Thread: W.M. Elliot & Co.

Im new to all this. If I come across an antique of this brand or Henckels Friodur that doesnt have any nicks, should I take it? I will send it out to be honed. Its in good condition, too. Made in Germany. Or do you recommend American? What brands are the top to go with and what should I look for when buying vintage? thanks alot!

From Uniclecta:

"WM. ELLIOT & CO.
New York City.
ca. 1880-1907; in 1907, the firm was taken over by Adolph Strauss & Co., who continued using "Wm. Elliot & Co." as a trademark."

I've only had two W. M. Elliot's and both have been good shavers, as for the Friodur my guess(I haven't tried one) is that you should go for it if it's in decent shape, as they seems to have a good reputation.

As for top brands I've ended up being somewhat drawn towards old Sheffield razors, but thats just me.

This thread about American razors might be worth looking at.

What to look for when buying vintage:

Condition of the blade and scales.
Level of staining/pitting on the blade, and if the bevel is chipped or cracked.
Amount of hone wear on the spine.

Hope this helps.

I plan to buy it online so I can only go with pics or info that I get from the seller. I take it that I should look for old vintage blades rather than a new one even if it was made in the 60s? I think everything in this world was made better 60-100+ years ago.

Originally Posted by OldFashioned

I plan to buy it online so I can only go with pics or info that I get from the seller. I take it that I should look for old vintage blades rather than a new one even if it was made in the 60s? I think everything in this world was made better 60-100+ years ago.

At least be sure to get decent pic's of the razor, and if you go on ebay, don't get caught up in a bidding war

I'm not sure I would say that old vintage is better than razors made in the 60's, my experiences are to limited to make such a claim. But the old razors sure do work, and for me some of the fun is using the old razors, instead of throwing away a cartridge every few shaves.


Edit: I forgot to mention, if your looking for a vintage straight then you probably should post a WTB in B/S/T here, as there might be a few here who has a spare razor.

Just for the point of clarification, quality razors are indeed just that, it does not matter when they were made as we have several makers in business today that turn out quality razors. I admit that at least one of them may have some quality control issues but that's what warranties and reputable dealers are for. I don't see any intrinsic quality in vintage razors that cannot be had from a well made modern razor today. Personally, I'm still waiting for my first *new* razor being made by Joe Chandler. All my other razors are from the mid 1800s to pehaps the late 1960s and other than personal preference, they are all suitable for shaving.

Don't get too caught up in buying too many razors until you've settled in and gotten comfortable shaving with them. There is always a slim chance you might not like shaving with a straight. I'd get one or two to start, new or used makes no difference as long as it's been honed properly and go from there.

As for brands and countries of origin, again... frankly any reasonable well known razor will be fine. I admit to having a soft spot for the old Sheffield makers and I have a couple that came from perhaps a less popular maker but they just as good. The two brands you mention are fine as well as a slew of others. Vintage razors are perhaps best purchased from one of the reputable dealers such as Classicshaving, Vintage Blades, Shavingshop or from a trusted member on this forum. Ebay is an option but it's buyer beware and it's best to have experience under your belt before wading into that territory.

Regards

Christian

Originally Posted by OldFashioned

I plan to buy it online so I can only go with pics or info that I get from the seller. I take it that I should look for old vintage blades rather than a new one even if it was made in the 60s? I think everything in this world was made better 60-100+ years ago.

Thanks alot for that.