to use it, but now that it's in hand I find myself wondering if it would be better to simply restore it (either by myself or via a professional) and just keep it safe and happy.

So. Um. Does that get me out of the *Clauss*et?

Welcome to SRP Voidmonster. Congrats on a nice find and thanks for your search results.

Off topic, send at least one of your razors to be professionally honed. Two would be better. That way you can focus on learning to shave with a straight and take the honing out of the equation. You will also learn what a shave ready straight razor should feel like. The second one would be a spare in case of damage to the first and a target for your own honing skills.

Originally Posted by Joed

Welcome to SRP Voidmonster. Congrats on a nice find and thanks for your search results.

Off topic, send at least one of your razors to be professionally honed. Two would be better. That way you can focus on learning to shave with a straight and take the honing out of the equation. You will also learn what a shave ready straight razor should feel like. The second one would be a spare in case of damage to the first and a target for your own honing skills.

Thank you!

I'd originally only planned on getting one of them professionally honed. I like the way you think though -- two is a much better idea! Life is so much less stressful when there's a margin for error...