Thread: Date my Puma

Hi Everyone,

This is my first post here, i've been searching the forums recently and found a wealth of information!

I was recently given a straight razor that has been in my family for a while. Unfortunately no one can tell me how old it is. It is believed to be my great grandfathers.

The razor is a Puma 91 and the blade is etched with a scroll that says High Class. It has tortoise scales and a wooden/plastic two piece case.

i'll post photos tonight but it looks exactly like the one in the Straight Razor Place library.

Could anyone out there help me with determining an approximate age for this razor?

Thanks in advance,
Redline289

Most puma's I have with the faux wood case are from the 50's. I would guess that yours is also from the 50's

Originally Posted by Badgister

Most puma's I have with the faux wood case are from the 50's. I would guess that yours is also from the 50's

+1, I was thinking '60s but I don't really know. I've had one of those. Like most Puma razors, a great shaver. If you post a photo with the blade open we could tell you if the condition is good enough to warrant having it pro honed ..... assuming you want to put it back into service ? Welcome to SRP.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

+1, I was thinking '60s but I don't really know. I've had one of those. Like most Puma razors, a great shaver. If you post a photo with the blade open we could tell you if the condition is good enough to warrant having it pro honed ..... assuming you want to put it back into service ? Welcome to SRP.

Thanks for the comments so far.....if you guys are correct about the date, 50's-60's then it would have been my grandfathers razor, not my great-grandfathers.

I'll post the pics when i get home tonight.

Redline289

I preferred dating chicks from the 50's and 60's myself.

Never tried dating a Puma.

Cougars have their place though...........

Originally Posted by redline289

Thanks for the comments so far.....if you guys are correct about the date, 50's-60's then it would have been my grandfathers razor, not my great-grandfathers.

I'll post the pics when i get home tonight.

Redline289

Photos added!

Originally Posted by Wullie

I preferred dating chicks from the 50's and 60's myself.

Never tried dating a Puma.

Cougars have their place though...........

Great minds think alike. Would hate to think what my Cougar would do to me if I dated a Puma.

Bob

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

+1, I was thinking '60s but I don't really know. I've had one of those. Like most Puma razors, a great shaver. If you post a photo with the blade open we could tell you if the condition is good enough to warrant having it pro honed ..... assuming you want to put it back into service ? Welcome to SRP.

do you think it can be brought back to life?

Originally Posted by redline289

do you think it can be brought back to life?

Just IMHO, it has a wee bit of honewear and some tarnish here and there. If you try to get the tarnish from behind the gold it will take te gold with it. I've got a Torrey like that and a Fritz Bracht. I just wiped some oil on the gold, wiped it off and left the tarnish/rust as is. Over a period of years it has gotten no worse. Say that to say, it isn't worth a pro restore because of the honewear and there is no point in polishing the blade and losing the gold.

Since it has the honewear and was your grandfather's it is just possible that stropping might be all that is needed. So if you have a strop, know how to use it, I'd strop and try it as is. Worse comes to worse it needs to be honed back to shave ready do that yourself if you have the tools and skill, or send it out, but it might be good as is. My 2 bits.

I have that model. The scales are not real tortoise you realize. It's celluloid and mine had to be removed cause it started to deteriorate. The actual pattern on the blade is etched then filled with the gold so you could do a heavy duty clean to get the rust off. You'll lose the gold but the etch will still be there. That's how mine is.