Hotel housekeeping broke my razor

The title pretty much sums it up. I travel a lot and always take two razors with me. The last trip I had taken my 7/8 Bartman. Nice razor, shaves super. I have two of them, one in multicolor horn and another in black horn. Well, I shaved Monday with it, Tuesday I used my other razor. Then Wednesday I lathered up, got out the Bartman, opened it to strop and just stood there. A big old hunk of steel was missing from the blade. It looks like housekeeping opened it up then dropped it into the sink. Pretty much ruined.


I had a talk with the manager and he offered to replace it without hesitation. I stay there a lot. I may regrind the blade and make a 7/8 short blade just because I can. Shame, it was a nice razor and I like the multicolor scales.


So they credited my card the cost and I started looking around for a replacement. John over at shavingshop.com had a two razor set that came in a leather case. Perfect for my traveling. Both are Wacker razors. The round point is a full wedge in black buffalo, the Spanish point is a ¼ hollow. The case is a very soft leather. The blade is laser etched instead of gold washed which I like. You dont find many new wedge razors. Both are 6/8. I honed them up this evening, good edge. Tomorrow the wedge will get whisker whacking duty.

Well, at least the story has a happy ending. Too bad about the first razor, though. My condolences and congratulations.

I'm amazed that the manager was willing to cover that. I'd say that is a keeper of a hotel.

Oh, and my condolences for your loss.

I hope the house keeper was fired. I would be furious.

That sucks. It looks like a really nice razor. Sorry man.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Utopian

I'm amazed that the manager was willing to cover that. I'd say that is a keeper of a hotel.

Oh, and my condolences for your loss.

---

Yes, file me under amazed as well. Great management.

terrible, but WHAT scales! beautiful. why can't I find a set like that to slap on this old blade sitting on my workbench!?

Accidents happen. They were no doubt just curious, then disaster struck. The worst thing was simply putting it right back where they found it & hoping you wouldn't notice!
Nice replacements & worst case you've got some great scales to recycle!

Glad to hear that things worked out, but I'm a little disappointed in the housekeeper. Just from a personal perspective, I would not be happy if my razor got wrecked, but if I returned to the hotel and the manager came to me first and told me what happened and offered to replace I would be a lot happier than having to go find the manager and work the issue out then. Ahh well, all's well that ends well I guess.

Place me in the amazed camp.

The new ones look very nice.

I'm gunna travel with my Dovo, it's the only one that could be easily replaced.

Think I would be quite ticked in such a case.
Why do they go in your private stuff in the first place? Looking for something?

Glad it worked out to your satisfaction though.

You've taught me a valuable lesson. I'm not bringing my razors anywhere. It stinks having to settle for a disposable, but looking at such a nice razor getting destroyed like that it becomes a personal attack......too much to bear.

I would have lost my mind. Sorry to hear that they killed such a nice blade.

That is a fear i have at home too. I have mine in the guest bathroom cause my wife's stuff has taken over the master bathroom counter. Even though i put it in the medicine cabinet after it dries im afraid someone is going to be looking for some Advil and see it and play with it and cut themselves or worse break the blade.

Though break man. So sorry. Have you ever had trouble traveling through airports with your Razor?

You must be staying at better digs than me. The managers at the places I stay at would have just laughed. :boohoo:

Nice replacement set. Break one...replace with two!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by matt321

Break one...replace with two!

---

Come to think of it, that sounds like a good way to increase the collection. Sacrifice one I could bear to lose and get two more just like it.

I am moving to Philly so I have been going out there every couple weeks for a couple of weeks so I know all the hotel staff. Nice folks. I told the manager accidents happen but what gets my goat is that they broke it then put it back like nothing happened. I would have been a lot more understanding if they just told me they droped it and it broke.

I keep my razors and toothbrush in my shaving mug. I am guessing curiosity got the better of her. Not often you see a couple of gold washed big blade straight razors. The blades are pinned tight so even if the cup got knocked over, the blades wont just flop open. Someone had to open it.

I offered send the manager links to the page for the price, show him my broken razor etc... but I stay there enough (3 or so weeks a month) he trusts me and takes it all on faith. Like I said, nice bunch of people.

Gave the wedge a test drive this morning, nice and heavy, feels more like a 8/8 blade in heft. I did not shave yesterday so I had two days worth of stubble to take care of. Glided right through it. If you travel, this would make for an awesome travel set. Of if you just like stiff grind heavy blades it makes for a nice set.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JohnnyCakeDC

Though break man. So sorry. Have you ever had trouble traveling through airports with your Razor?

