Thread: help to identification antique razor blade

hello everyone!
information is required for the reconstruction and building of the handle
year century any information
thanks to everybody!

Interesting razor, but honestly I doubt that you have enough steel left there to make restoration practical. As for age, I can only guess as it doesn't conform exactly to a style I am familiar with, but my guess is late 18th or early 19th century. The thing is, the tails of most razors from that era were short and stubby, mostly. I am also guessing that it was not made by a major manufacturer or in a major razor producing city or region. Hopefully someone more knowledgeable than me will recognize it and reply. Do you have any information on where it might have been made? I am thinking that it might not be European origin, nor American. Not Asian. Really just going by instinct here. I see you are in Israel. MIght this have been made somewhere in the MIddle East or possibly North Africa? I would almost bet money that it was a one-off forged by a blacksmith who did not specialize in razors.

A straight razor does not have a handle. A handle is an extension of a tool meant to give the user something to grip and apply force and leverage with. A razor has scales. The only purpose of the scales is to protect the edge of the razor when closed, as the edge is extremely delicate and fragile. You don't grip the razor by the scales to use it, and so they are not a handle. The scales have a wedge that spreads them apart at a slight angle, and makes a space for the razor to fit when it is closed up. When the tips of the scales are pressed back together on the pivot of the razor, this forms a slight bow in the scales and helps the tips to squeeze inward and prevent the razor and scales from flopping about the pivot.

It is possible/likely that your razor's scales would have been horn, and the wedge possibly lead. There are other materials that might have been used. Wood, bone, ivory, etc. They would have been held together with pins having mushroom shaped heads peened into them. The process would be easier to explain if you were familiar with straight razors and how they are used and maintained. Re-scaling a razor as part of a restoration is not a trivial exercise and would best be done by some experienced person. However, there is no point, if the razor itself can't be restored to a reasonable standard of appearance and usability, and as I said before, I don't think you have enough steel left there, for a good restoration. Of course I could be wrong. The first step in evaluating the razor would be to remove all of the rust, down to white steel. or at least down to the white with the deep pitting still there. In doing so, you would have destroyed the razor's display value, should it prove to be unsalvageable.

If you really want to do something with this razor, here is my suggestion, if you have deep pockets. There are quite a few razorsmiths capable of making an exact copy of your razor as it most likely appeared when new, and making it in every respect, shave-ready, perfectly usable. Cost would almost certainly be under $2k possibly as little as half that. A lot depending on the reputation of the maker, and how many orders he has already lined up. You might find a hobbyist willing to do it for not much more than the value of the materials. So you end up with a working copy of the razor as originally made, and you still have the original in its present condition, to mount in a display. Make a nice display case for it, and keep the copy with it. Do your research and determine the likely origin and approximate year it was made. It would make a great heirloom to pass down to future generations.

Thanks for your detailed (and impressive!) reply.

Originally Posted by CrescentCityRazors

If you really want to do something with this razor, here is my suggestion, if you have deep pockets. There are quite a few razorsmiths capable of making an exact copy of your razor as it most likely appeared when new, and making it in every respect, shave-ready, perfectly usable. Cost would almost certainly be under $2k possibly as little as half that. A lot depending on the reputation of the maker, and how many orders he has already lined up. You might find a hobbyist willing to do it for not much more than the value of the materials. So you end up with a working copy of the razor as originally made, and you still have the original in its present condition, to mount in a display. Make a nice display case for it, and keep the copy with it. Do your research and determine the likely origin and approximate year it was made. It would make a great heirloom to pass down to future generations.

Since Oleg is in Israel, might I suggest that he contact a well-known and -regarded SRP member, Manah (aka אלקס צייטלין), who lives in Katzrin? I'm pretty sure he can help with this, one way or another.

Looks like a very old one, maybe from the 1600's. ZAK has shown some of these old treasuries in the stub-tailed-shavers thread, post 366 here:
https://sharprazorpalace.com/razor-c...havers-37.html

Regards Peter

Based on Renzo Jardella's book (see p.8 for reference), I'd say this razor is of MUCH earlier period - 11-12th century.
This is a terrific find - congrats!

this is not from Israel found somewhere in europe
and I don't need a master for restoration and reconstruction
I'm a craftsman myself
I just need information about the shape and style of the handle
thank you for your participation and willingness to help!
it's nice to meet good people

Originally Posted by dimab

Based on Renzo Jardella's book (see p.8 for reference), I'd say this razor is of MUCH earlier period - 11-12th century.
This is a terrific find - congrats!

where can I find this book?
and you're right it will be a beautiful thing for my museum display thank you!

Originally Posted by oleg

where can I find this book?
and you're right it will be a beautiful thing for my museum display thank you!

It's out of print, but he himself is selling it on eBay from time to time. His nickname there is "safetiesfirst".
Where did you stumbled upon this razor BTW - just curious

Originally Posted by hatzicho

Looks like a very old one, maybe from the 1600's. ZAK has shown some of these old treasuries in the stub-tailed-shavers thread, post 366 here:
https://sharprazorpalace.com/razor-c...havers-37.html

Regards Peter

yes you're right very similar
I also found similar ones

Originally Posted by dimab

It's out of print, but he himself is selling it on eBay from time to time. His nickname there is "safetiesfirst".
Where did you stumbled upon this razor BTW - just curious

I found her on ebay
I'm constantly looking for something to restore
my nb.tel 0547548238