Navigating the multitude of old razor makes.

Seems to me that the straight razor must have been the first example of global re-branding, most of the blades seem to be made in Germany with the sellers name embossed and etched on the blade. Would I be right in assuming that there were not as many manufacturers as there were retailers? Does anything set them apart? What I'm actually after is a small list of creme de la creme makers from the last 100 years so I can weed out the average stuff and buy something high quality. Not interested in fancy scales, No.1 interest is top notch steel and manufacture.

Any thoughts?

Shredder.

You are quite correct in assuming that many makers made razors for retailers - Sheffield, Solingen and Hamburg all did this. It does pose a problem as to what to buy but any razor with the above town names on the tang or blade is a good bet - don't forget, MILLIONS of SR's were made in the C19th. alone and competition was just as fierce for that market as today's is for the 5-blade chuckaways. A lot of German firms used Sheffield steel and indeed today Dovo uses Swedish steel in their razors. For good vintage - and here you will get differing lists!! - I would say Gotta, ERN, Heljestrand, Wade & Butcher, Dorko, Timor (original not mdern!) Wostenholm, Wragg, Rodgers, Mappin & Webb and Reynolds are a good starting point. Welcome to the minefield! :tu

Best steel, JR Torrey, USA

Good start, thanks guys :)

Don't forget the blades from Eskilstuna , Sweden . I have two that I shave with , and they are both excellent shavers .

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Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Best steel, JR Torrey, USA

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Don't get 'em b4 1880 though as then they were Swedish or English steel!

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Originally Posted by dave5225

Don't forget the blades from Eskilstuna , Sweden . I have two that I shave with , and they are both excellent shavers .

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Heljestrand IS from Eskilstuna, BTW.............. ;)

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Originally Posted by blueprinciple

Heljestrand IS from Eskilstuna, BTW.............. ;)

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Yes I know :D . One is a Heljestrand MK #30 , 4/8 , the other is a 5/8 , W. Soderen . They are the first two razors I learned to hone , and shave with . I love 'em and always look forward to using them :) .

You know what else makes me twitchy, seeing "Top Quality" or "High Quality" stamped on the blade. Call me cynical but I only ever see these kind of things stamped or printed on to cheap rubbish as a last ditch attempt at sucking in a naive punter.

It just smacks of...well, Chinese-ness.

If you walked down the street in Solingen pre WW ll you would see probably block after block of cutlery makers of all kinds. Most just specialized in say scales, or making blanks or tempering. Probably hundreds of makers there. Many of the best are the smallest. In my opinion amongst the best are Hen and Rooster but not the junk made and sold now or by Klass only the ones made by Bertram. If you could find one of those razors you better run out and buy a lottery ticket because it would be your lucky day. I know a guy who has nine of them and I've been trying to convince him to sell for years.

Other than Germany the U.S produced some of the finest quality razors. Genco, Torry, Union, Cattaraguas, Shumate just to name a few.

So like I've said before its easier to name the bad makers than to really say who the best are because there were so many not to mention the Swedish, French, Spanish and English.

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Originally Posted by Shredder

You know what else makes me twitchy, seeing "Top Quality" or "High Quality" stamped on the blade. Call me cynical but I only ever see these kind of things stamped or printed on to cheap rubbish as a last ditch attempt at sucking in a naive punter.

It just smacks of...well, Chinese-ness.

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Avoid anything that says , "surgical steel" or "440" , as well .