Thread: Best razors from 1920s-30s?

For some reason, I just find that time period interesting, and I don't have a single razor from that era. I have heard that some 1920s-30s razors are magnetized? Was that just the hype of the day? What do you think is your best razor from that time?

It’s difficult to argue with Heljestrands in ivory or tortoise from this period.

Europe was reeling from WWI, Sheffield steel was no longer what it once was, but the shining star of that period was American-made razors: Union Cutlery, Cattaraugus Cutlery, Case, Little Valley, and many more from that western New York area. IIRC, 6/8" was generally the largest size, with 5/8" and 9/16" being the most popular. Smaller widths lent themselves to stiffer grinds (half- and quarter-hollow). They also boasted some gorgeous celluloid scales!

Here's a wonderful example of some Union Cutlery razor restorations!

For me it would be Wade & Butcher Special. They're one of my favorites.

Still it is true that the American manufacturers were in their heyday then.
J.R.Torrey

Cattaraugus Prince

George Korn

All these are fabulous shavers made with that brilliant American Midwest steel. Also Shumate, Robeson, Case, Genco, Geneva, Winchester and others were all excellent.

German razors made during this period made their best work ever.
Most did not survive pre-WWII and bombings of Solingen.
Americans of English and German descent made lovely stuff. They knew their stuff!

Sad to see old makers in Solingen cease to exist. It happened..

Funny, I seem to have thought of a 'Phenomenon' in those years.

The Modern-Grind Wedges. Like bringing heavy grinds into the precision age!
Everyone made one!



Suckers were and are great in good nick.

Concerning the Solingen razors one main reason for an upgrade in quality at this time period is the increasing use oft he hollow grinding machine.
These machines, that are still in use today, are going back on a patent of Franz Voos from 1891. C. F. Ern also developped his own machines and took over the patent of Voos later.
However, it took quite some years until these machines disseminated more widely. Also Germany had to recover from the consequences of WW1.
So the hollow-grinding machine was mainly intruduced in the german cutlery works in the 1920’s. The machine was operated by hand and had been able to hollow-grind a razor equally on both sides, realizing a very thin blade in hollow and razor edge. Before the machines came up, the razors were ground solely by hand and only very good grinders were able to produce such a high quality simply by hand – piece for piece, absolutely uniform.
So it is not mainly the quality itself that raised during this time, but simply the increasing number of very good quality razors, that were produced in Solingen.

Regards Peter

Here’s a nice treat for our German friends, between-the-wars French point Bokers in 3-pin butterscotch scales. Simply superb!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Funny, I seem to have thought of a 'Phenomenon' in those years.

The Modern-Grind Wedges. Like bringing heavy grinds into the precision age!
Everyone made one!



Suckers were and are great in good nick.

Very interesting, I wonder if they were made on the same twin-wheel grinders (larger wheels)? I have some (mainly export models e.g. Greece, France, Middle East, USA) indeed they're great!