Printable View
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-VANITY-T...QQcmdZViewItem
i wanted to know if anyone could provide information as to whether or not this is a good buy, and if someone from around here would either be able to, or would instruct me to, restore the blade... and hook me up with info on how to get some nice scales for it...
The scales are not original. I just can't tell quite how dull and nicked up the edge is. $30 could be a decent deal or you could get junk for a razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Warlockdlx69
I would be a little more interested in the kit itself, but even that and the stuff in it doesn't seem in that great a shape ore to match. Then again one never knows when a button hook will come in handy.
the kit was the least of my concerns... the razor is the only thing i would consider buying this for, he could keep the kit for all i care... lol cant a crappy blade edge be honed out though? i would have thought the blade edge was the least of the problems with that blade... i figured the scales were not original, but the blade is all that interests most people... considering there is no mention of a crack in the blade, and there is no visable chips (which means anything that there is, would have to be relatively small) i wouldnt assume it would take more than a slightly more intensive honing/grinding to get it back in shape... no? if so, then the only thing to worry about would be the blade itself, the face that the "face" of it is in pretty dire need of polishing... is that a "doable" thing? or am i just SOL if i buy this razor?
basically... would i be getting a screaming deal? or are there better razors out there for $30 of that size/shape from W&B?
I hope your not the one who bought that. The edge is full of chips some pretty large and the razor itself doesn't look so hot. If you were an advanced honer and were experienced at restoration like Bruno that razor could be a good project for you but as a newbe starting out there are far better choices out there. keep looking.
negative... not me, so what should i be looking for? another member offered to sell me a W&B that he says is a tapered blade... going from 8/8 down to 6/8... i cant find any information on a blade shaped like that, is it possible it could have been improperly honed in the past that would wear it down on one end of the edge? doesnt seem like this would be feasible... but like i said, ive never seen a blade that was wider at one end than the other... he says its from the 1800s (which apparently a lot of these old relics are lol) maybe its just a unique design to a particular era?
smiling blade they're called. I hear they can be tricky to hone properly, but I've seen several W&B w/ blades like that.
I've seen pictures of several like this. They are a fairly common shape from the late 1700's on to the Victorian age when the more modern shapes we are used to took over the market. I know C utz has had several like this.Quote:
Originally Posted by Warlockdlx69
smiling blades? i thought those were just the ones with the ginormous curves in them? didnt know they had differences in width...
I could be wrong..... but let me tell you, I sure smiled when I saw it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Warlockdlx69
If I hadn't just bought a huge Friodur, I'd have picked up that W&B over in b/s/t.
:)
A smiling blade is a curve like a saber, in fact some are called saber grind for that reason.Quote:
Originally Posted by Warlockdlx69
These old blades are tapered. wide at the point to shallow at the tang, a straight edge just a triangular shape.
I think the origin of our modern blades coincides with the ability to stamp out a more complex shape from a sheet of steel and then grind and shape it to the final curvature. These earlier razors have a shape that would have been much easier to hammer out from a piece of rod stock by hand, less complex
i see what you mean... flat and perfectly square requires a lot of careful grinding... but, in order to get a perfect curve, especially from one razor to the next, wouldnt that require MORE labor intensive work? just curious :) id love to think that the blade he wants to sell me was hand forged... i love that kinda stuff... classic, built to last forever... you wanna know why i want my first straight to be such a nice piece? because my son is going to learn to use a REAL razor... not a walmart mach 3... and when hes ready... hes going to get MY first straight as HIS first straight... and so forth into my childrens generations... so this purchase is going to be crucial for me... know what i mean? i just dont want you guys to think im anal... lol
well i am... but for a good cause :D
I will suggest, in strong terms, that you buy from the Buy/Sell Trade forum and not from Ebay for your first razor. What you really want is a ready to shave razor that has been cleaned, honed and shave tested. You do not need any surprises and you do not have the tools or skills necessary to restore or hone a str8. Be good to yourself and your son!:)
Sorry if I am coming across as harsh, that is not my intent. I just would like to see you start off properly.