---

When I fly, I pack them in my check bag along with my pocket knife. Never had any issue.

I think a fitting punishment for that housekeeper should be a full headshave, and leg(assuming female) with the razor as is.

Proper prep and all, no need to be barbaric.

Oh, and Pinauds Bay Rum for the aftershave.:mace:

A great hotel manager! Its hard to believe somebody actually took responsibility for the loss, and what a loss it was.

Sorry for the loss, but happy that it will work out for you.

I took a second to show my girlfriend this thread and remind her how fragile these tools are.

I travel quite a bit for my job (mostly around Scandinavia) and I leave all my stuff spread around the room on a multi-day trip (yes, that includes worn socks and undies :D). People are curious and look in your stuff. I don't leave cash money out (as I always carry my wallet around anyway), but my work laptop (humongous tile of a Dell, fully stickered up, so I look real pro ;)) and whatever just stay around. I do look at my razors and will throw a fit with the reception staff when I see something like it and no immediate corrective action is taken.

In my experience the pretty badly paid housekeeping staff take good care of the stuff, basically by leaving it alone. So, I wouldn't worry. In general, everything's just fine. But one can run into some bad luck, and it's good that it's taken care of correctly by the management as in cannonfodder's case.

Happy to hear about the best possible outcome of your tragedy, but you are still without that beautiful Bartmann. I feel your pain, since I have two similar Bartmann's myself, and never travel with them. I am staying in a hotel right now in hellish Yuma AZ, for the next week. My 2 travel razors are a Boker Red Injun and a Weck Edelweiss (looks exactly like a Boker Edelweiss-same blade). They are in a 1930's leather razor case that folds and snaps. After shaving, I dry the open razor on a towl for an hour, then put it back in the case and hide it under my T-shirts, as a normal travel rule. I may even hide them better now, after your tale! I am sorry for the loss of your Bartmann, but am amazed and happy that the hotel made it up to you.

Sorry for your loss. The razor gods giveth, and they taketh away.

Bummer,

I always put my razors back in the case and put the case in my suitcase.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

I had a talk with the manager and he offered to replace it without hesitation. I stay there a lot....

---

this goes a long way. There may be some sentimental attachment to that particular razor, but getting the proper treatment from the hotel makes it so much easier to swallow.

re. firing the housekeeping staff member:
Naw. I'm pretty sure he/she knows what a mess they made of it and are highly unlikely to do something like that again. As long as the manager talks to the staff about the incident I doubt it would happen again.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by xman

this goes a long way. There may be some sentimental attachment to that particular razor, but getting the proper treatment from the hotel makes it so much easier to swallow.

re. firing the housekeeping staff member:
Naw. I'm pretty sure he/she knows what a mess they made of it and are highly unlikely to do something like that again. As long as the manager talks to the staff about the incident I doubt it would happen again.

---

Very well put.

I totally agree.

I used that 1/4 hollow this morning. Equally nice shave.

I am going to regrind that Bartman to a stubby 7/8, dont know what I will use it for but it would be a shame to toss it. The multi color horn scales will get recycled. I have 3 big choppers that have been sitting in my to do box for nearly a year. Been to busy turning wood to get them cleaned up. I think it would look good on one of them.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

I am moving to Philly...

---

Welcome to the city of Brotherly Love. Glad to hear that the hotel is living up to the motto (I live just across the bridge).

That's a real shame.
Isn't it possible a cleaner was just just doing her (/his) job, realised she'd picked up a razor, and dropped it in fear. She might not even have realised it was damaged. Calling for her to be fired is a bit harsh without knowing more.

Glad they compensated without hassle. Worse places would probably have a go at you for putting their staff at risk or some nonsense like that.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

...
I am going to regrind that Bartman to a stubby 7/8, dont know what I will use it for but it would be a shame to toss it....

---

Unless you have some particular desire for a stubby, it seems like you could just grind the edge back to a 6/8 or 5/8. I know that takes off the belly but at the same time reduces it from full hollow somewhat, so it should still be stiff enough. From the pix, it doesn't look like the chips are much more than 1/8, if that. Or is this just not workable in practice?

I always squirrel my razors away in my dopp kit before leaving my hotel room for the day.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by fritz

Unless you have some particular desire for a stubby, it seems like you could just grind the edge back to a 6/8 or 5/8. I know that takes off the belly but at the same time reduces it from full hollow somewhat, so it should still be stiff enough. From the pix, it doesn't look like the chips are much more than 1/8, if that. Or is this just not workable in practice?

---

I was wondering the same thing.