Thread: This newbie bought three razors on craigslist

Hello all. I know and I have read that newbies should not purchase used razors on the internet as most of us do not know what we are buying. I will be honest and tell you that is very true in my case. I bought three razors and a guard from someone on the other side of the state from me. I only gave $30 for these so I figured I was not out much money if I ended up getting crap.

When looking at these razors I am not sure what the names are, versus where they were made. I will give as much info as I have with the pictures I took.

First will be a Weck Junior. This razor is in need of major cleaning, at the very least. The blade is a removable blade, that is rusted something bad. I do have a perfect blade that came with it though. On the spine it reads Weck Junior on one side and Weck NY USA on the other. It appears to have yellow acrylic scales.


Next is a Roxo. In the hollow it reads New Pattern ROXO. On the tang it reads Marsh Brothers Co. Pond Works, Sheffield. Othe opposite side it reads England.



Next I am not sure of the name. I am not able to read anything on the hollow, but the tang reads Hamburg Hollow Ground, and opposite it reads Diamond Spear Sheffield England. This one is in the worst condition as the scales look to be rotting and it looks like someone got a little too happy honing in one spot.




Last is the guard. I am having a real difficult time making out what it reads. It looks like it reads Shavers. It has 4-5 different adjustments for blade depth I assume.


I would like to try to clean these up a little myself so I can try to read them better. What all is recommended for this kind of abuse that has happened to these razors? Also, is the guard supposed to fit any SR, or is it designed to fit specific types/brands? Is the third razor I posted beyond help, or could one of our vendors here be able to straighten out the edge and make it usable again? I plan on sending off the two hollow grind to be professionally set up if they are able to be. The Weck I should be able to use once I get it cleaned up, right? Any advise for this one since the blade slides into the holder on how to properly care for it?

Note the mentors on this site,they are here to help you before you buy ebay junk.JMO just ask them.

Digging deeper it looks like what I called a ROXO is a Marsh Brothers Co. This is the exact razor that I have. Just not as pretty.

Listen to Pixel. He is the smarterest

My bad, you said craigslist,but still contact a mentor before you buy,nothing wrong with an educated opinion.

Does the guard fit the Weck I would have thought it (Weck) was for hair cutting.

The other 2 are pretty sad. The Marsh could maybe be saved. Dunno how deep the pits go near the edge.

The last one would have to be well loved to bother with IMHO.

The Roxo looks like it might be OK depending on the pitting near the edge. The Weck and the other one belong in the bin.

FWIW --

The Roxo looks like it's in OK condition. Have it honed, and see what happens.

The other two, not so good. That's a pretty deep frown in the Hamburg Hollow Ground. It must be honed-out - that is, the wider sections must be reduced in width, to match the narrowest part of the blade.

Bone scales can be eaten-up by tiny insects (I _think_ they're insects). Typical damage looks like what you show in the photo. So, that one probably needs new scales.

As you say, it's a good lesson in why "razor #1" should be bought from a reliable source, not Craigslist or eBay.

OTOH, you learned a lesson, it cost you $30 -- and the Roxo might turn out to be a good blade.

. Charles

The Roxo looks like it can be rescued.
As mentioned above, the other two are perhaps beyond help ?
They would be good (perhaps) for practising your honing technique !!
Give it a try and good luck.

Bongo.

Not a bad haul. I've seen folks do worse. Regarding your Weck Junior - Yes. it is a straight razor and not a "beard shaper" or a hair trimmer as some folks think. The Weck came with a safety guard that slid over the spine once the blade was inserted. This guard was supposed to prevent the razor from being used at too sharp of an angle and cutting the skin. The Weck can be honed and stropped like any ordinary razor and can be used with or without the guard. The other guard you have is a Shavezy (or shave easy). It is a device that can be fastened to any straight razor to serve the same purpose as the Weck guard. It is adjustable to fit various blade widths and turns your "dangerous" razor into a safety razor. The "rotting" scales on your Hamburg Hollow Ground are made of horn and the "rot" is actually where the larvae of insects like the carpet beetle had been chewing on the protein rich scales when they were tucked away in a drawer over the past century or so.

Regards - Walt