The Palmer

Picked up a new razor at a flea market for $3.00 the other day. The only markings were "The Palmer" Chicago & the number 21. I figure it must have been from the famous Palmer House Hotel. It has faux turtle scales & looks well made It had a small chip out of the point of the razor so I rounded it a bit & it looks great. Just getting to work on the edge as it was very dull so I am going to start with my 1K Shapton Pro & start over.I am still looking for a good 5-6K hone I really like. Thinking of staying with the Shapton Pro series as with this razor I have really liked what the 1K did to the bevel & how fast it did it.

Slawman

I really enjoyed my stay at The Palmer House back in the mid '90s working on an issue for Peoples Gas Light & Coke. Fortunately for me, the RF consultant we had hired for some interference work also happened to manage the AM broadcast array atop the John Hancock building. He showed me the broadcast equipment he had designed and built on the 92nd floor as well as giving me full access to the roof! Nothing like staring off the edge of a 1,000 foot drop with zero safety barriers. This was by far the most enjoyable business trip I had besides that 1-week visit to Oahu (those poor folks only work half-days).

If you can exercise patience, you may find a good deal on a 5-6k hone here on B/S/T. Took me a few years, but I did manage to score a nice SG20k here for one-third off of MSRP. :)

Ive got a Palmer in my collection. The idea of keeping things from a hotel room is long gone. Back then it was normal/expected. Now days... :nono:

I was wondering if it was from their Barber Shop?? Looks to be a high quality German made razor. Might be a Sheffield But a lot of the razors I have from Chicago seem to be Soligen made.

Slawmeister:confused:

My understanding was, it was one of the items left for you to use in the bathroom, along with most all bathroom stuff. I could be wrong about that. In the old days lots of stuff was encluded in your nights stay. Although the barber shop is also a possibility. Good thinking.

I have two Palmers. They are very good shavers. Home it up and enjoy.

Could you post a few pics?

I've stayed at the Palmer House a number of different times, without a doubt my favorite downtown Hotel. It doesn't hurt having Miller's Pub within staggering distance of the hotel. ;)

Little update! I am having more problems setting the bevel on this razor than any one of the 50 or so I have! Used my Shapton Pro 1K. & my King 1K. & just can't get the bevel set. The blade is straight & appears to be in good condition. It has a 17* bevel angle. Watched all the videos & still no clue why I can't get it set.

Give it a break and come back to it. Sometimes its just bad steel and you have to cut away some before you get to the good stuff. Although, i recently had one i couldnt get right. I spend many hours on the stones trying for a bevel set and just couldnt get it. I sent mine to Glen. Got it back ready to go. I figured he probably saved a bit of steel that i would have wasted. Mine was americen steel i believe. Not a Palmer.

I just tried some 2K sand paper I had laying around, minutes later I had a nice bevel.Up to 8K King at the moment & yes I "CAN" shave with it but pulls pretty bad. Next up is some nice 12K mesh cloth I got last week & then the 16K. Shapton glass I think. I will post when I get it done.

Slawman

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Originally Posted by Gasman

Ive got a Palmer in my collection. The idea of keeping things from a hotel room is long gone. Back then it was normal/expected. Now days... :nono:

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Every now and then, I stay at a hotel that has a sign in the room to this effect: "A lot of our guests seem to enjoy the quality of our linens. If we find items missing when we inventory the room, we will assume you wanted to purchase them and your credit card will be charged accordingly. Our housekeeping staff have new linens available for purchase should you wish to obtain new ones instead."

When I do encounter such a hotel, I make it a point of not staying there the next time I am in the area; not because I have interest in their linens, but because they are indicating that they cater to a clientele of thieves.

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Originally Posted by Slawman

I just tried some 2K sand paper I had laying around, minutes later I had a nice bevel.Up to 8K King at the moment & yes I "CAN" shave with it but pulls pretty bad. Next up is some nice 12K mesh cloth I got last week & then the 16K. Shapton glass I think. I will post when I get it done.

Slawman

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You say you had a nice bevel but if it is still pulling pretty bad after 8k that indicates that the bevel is not there yet. Going up in grit at this point will just be polishing a bevel that isn't set yet. I'd be going down in grit not up until the bevel is really there.

I guess pretty bad is subjective as I am used to shaving off of my 16K shapton glass or my Coti. Also my 8K King is not my favorite hone. I do know what a good bevel looks & feels like. I set the bevel on my 1K Shapton Pro then went to the 2K sand paper. Guess I just needed to smooth out that 1K edge. As of today I went to my 12K Chinese then my 16K Shapton & it shaves smooth as butter.

Slawman

Glad it turned out well.

I'm going to try to find one of these for myself.

I'm moving back to Illinois. This means I'll be heading up to Chicago, which means more stays at the Palmer House. How cool would it be to shave with a Palmer at the Palmer?

For anyone who has never been...

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Forgot to mention, there is a Merz Apothecary shop on the Palmer House grounds. Great supply of shaving products - I picked up some Mitchell's Wool Fat and a Penhaligon's sampler there. Almost picked up a Dovo Bergischer Lowe there but couldn't pull the trigger.

https://www.merzapothecary.com

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Originally Posted by sonnythehooligan

Glad it turned out well.

I'm going to try to find one of these for myself.

I'm moving back to Illinois. This means I'll be heading up to Chicago, which means more stays at the Palmer House. How cool would it be to shave with a Palmer at the Palmer?

