How can you tell if a razor is pre-band when it has ivory scales. One of these days I may get one and it would be nice to know this. thanks:shrug::thinking:
Printable View
How can you tell if a razor is pre-band when it has ivory scales. One of these days I may get one and it would be nice to know this. thanks:shrug::thinking:
No way to tell, unless you want to spend thousands on DNA testing.
If they are original to a vintage razor made before the ban. Old Sheffield, Solingen, Swedish, or wherever, you can know they are 'pre-ban' ivory. Anything modern you'd have to take the custom maker's word for it, unless he has documentation from where he sourced the razor.
As Bill said above, you cannot tell by looking at it.
If you are looking in antique stores it's more than likely real especially if there is dirt/soap scum between the scales, that would be hard to fake. Restored or custom razors would be a different story it would be very hard to tell with those
The international ban on ivory trade was instituted through CITES in January of 1990. Just as an FYI.
BTW: Never travel across an international border with your ivory razor and without rock solid documentation that certifies your ivory as pre-ban. I used to dabble in old guitars. Tortoise shell or Brazilian Rosewood cause the same issues. Having your gear seized is the best thing that might happen...
At my age i don't think i'm going to be doing any jet setting. also my wife is afraid to travel to other countries now days. when i do travel i have 3 henckels that i choose from to take with me. I believe with those i would be safe any where and if something happened to them or they got lost in baggage i wouldn't cry too much.Quote:
Originally Posted by entropy1049
Depending on which of your Henckels we are talking about, I might cry!
I always wondered how anybody could have proof unless it was in the same form when harvested. And then why, back then, would they document what was legal ? Silly world just keeps getting sillier.
Where is Pixel ?
All my tusks are stamped with export numbers and dates,all from the early 1920s.Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
Of course, if I turn a brush using this Ivory or rescale a razor,is no way I can prove anything.
Ivory is not illeagle is this country yet.
See post 2 :)Quote:
Originally Posted by 10Pups
A custom maker would probably provide documentation showing where and how it was sourced.
A vintage piece would likely be dated by when the blade was made. Meaning that if you have a stubby razor from the 1800s, the scales would probably be from that period as well, though it would be impossible to prove this if you were ever challenged by law.
Sometimes you can find a specific pattern of ivory razor that keeps reappearing - which, paired with some knowledge of the manufacturer, indicates that the razor was mas produced long before the ivory ban went into effect. One example is this piece by Wostenholm etched with advertising:
Attachment 212972
You see this razor with some frequency if you keep an eye on sites like eBay. As for dating, it appears in at least one vintage barber supply catalogue that was printed in 1899. (I found the catalogue page reproduced in LW Book Sales' book "Barbershop Collectibles").
Another example is something like this Keen Kutter with a pearl tang. I don't have quite as an exact date on this one, but judging by the construction, it was probably made somewhere around the turn of the 20th century as well. Regardless, Simmons Hardware went out of business well before the ban.
Attachment 212973
They aren't common, but they do pop up from time to time. In fact, there's one of these on eBay right now.
The only problem is razors can be rescaled so except for matching scales and razors you never know for sure.
Post ban ivory, being illegal I imagine is pretty quite rare and expensive and would be used for things more valuable than a set of razor scales. It doesn't make any sense to use it to scale a razor.