Just my two cents,:)
believe me man, that was far from harsh :) advice well taken... im going to leave ebay alone... the only problem is, theres not much of a selection running through here... you know? even at B&B there arent a whole lot of really nice razors coming through... especially W&Bs... i guess i was kinda looking to catch a non guru off guard that was selling something he found somewhere or was given and had no idea what the hell he was doing.... around here things are priced just below what they are worth.. and while thats cool, im sure most of the people around here scour ebay and other places for those same "deals" for about half the value of a razor... was hopin to pick up on that :)
+1 for Randy. While I bought my first str8 from a vendor here (Vintage Blades), all the advice, guidance, and expertise is here and gave me enough insight to pay for a honed razor versus just one out of the box from the factory. That small detail made all the difference (hot-knife-through-butter feeling or the cutting-bread-with-a-ball-bat feeling). Blades, soaps, strops, hones...follow the advice here and you will be a happy shaver!Quote:
Originally Posted by randydance062449
:bow
Greg
This is a bit off-topic, but I wanted to clarify this: a saber grind is something else - when the blade profile is convex, not concave / hollow. This can be tough to hone, as when you lay the razor on the hone the edge may not come in contact at all. A saber grind may or may not be a smilieQuote:
Originally Posted by Wildtim
The tapered blades (tip wider than heel) may not be classic smilies but I do count them as such because they aren't really straight either and have curves at the tip and heel, in addition to the general slope. And yes - that's not from improper honing
Cheers
Ivo
Why do you have to have a W&B? As a new straight user myself, I think you would be much better off buying something in the $30-40 dollar range, shave ready from the B/S/T here. You might also take a look at what Jim at Vintage blades has - I bought a nice, simple 6/8 Dovo from him, honed by Lynn, that is a great shaver. And besides needing just the razor, you will also need a strop. Tony Miller has some excellent beginner packages as well. You may as well start off on the right foot instead of the frustrated foot.
Dennis
Great advice - my first three razors cost me about $35 each fully restored and shave ready. I sold two to a newbie for what I paid for them after deciding they weren't for me and still have one - a very nice J. Holler 5/8 with a 3/4 hollow blade that shaves very well.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dennis
Yep, get yourself a good starter razor. Then keep your eyes open and what you are looking for will come around eventually.
For example, I had been looking for a smaller Friodur. I saw nothing for several months. Within the last couple of months a half dozen have come up for sale here and on ebay.
I put a fairly aggressive bid in for one on ebay. Then Iwan put one up here at a reduced price. Fearing I wouldn't win the ebay razor, I bought Iwan's. Of course I won the ebay razor for just under my maximum - so now I have two and a big hole in my wallet :shrug:
Another razor will always come along. Be patient.
Jordan
yeah... patience i guess is the best thing... i just have very little of it :) when i see something i like....... i want it..... its a scary thing for those in my way LOL usually i put every ounce of effort i have into getting it as quickly as possible... then i calm down... lol little things every now and then i obsess over... i did the same with my DE, now that i have everything i wanted, i cooled down...and am enjoying it :) same with this...
Your fist razor is kind of like your first motorcycle anyway. It should be in good shape, but at some point you will probably lay it down and wreck it. You wouldn't want that to happen with your custom bike you shouldn't want that to be your dream razor either.Quote:
Originally Posted by Warlockdlx69
true... but even in motorcycle training they always tell you to get the best bike you can possibly afford as your first motorcycle... at least thats what the book i read said to do... A: so you dont end up with a hunk of junk thats breaking down on you on the road, and B: so even when you become an experienced rider, you can still see the feasibility in riding it...
i wouldnt buy a zowada razor for my first blade... but id like to have a mildly priced, but attractive blade to start with so i dont get overly bored and develop RAD lol
What I would look for if I was looking to buy on Eboy would be a blade that is free of chips and has a good bevel on it and has no corrosion or cracks on it. A little light rust is OK because that can be polished out as long as it isn't deep. Rust near the edge is bad because then you have to hone beyond the rust and since the blade has to be even you have to hone back the whole edge. That could be quite a job. Why look for trouble? They are several guys here like Joe, Tony and Lynn who will sell you a great razor for not much more then your looking to pay. Of course if you only want some old meatchopper then you'll probably have to take your chances on Eboy but check the for sale section here first.