Thread: Tiffany's straight razors

I just saw this

Anyone familiar with *reasonable* value on these? I thought 150 or so / razor but maybe I need to adjust my estimate? Wonder how much they sold for originally (to try to compare to cost of other razors sold at the time)

Cheers
Ivo

You could choke a horse with the wad of cash they're asking for those!

HA wow. Nine Hundred Bucks. I guess something with 'Tiffany' on it immediate means the price jumps 1000%?

Thing that I find interesting, is that they're those frame back exchangeable blade types, it appears. With the blades marked 1874, and the tang stamped 1878.

If those scales really are silver, wouldn't they be awfully heavy?

Seems like the 'Artful Eye Gallery' is out for a bit of a gouge-fest.

Nice find Ivo

The blade is fixed (unlike some other framebacks) and the scales are heavy, indeed. They are silver because they arer stamped; however, they are thin and there is, I understand, ivory layer beneath the silver

Cheers
Ivo

As they are marked "Sterling", that will add some value. Tiffany most likely produced the scales in the workshops in Manhattan. The scales are most likely repousse, which is when they silversmith hammers the shape into the metal from the inside. If there is an ivory insert under the silver (for rigidity) then they would not be that heavy. The tang is stamped with the maker's name (for the blade), that the blade is from Sweden and that he won awards in Philly in 1878 and in Paris in 1889. There is also an interesting reverse-order stamping of the 1878. I do not see the date 1874. I also do not see any hallmarks from Tiffany and Co. I would ask for a photo of the Tiffany stamp first. These are being priced as pieces of Tiffany silver, not as razors.

There is a pair of custom designed salad bowls on eBay, made by Tiffany around 1885 and attributed to a specific collectible designer - $125,000. There is also a lot of mass-produced Tiffany stuff on eBay for $30-40......

So, Late 19th century pair of razors, boxed, silver scales, Swedish steel, silver in good to excellent condition, blade in fair condition, no hallmarks for Tiffany or sterling, monogrammed (unless they are you initials, would you want that?) - on a good day - $200 tops. Add the sterling mark - $350-400, add Tiffany - $600, tell me who they belonged to and if they are famous - sky is the limit.

I think these, without provenance of belonging to someone of historic note and without a Tiffany mark, are way overpriced. I would need to see a lot more info. BTW, the same seller has another set of razors with whalebone scales...listed for $900 also. The seller does not put much info in the listing. These razors appear to be much older than the Tiffany ones, but the blades are in so-so condition.

The seller is primarily and art dealer.

Greg

Interesting...

While the seller didn't show that, there is stamping on the scales: both Tiffany and Sterling.

I love Swedish steel in general. It would be most interesting for me to understand why / how Tiffany selected this particular razor - out of all the other razors at the time...

Cheers
Ivo

Price excessive if for razors, not Tiffany pieces which are out of my arena anyway - and they're framebacks. I personally like framebacks but they don't seem to have the value of 'normal' blades. I think these are, like most old stuff, worth exactly how much people are willing to pay. I did see a razor on eBay not too long ago with bicycling scenes on the (pewter? silver?) scales that went for $500+ - so maybe this pair isn't so madly priced after all!

I bid $175 on it because I thought it was cool. I had the winning bid but the reserve wasn't met.

Originally Posted by izlat

Interesting...

While the seller didn't show that, there is stamping on the scales: both Tiffany and Sterling.

I love Swedish steel in general. It would be most interesting for me to understand why / how Tiffany selected this particular razor - out of all the other razors at the time...

Cheers
Ivo

Have you been asking the seller questions? If the seller posted the Tiffany mark on the site, the Tiffany-junkies would probably snap them up. As for Tiffany selecting the razor, they may have carried a line of different ones or this could be custom work...Tiffany's will still do that for you.

Greg

Originally Posted by Loochie

I bid $175 on it because I thought it was cool. I had the winning bid but the reserve wasn't met.

it would be cheap for a pair, I would charge more than that each for re-handling your own blades in sterling silver. But I would do it in 1.5mm sheet sterling silver.