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Hey so I am curious where Otto Fromm's are from. I read an ad somewhere that said solingen, but i've never seen it stamped on a tang. In particular, I'm looking to buy an Otto Fromm Red Head (#50), and if its Solingen that speaks for itself. If not, are they still good shavers?
I can't remember where they are from, and haven't shaved with one (yet, sold one and have one on the to be completed shelf) but hear they are great shavers. plus they say Red Head, which makes them cool. :-)
Red
I've got an Otto Fromm #72 Special. It just says Germany on the tang, but don't know anything else other than that.
My first straight. Bought it in my tweens. I'm now pushing sixty. Get it professionally honed and its a great shaver. Hard steel. Difficult to get history on Fromm. I have tried. Please post what you find.
I've seen a couple listed for sale described as "Otto From Cutlery Co., Germany"
Regards,
Neil
Yes, the tang stamp is the only info around.
Couldn't find more either. There is a machine factory in Solingen by that name. Thats all.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...ront-stamp.jpg
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...back-stamp.jpg
Seems to be german. Mine says fromm bros. Maybe it was a family venture?
Mine has "Solingen" handles. I'm almost positive they were all made in solingen.
http://www.dreamlash.com/pics/straight3.jpg
http://www.dreamlash.com/pics/straight1.jpg
Maybe they were especially made for overseas?
GEO Worthington, Cleveland also had his name stamped on blades that were made in Solingen.
Hard to find out who the actual makers were, then.
Oh, definitely. I think all of the cutlery companies / sellers in the U.S. just put in huge orders to the factories in germany, who would stamp the blades with whatever they asked for, and then re-sold them in the USA.
The U.S. is always happy to let someone else do the hard work.
:D
The older Fromm's like the ones shown above are nice shavers. The new Fromm's in my opinion are on the bottom of the list for what to buy. I see new guys picking them up and they are really tricky to hone and at best and I mean best an adequate shaver.
Lynn
Love that blade!Quote:
Originally Posted by Undream
it is my daily shaver. i love it.
Lynn, when you distinguish the old from the new, how many years are we talking between the two? When did the change take place?
This would've been so much more helpful a while ago.... I was outbid by 5 bucks on a very minty fromm with an almost minty 127 Illinois. I ended up getting a 127 Illinois anyway but did not want to risk throwing money after the fromm... Oh well. I'm keeping my eyes open for another one like it... It looked like a red point, but throught the red dot it had silver Fromm crossed with Fromm, like there is on dorko's.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...romm-inlay.jpg
Kind of like this?
Exactly like that, but with red fill.
I did find this from the St Petersburg Indpendent newspaper - Thursday, Dec 23 1971.
Don't ask me how but I stumbled on this through Google.
There's history to be found about Otto Busch company but Otto Fromm Cutlery seems like a big black hole.
So if Herr Fromm was born in 1894 then we can presume the original Otto Fromm Cutlery to be from the 1920's - 1950's unless he took over from his father or family.
I want to buy a Fromm. Does anyone have an idea whether it is worth my money?
Are they good or is it a crap razor
See Photos
http://i.imgur.com/dJS9C.jpg
http://i.imgur.com/PLAL1.jpg
Priceless . thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn
That should be a nice blade.
I just recently bought a Fromm razor - it's from Solingen.
Does anyone have a pic of the new 72 special? I've heard the old ones are nice but not the new ones. My local barber supply shop has a dusty box with a couple of 72specials in it. They have a black tang without a stamp in it that I can see. Just has a gold wash indicating manufacturer and model.
Interestingly enough Otto Fromm was my great grandfather. He lived (and made his razors) in Bochum, Germany until the war then he moved to New Jersey. I am not sure where he made his razors after that but it was still in Germany.
Wow, that is just too awesome. It's nice to know we have someone with that kind of history here.
I know this is an old thread, but I have some level of info. I am also trying to figure out what type of metal was used to make Otto Fromm Cutlery Company Blades, but here is some history.
Otto Fromm was my great grandfather. He fled Germany in 1938 because of the rise of Hitler and came to New York. During the war he didn't buy steel from Germany (for obvious reasons) and he sourced it from all over. After the war ended he reestablished contacts in Solingen and sourced all his steels from there. I am not sure when, but he sold the company long before I was born and my family has nothing to do with it anymore. So the best answer to your question about the steel used in the products is depends on what year it was made. If it was before or after the war it was sourced in Solingen, during the war it was sourced from somewhere else (I have heard the quality was similar though).
Have a great day!
How unusual to have two great grand children of a razor maker. That is a great thing.