Thread: What is your most rare straight razor?

Originally Posted by JP5

Hey ScienceGuy!
If it passed the hot needle test (which he said it did) that is pretty conclusive. No surprise at how strong it is or how intricate in can be. Part of why I love ivory. I am surprised they made frames of it though. I find that very interesting. Another added to the wish list!!!
Thanks for posting SG, always nice to hear from you!

I’d say it’s definitely ivory.

I don’t know how rare this is, but I’ve never seen another. It technically shouldn’t be that rare considering how long the manufacturer was in business! I’d really expect to have seen more of them...

Alexander Still, 3 Infirmary Lane, Edinburgh. Once listed as a surgical instrument maker, but most of his many local listings describe him simply as a cutler. In operation from 1796 to 1830ish.





There is a decorative blade etch of a sort I’d previously only seen on early French blades. A kind of pebbled look.



If you’re thinking that the proportions look odd, you are entirely correct. It’s very long for its width, then it’s got that dreadnaught point on top of that.

Here it is next to one of my other unusually long razors.



I can’t turn up much information about him. He was a prominent member of the Edinburgh Hammermen, a sort of catch-all guild for people who hit metal with hammers, and in at least one instance was the chief signatory of a petitition to the government, but that’s about it. No ads for his goods, no real genealogy to speak of. There may well be other STILL razors out there, but on its own, it’s almost impossible to google search.

The only way I was able to track him down was to dig into the root of the name to see if it had regional specificity (it did! English, Scotts & German, plus it’s the same root as STEEL), then do regional searches on STILL, CUTLER, which netted me the Edinburgh address.

His shop is currently a small Indian restaurant directly across from the university.

That's way cool, Zak!

I have 2 that I would consider rare.

First although a common razor has etching on both sides of the blade. What makes it rare is the etching stating " made expressly for T Sharp Tobaconist Perth Wa". It was a local place yet have not come across another as of yet.



The second I can't tell much about other than it was made in Germany so if anyone else has more would love to know. What makes it different is the way the tang and tail are finished. Scales are bone

Beautiful Razor

That is on beautiful razor sir.

Gorgeous W&B

Beautiful!

Prettiest razors I’ve seen.

This W & T Marsh is the rarest Sheffield razor I own. Nice history and still a great shaver. https://straightrazorpalace.com/razo...erd-c1820.html