What to look for?

I was in a local antique shop the other day seeing if there's anything I could pick up as holiday gifts for friends and family. While there, I noticed about half a dozen straight razors in a display case priced between $20 and $40. I was going to ask the storekeeper to let me see them but realized I wouldn't know what I was looking at anyway (I'm a NooB to DE shaving but am interested in looking into SR). So, my question is, what are the general things to look for in a used/vintage SR to see if they're worth buying?

When I am in an antique store I am looking for razors that are in restore-able condition. It all depends on what you are looking to do. For me this means a razor that has no cracks, no extreme hone wear, and only minor nicks on the edge. I will also buy one that has some light pitting as long as it is not close to the bevel. The condition of the scales is not high on my priority list since I can make a new set but it is still nice to be able to keep everything as close to original as possible.

If you want something that you just need to hone then you need to be more picky. Make sure the razor is centered in the scales, the scales are not warped, there is no active rust, no heavy pitting, and everything just looks right.

As far as price, it is what you are willing to pay. I try to always make a reasonable offer at an antique store. The worst they can say is no and the best is they take my offer.

There is a list in the wiki of razors to avoid here Brands of Straight Razors to avoid - Straight Razor Place Wiki. Usually anything made in the US, Germany, or England is a safe bet in my experience.

My suggestion for someone that has no experience with a straight would be to buy a razor from the classifieds here that is shave ready. It should come with a comfortable edge on it and have no issues that you might encounter with an antique store find.

There is a lot more that I learned with experience of buying some razors that turned out to be bad but I hope that this helps you on the right track.

Marc

Thanks Marc. I checked out the antique shops this weekend. Lots of rust and pitting. Thanks for giving me stuff to check for so I didn't waste my money.

You are welcome. I am happy to have been able to assist.

Amazing the over/under pricing you'll see out there on the mean streets. Shop careful and take a light and magnification. Until you develop honing skills, just add in the price of a restoration for most antique/junk store finds. I'm struggling to get a fresh bevel on my last antique store purchase...it's coming, and it's clean, but jiminy honelongs

Good advice from McB

You should look, it’s the only way you will learn if buying vintage.

As said you can always make an offer, but now days if you can buy a good razor without chip, or major hone ware for 20-40 bucks you are ahead of the game. Clean it and have it honed and you are in it for 40-75 dollars. A package deal, multiple purchase offers usually gets a better price.

Here’s what I look for in order of importance.

The edge, straight as chip free as possible

Blade, crack free, minimum of rust and no pitting.

Spine, straight and minimum of hone ware.

Scales, straight and crack or chip free.

Deal breakers are, pitting, excessive hone wear, cracks large chips and crooked spines or edge. These things cannot be fixed. There are still a lot of razors out there, at one point one manufacture advertised making 6,000 razors per week.

Buy the razor in the best condition you can afford, but also be careful of highly polished restored razors as they can easily have been over heated by buffed.

As suggested your first purchase should be from the classifieds or new from quality vendors for a shave ready razor.

Don’t be afraid to look, the more you look the more you learn and you may find a great bargain in the wild.