Thread: Antiquing tomorrow

Hi all I am going to some antique stores tomorrow and I was wondering if there are some razors I should keep an eye out for?

Anything you think looks good! Some good big name brands would be Genco, Wade and Butcher, Boker, Double Duck. Sheffield england and Soligen Germany produced some good steel. If you find a very large Wade and butcher, you should get it and send it to me because they suck and ill dispose of it properly.... Good huntin!

Ones without chips, cracks, and huge amounts of rust. Other than that, grab whatever you can find, but I wouldn't pay more than $10/piece.

Originally Posted by marosell

Ones without chips, cracks, and huge amounts of rust. Other than that, grab whatever you can find, but I wouldn't pay more than $10/piece.

+1 on all of this advice.

When you start out, chances are you'll probably overpay on some razors (meaning, they may end up either being more difficult to restore and use than you thought) but if you stick to not buying any over $10-$15 unless they're in very good condition, than you'll limit that type of thing. I like that I can now go into an antique store and make a mental decision most times within a few seconds of seeing a razor whether I'm going to buy it or not. I made a quick stop at an antique store while I was on the way to a business appointment on Tuesday. I was in and out of there in less than 10 minutes (it was a small shop) with a very nice Boker Red Injun (nicer than the one I already had which I'll now be selling) and a nice Regent barber hone. Bing, bang, boom!

Most of all, as Lynn always says, have fun! And, good luck antiquing.

Chris L

When I first went antiquing I brought a little cheat sheet 3x5 card with the names of good and bad brands from one of the stickies somewhere here (in the Newbies' Corner, I think). In the end I didn't need it because just writing them down was enough to help me remember what they were, but it was reassuring to have it in my pocket.

Something people don't mention much: some blades can be bent. (I think this is called "smile.") The one I bought was slightly, but I didn't discover it until I started to hone it. Fortunately it was slight enough to hone anyway. You might try laying the blade flat on a display case or window to make sure the whole edge touches at once.

Around here the antique stores, if they have anything at all, don't seem to have anything but junk for under $25 or $30, so depending on where you're located and how popular the razors have become that $10-15 limit might be a little too tight. Once you've found a couple of shops with some razors you'll get an idea for the prices in your area.

And if you do happen on any Fontana razors, please let me know! There's a good chance I'll ask you to pick it up for me.

Avoid any razor with rust or dark spots along the edge. Try to avoid razors with a definite hone wear along the spine more that 1/16" wide, less is better. If it has both an etched blade and rust than you can kiss the etching goodby when you try to remove the rust.

If a razor is "bent" then that is called "warping". Most vintage blades are ok on that aspect. Razors that have either an edge with a "smile" shape or a "straight" edge are ok. A "frown is not. A "frown" is where more steel is gone from the middle of the blade than on the ends. In other words, the width of the blade in the center is narrower than on the ends. That is bad, rather difficult to hone. ( Understatement!)

Make sure the blade is not cracked. Run your fingernail along the underside of the edge, slowly. If it is cracked then it will show up.

Thick bladed razors are more restorable than the thin grinds.

Hope this helps,

Is it still socially correct to haggle on prices? or only at like flea markets?

ALWAYS HAGGLE!!!

Originally Posted by Akady

Is it still socially correct to haggle on prices? or only at like flea markets?

Haggling in my experience depends on the antique shop. In Minnesota, there are few single owner antique shops (in those shops, if I find them I ALWAYS haggle.). Instead, in MN, there are many antique "malls" or shops where "dealers" rent booth space. In these shops I have almost never had a situation where haggling was even an option. The owner of the razors in a multi dealer situation is almost never on site, and the person showing the razors either has no authority to deal on price on someone else's property, or they could care less.

Chris L

Originally Posted by Akady

Is it still socially correct to haggle on prices? or only at like flea markets?

It's not that Yorkshire folks are tight, it's just that here it would be socially incorrect NOT to haggle...