Thread: Unknown razors - does anyone recognise?

I have four unidentified razors, and wonder if the members know anything about them. Three of them are here:



The first is a pretty heavy 6/8 blade, and looks to be stramped 'Ramon Paris' on the front, with no stamp on the reverse:



The second is a light 3/8 blade, and is stamped 'RK Paris' with a backwards R on the front, and 'A RÖHNER PLAUEN' on the reverse:



The third is marked '5101 IDEAL' on the face and 'L.P.' in an oval on the reverse:



Could this be a Louis Perlman budget razor? I say budget, because the scales seem to be some sort of cardboard; there is a tiny bit of black paint on one part, but this finish has otherwise come off. As an aside, does anyone know how to make this type of scale serviceable?



Lastly, there is a Wiener Schaber stamped '43 Wiener Schaber' on the front, and 'KAROLUS' on the reverse:



Curious to know if any members know the origins of these razors. The first one looks like a nice old-school blade, I'm looking forward to trying it.

The first would seem to be a French razor, 'Ramon fabricant à Paris' means 'Ramon, manufacturer/maker in(at) Paris'.

The second would seem to be a German razor as Plauen is a town in Germany, and the razor was probably made for 'RK' in Paris, probably a shop, wholesaler, etc just as many of the American hardware store razors were made in Germany.

No idea about the other two, but cardboard scales sound interesting. Please let us know how they turn out. I would suggest applying black (or whatever color) cashew lacquer and sanding between coats. The Japanese have a defined way of building up this lacquer used for example, in the finishing of katana scabbards. This method could well be more expensive than you want! Marine spar varnish would likey work too.

Good luck!

Cheers, Steve

I'm away from my books at the moment, but the Ideal was a Sheffield blade. And the Wiener Schaber Karolus is a Solingen blade.
That "layered cardboard" may be pressed leather that has dried out.

Originally Posted by Steve56

...cardboard scales sound interesting. Please let us know how they turn out. I would suggest applying black (or whatever color) cashew lacquer and sanding between coats. The Japanese have a defined way of building up this lacquer used for example, in the finishing of katana scabbards. This method could well be more expensive than you want! Marine spar varnish would likey work too.

Good luck!

I think that is the basic idea. The biggest issue is that the scales are not stiff enough to keep the hinge tight, so the razor is wobbling around and catching on the scales on both sides. I think I'm going to find some sort of epoxy or other substance to soak the scales in, then press them flat and straight while it sets, and then finish the scales. I was also thinking shellac, let's see. It is a shame to take the scales off, but I can't see any other alternative in this situation.

Originally Posted by criswilson10

I'm away from my books at the moment, but the Ideal was a Sheffield blade. And the Wiener Schaber Karolus is a Solingen blade.

Thanks! I guessed the Karolus was a German blade, but I haven't found any reference to that maker. As for the Ideal, I have no idea, I assumed it was also a German blade from the way it looks and the model number, but I am no expert.

Originally Posted by criswilson10

That "layered cardboard" may be pressed leather that has dried out.

Yes, it could well be. I don't think this will change my approach.

Obviously, this will be a totally gratuitous restoration, but at least it keeps me out of trouble...

Be careful of shellac (shell-lac) as it's extremely soluble in alcohol where cashew lacquer and varnish are not, or not so much. If you've just splashed a lot of your favorite after shave with alcohol in it and grab your razor, the result could be not-so-good.

Cheers, Steve

Originally Posted by Steve56

Be careful of shellac (shell-lac) as it's extremely soluble in alcohol where cashew lacquer and varnish are not, or not so much. If you've just splashed a lot of your favorite after shave with alcohol in it and grab your razor, the result could be not-so-good.

Good point Steve! Ok, I'll think carefully about what to use.

Originally Posted by Steve56

Be careful of shellac (shell-lac) as it's extremely soluble in alcohol where cashew lacquer and varnish are not, or not so much. If you've just splashed a lot of your favorite after shave with alcohol in it and grab your razor, the result could be not-so-good.

Cheers, Steve

Somehow, in my mind, after reading this comment, a light went on in my mind, and I drew the conclusion that razor scales should therefore be alcohol-resistant. In the same lot that the razors which are the subject of this thread came in, there are a bunch of other razors, all pretty grubby. So, bearing in mind that razor scales need to be alcohol-proof, I decided to try to clean some of the gunk off with alcohol. THIS IS NOT A GOOD IDEA WITH CELLULOID SCALES!!!! They went sticky and gloopy, luckily I pulled them out before serious damage was done, but the alcohol left a white frosting, and underneath that, the scales have lost their shine. On the plus side, it really brought out the camphor smell, so now we have a new test for celluloid, sadly not non-destructive.

Erm... anyone got any suggestions how to polish celluloid scales?

Originally Posted by Montgomery

Erm... anyone got any suggestions how to polish celluloid scales?

Slowly, by hand, with wetndri sandpapers. You can use buffing compounds at the end but watch for heat if you use a buffer.

Alcohol will also destroy acrylic scales if they have been smoothed using a flame rather than regular polishing.

They can likely stand short exposure to small amounts of alcohol like in after shave. What was the purpose of soaking them in alcohol?

Cheers, Steve

Originally Posted by Steve56

They can likely stand short exposure to small amounts of alcohol like in after shave. What was the purpose of soaking them in alcohol?

Cheers, Steve

Alcohol is very good at softening and getting rid of gunk, and won't cause rust. It also sterilises and is non-toxic, and evaporates quickly. The razors were pretty dirty, caked with some sort of hard waxy residue, especially on the scales and in the jimps.

Anyway, I cleaned the white residue off one of them with some wet and dry, and polished them, and they are fine. Took a while, but kept me of ebay for a while. Four more to do...