For anyone who has never been...

Attachment 291481

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Where are you moving to? I live near Charleston IL.

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Originally Posted by sonnythehooligan

Forgot to mention, there is a Merz Apothecary shop on the Palmer House grounds. Great supply of shaving products - I picked up some Mitchell's Wool Fat and a Penhaligon's sampler there. Almost picked up a Dovo Bergischer Lowe there but couldn't pull the trigger.

https://www.merzapothecary.com

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I haven't been to the store in the Palmer house but I have been to the other one Great place to shop. Got my Bay Rum there. Need to get some more.

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Originally Posted by Slawman

Where are you moving to? I live near Charleston IL.

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I'll be moving to the Bloomington area.

If you went to the other Merz location, you went to the bigger/better one. I'm hoping to visit that one myself.

I have a pair as well. Great shavers, and was a fun project.
https://straightrazorpalace.com/cust...ekend-set.html

Nice research on the Palmer there!

Good reading in that thread as well. I've got some diamond spray, abd now I'm wanting to look into balsa (I'm using felt currently).

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Originally Posted by sonnythehooligan

I'll be moving to the Bloomington area.

If you went to the other Merz location, you went to the bigger/better one. I'm hoping to visit that one myself.

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It is a great store and I recommend going by yourself as there is so much to look at & my wife got bored. Parking can be tight around the shop but let me tell you it is worth the wait. Be sure & bring plenty of $$$ !

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So I was at the Pork & Apple Festival in Clinton, Il and I had to smile when I opened up this razor and saw it was a Palmer. Now, I know from the research of others in this thread that the razor is not affiliated with the hotel in Chicago, but I still plan on cleaning this one up, getting it shave ready, and taking it with me next time I stay at the Palmer House. :D

Also I came away with this Red Imp, both razors came fairly cheap.

Missed the apple & pork Festival again. I got a few straights there a few years ago & got them for less than $10.00 each. Can't remember what they were, an old W&B I remember but can't remember the other. Nice hearing from you Sonny!

Being from the Chicago area I always wanted a Chicago made razor or one of the Palmers. You see them but they are usually in bad shape.

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Originally Posted by OCDshaver

Being from the Chicago area I always wanted a Chicago made razor or one of the Palmers. You see them but they are usually in bad shape.

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I don't know of any razors made in Chicago. Some were ground there & had scales attached but that is about it.

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Originally Posted by Slawman

I don't know of any razors made in Chicago. Some were ground there & had scales attached but that is about it.

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There were some. Not many in fact one was in operation down the street from an old office of mine West of the river. I suspect they weren’t the best since very few lasted.

In my grandpa's stuff I found a razor and found this thread in the research. At first I thought it was Hibbens, Spencer & Bartlett, because that's the box. But I am not sure now. The blade says "The Palmer Chicago 21". It also has a sticker on the box that says Sharpened by Otto Pomper Chicago, Ill.Any idea if it is worth something to collectors? Attachment 333460 Attachment 333461

No razor is more valuable than an heirloom razor. I have my great grandfathers, it will go to my son when my time comes to go.

Evaluations are forbidden here. If you would like to be able to learn this age old art and use your grandfather's razor then you will get some sound advice.

I apologize I did not realize. However, I also am curious whether anyone knows if The Palmer used the Hibbens boxes, or that it is more likely he reused an old box?

No worries, most don't read the rules when they first join and start posting.

I've only come across a very few razors that were in their original coffin box. My cousin has his grandfather's razor and somewhere along the line the grandfather must have broken the scales as they aren't original. Look closely at the details :w

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naked Lady... :dropjaw:

:rofl2: I have a set of those too.

As far as I know, the Palmer was sold while you were at the Palmer Hotel. They came honed as far as I know and were left in the room you rented for the night or whatever. Like towels. They were also sold in the lobby where lots of other goodies were sold like toothbrushes and combs and such. It would have come in a Parmer box originally. But boxes just don't last as long as razors. So I'd say it is a replacement box just to store the razor in. Something someone found at the time. Most boxes get funky too. Smell bad after years.

A razor from your family is a cherished thing. Stick around and we would be happy to teach you to use it. Get you into buying a couple more. And the next thing you know you will have hundreds of them like a lot of us. :D

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Originally Posted by Gasman

naked Lady... :dropjaw:

:rofl2: I have a set of those too.

As far as I know, the Palmer was sold while you were at the Palmer Hotel. They came honed as far as I know and were left in the room you rented for the night or whatever. Like towels. They were also sold in the lobby where lots of other goodies were sold like toothbrushes and combs and such. It would have come in a Parmer box originally. But boxes just don't last as long as razors. So I'd say it is a replacement box just to store the razor in. Something someone found at the time. Most boxes get funky too. Smell bad after years.

A razor from your family is a cherished thing. Stick around and we would be happy to teach you to use it. Get you into buying a couple more. And the next thing you know you will have hundreds of them like a lot of us. :D

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Naked Lady standing on a kneeling man's backAttachment 333466

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My friend isn't kidding about some of the collections--

https://sharprazorpalace.com/show-te...ml#post1343476

As Jerry said, coffins a replacement.
Still love my Palmer kit and take it on road trips, when I could. And will again soon enough.
They are nicely hollow ground and mine take a great edge and seem of quality temper..