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just purchased a NO. 503 HUNTER STRAIGHT RAZOR Made in Germany and after a thorough internet search i have not found any information about it or the company. Can some of you please shed some light on the matter?
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Your razor, according to Goins', was sold by the firm of Radigan, Rich & Co., who were in business at 31 Barclay St, NYC, around 1905 to 1907. Their trademarks were Hunter and Archer Brand.
I hope this helps.
Regards - Walt
thanks i will see what i can dig up. is it a rare find since they weren't in business that long?
No, it is not a rare find. This company retailed razors that were made by an anonymous maker somewhere in Germany. The Hunter brand was stamped on the blade for a small production run in the morning. In the afternoon they would stamp the identical blade with the Joe Schmo Hardware logo, and that evening stamp some more blades for the Sunbury Barber Supply Co. There was nothing exceptional about these blades except that they were less expensive than American made or brand name razors of other countries. They were cheap, but serviceable razors. But they are usually not generally sought after unless the collector has some connection to the name or location of the retailer.
Regards - Walt
"cheap but serviceable"... so it should hold a pretty good edge? That may also be why the spine doesn't show a lick of wear too.
Possibly the broken scale came early in this razor's life making it unusable and thereby preserving the good condition of the spine. When I said cheap I meant inexpensive rather than shoddily made. There were many thousands of these generic razors sold over the years and they are mostly very good shavers. A little sanding and polishing, a new set of scales and a proper honing should give you a razor that will provide years of good service.
Regards - Walt
