Thread: Keep it NOS or hone and shave?

Originally Posted by Orville

I think a potential buyer would not be put off by the notion that it has been used a few times. If it has gone through the stones several times that is one thing, but a razor that has been honed to a shave ready edge and used a couple or three times would, in my eyes, be preferable to a NOS blade.

No, it should not put off a potential buyer if they are a user but it does cut out the true collector segment of the market because it is no longer nos. That is the segment of the market that can and do pay well for a razor and the willingness to pay goes up exponentially if the razor is nos and rare to boot.

Oth, I think like you on the less rare nos ones making great shavers.

Bob

There is a thrill to being the first to shave with something lying in state for a few decades for sure. I think I will always shave with the razors I acquire. Been fortunate to get a few NOS blades now and then and they tend to come up in the rotation more often coincidently,,

I personally would hone it up and use it unless you are planning on reselling it later. You only live once, and the razors were made to be used!

Dare I ask what razor it is you are contemplating? Razors go through trends...what is hot on the Bay NOS today is yesterday's throw away....and some of the razors going for pretty pennies now were actually fairly recent production (Filarmonica, as an example). Some, though NOS, are plentiful and can be had again....so if you really enjoy the act of wet shaving, I say hone it up! Preserve the spine with some tape, and by all means keep everything that came with it (box, paper, etc.). If it is valuable, there is a reason it is so sought after...so perhaps you should take it for a test drive and see what all of the hubbub is about!

I hone and shave all mine, I don’t worry about resale.

Originally Posted by BobH

From a true collectors pov nos untouched would probably be the most valuable. If you hone it and shave with it then it is no longer nos and the value is reduced. Just how much it is reduced is anybody's guess depending on the market when you go to sell it.

You just have to figure out if you are a collector or user.

Bob

Bob, that is pretty much word for word what I was going to say.

I will shave with a NOS razor in a heartbeat ,,,,I want to be the first to hone it & shave with it.
oddly though,,,
I don't feel the same about brushes,, if its NOS,, then it goes on the shelf. Same with most of my custom brushes,,, they never see lather.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I will shave with a NOS razor in a heartbeat ,,,,I want to be the first to hone it & shave with it.
oddly though,,,
I don't feel the same about brushes,, if its NOS,, then it goes on the shelf. Same with most of my custom brushes,,, they never see lather.

You are just weird, John! Use the damn brushes, hone (IF you know what you are doing!) and shave with the razors.
We have a few.......Not gonna hurt it nor wear it out. Use it or lose it, I always say!

Besides. If it does not make lather, not a brush. If it does not deliver a fine shave? Not a razor.

Originally Posted by petercp4e

Is it advisable to keep an old NOS razor unhoned and unused or go ahead and hone it and shave. Will using it be a a real detriment to the value of the razor by not keeping it in it's "virgin" state? I have been lucky enough to find 3 razors in this condition. They are all real beauties and I really would like to shave with them, but I also appreciate their near museum like condition.
What's a guy to do?? I do have plenty of other razors to use. All advise is greatly appreciated.
Thanks!

Pete <:-}

It depends on how you determine value. If you are talking about the resale potential value, then leaving it un-honed is preferred. Nobody is going to prefer to buy a razor that you have used over that same razor in a NOS unused un-honed state. Some people may not mind that it has been gently used, nobody is going to prefer it unless you are some famous person of note.

However, if your idea of value is the joy that using this NOS razor will bring you...well then...you have to go ahead and experience the blade to face, hone it up and enjoy the shave experience with it. To me this is the greatest value.

Let us know what you decide.


Best,
Rob

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I don't feel the same about brushes,, if its NOS,, then it goes on the shelf. Same with most of my custom brushes,,, they never see lather.

Dat's crazy talk!