Thread: Already found myself looking for vintage ivory-scaled razors online.

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

BobH,

I find most bans to be both self-defeating in their purpose and highly offensive in their conception.

Does anyone have a 3 inch long, hollow ground, round point razor with ivory scales? Some cool-sounding German Solingen-based company would be nice. I'm looking to buy this.

Good for you but you will still have to deal with it and so do manufacturers. There is little to no likelihood that any currently made Solingen straight razor will have elephant ivory scales. For those type of scales you'll have to go vintage.

Bob

BobH,

I understand that which is why I am asking here instead of doing an Amazon search.

You likely won't find antique ivory on Amazon!

Since it is illegal to import and export and illegal in Cali and NY, the noose is tightening.
Ebay has a policy against it and seem to have loosened a bit since tattletale seller competition has gone by the wayside.

Antique ivory is legal to own, but not always to transport.
I consider antique stuff done and done generations ago.
I would never condone killing an elephant for it's tusks, yet back when, they were plentiful and provided raw materials as there was no plastic. It got to be associated with upper-end, even as some plastics were quite good.
Still, some have 'no tolerance' attitudes in our society.
They may well come for the old razors and such someday!

From your description, finding something like these Walker and Hall roundpoints in ivory could still be possible.
Turn of Century Sheffields like this will shave circles around Dovos, IMO.
In fact, some which are 'German Ground' or 'Hamburg Ground' exist.

Bans seldom work well, generally drive up demand and lead to an explosion of wealth and power of criminal groups, such as we saw with the mafia during Prohibition and currently see with criminal gangs and cartels during this War on Drugs.

Licensed hunting with sale of ivory would generate govt. tax revenue (licenses are taxes after all) and would encourage local farmers to see the elephants as a valuable resource instead of a threat to their farms. You'll never explain that to a non hunter though.

I'd be about as likely to give up an ivory razor as I'd be to give up a firearm but I don't live where either is licensed.

Thank you so much for both the pics and suggestions! Now I have a place to start. *Those razors are gorgeous to behold!

As to the Elephants, hunters with ethics and obeying the law are not the problem with diminishing herds. The game thieves are. JMO.

I agree fully but for some reason, when a person breaks the law, the standard resolution put forth is to pass more laws, on the belief the guy that broke the previous laws will for some reason, obey the new laws.

Rinse and repeat.

Originally Posted by AnglesMatter

BobH,

I find most bans to be both self-defeating in their purpose and highly offensive in their conception.

Does anyone have a 3 inch long, hollow ground, round point razor with ivory scales? Some cool-sounding German Solingen-based company would be nice. I'm looking to buy this.

There is always Heljestrand....Mk 32 in ivory (notice the brass inlays on the pivot pin area to protect the scales)



...and of course in Tortoise as well, beautiful pieces of history IMO

I've probably bought 40 brand new blades since about 08 but wound up selling them all. I prefer vintage blades, especially wedges, frame backs, and half hollows that I can restore. Buy up a handful of Gold Dollar or other "throwaway" blades to practice reshaping, grinding, re-scaling, and other things to give you some expertise in restoration. Then go into the Bay and buy up a few old blades that look like they aren't cracked or have deep rust on the bevels. Guarantee you'll trash the first few you play with (hence use cheap blades to learn on). Avoid using Dremels except for small touchups and get some buffing machines as well as a small bench press, a grinder, and whatever other machinery and tools you see others here using. It'll trash your budget no matter what you buy but it's well worth it all in terms of satisfaction - or so I've been telling myself.