My Day At the Flea Market
Gentlemen,
Today I did something new. I went to the flea market. I was in a nearby town, walking around to clear my head, when I heard the town was having its annual flea market.
Several hours later I drove home with 12 straight and two double edge razors. The DE's are Gillettes, probably from the 1950s, one a Fat Boy, I believe. They both need major cleaning up, but everything on them seems to work.
The straight razors are the typical flea market and antique store razors in various forms of disrepair. I think there is hope for some of them with a good dose of refurbishing. This is what I ended up with:
1. 5/8" full hollow manufactured by the Crown Razor Co. The etching on the blade is clear, but the pivot pin is shot.
2. 3/8" with okay scales. Probably a barber razor. The blade is in a good shape. I can't make out the manufacturer.
3. 5/8" spike by Swanson & Swanson, Sheffield. Heavy hone marks. I think it has potential.
4. 5/8" barber notch by Geo Wostenholm & Sons, Sheffield, England. The blade needs work. The scales, I think, are white bone.
5. 4/8" spike by W. Autenrieth. It probably needs to be rescaled.
6. 3/8" with S.M.F, Solingen, Germany, on the shank. Scales are mock tortoise shell, scratched up, but passable.
7. 5/8" spike, Burrell Cutlery Co., Ellicotville, NY. Not bad shape. Pivot pin is loose. White bake light scales.
8. 3/8" spike. I can't make out the manufacturer. Scales and pins are okay, but the razor needs a good rehab.
9. 5/8" round point manufactured by Crown & Sword (crown and sword markings on the shank and embossed on the scales). It has potential
10. 4/8", King Midas, made by the King Razor Mafg. Co., Indiana, PA. The scales are patched up, but the scales are passable, and the pins tight.
11. 5/8" spike by Sosmo Mfg. Co., Germany. Needs work.
12. 5/8" spike by Mizzoo Mfg. Co. Needs work.
The prize I could have had was an old Boker with ivory scales. Hah! But when I opened the razor, there was a big chip in the middle of the blade.
I have no idea what I am going to do with these razors. I could try to work on them myself, but there are two problems with that. I would have to learn — do I have the time? Also, I have no tools. Or I could find an expert at SRP and have him work on them. For a fee, of course. In that case, will the overall cost be worth it? Or I could sell the whole lot as is.
What are your thoughts, gentlemen?
Regards,
Obie
My Day At the Flea Market
My dear Stefan,
You probably don't know my relationship with this computing machine thingie. I know just enough to get by — word processing, Internet research and e-mail. The last time I tried to post photos, even will all the fine directions by the SRP gentlemen, I almost blew up the computer, which also would have meant losing the novel I am working on.
So my apologies. No pictures. My general description will have to do.
Many thanks.
Regards,
Obie
My Day At the Flea Market
Gentlemen,
Stefan, Nate, Stuart and Drew, thank you for your thoughts and suggestions. Stefan and Drew thank you for the proposals and offers. I might take you up on them.
Let me do some thinking. Stefan and Drew, please drop me a private message.
I have never worked with my hands. Around here my wife is the fixer. I kid you not: once she asked for a sander for Christmas. Say what? A sander. I bought her the fanciest one I could find. Another time she asked for a complete tool box. So there, too, I bought her the fanciest one I could one. I had money in those days.
On the other hand, I might take up the task of refurbishing some of these razors myself, not only to learn the skill, but also to use the process as therapy. Time, of course, is the problem, and this project I must definitely squeeze in.
Here is what I have going on these days in my life:
1. I write seven days a week, and currently working on my second novel.
2. Sometime this week I have to conduct a phone interview for my article on straight razor shaving with my shave guru Lynn. I must call him and set up the interview.
3. Wednesday I start teaching a class on the history and appreciation of classical music at a local educational institution. This is a user-friendly class I designed some years ago; it's called "Mozart and Other Good Guys." It's a fun class.
4. Now and then I get requests for voice narrations, which requires rehearsing and recording. I have a narration gig set up for next week.
5. I alternate nightly studying two languages on my own. Being a full-blooded Assyrian (now Assyrian-American), I speak the Aramaic language, but I never learned to read and write it. I hold a regular class for myself. Alternating with Aramaic, I also am studying on my own the Farsi (Persian) language. I studied it in school a long time ago, so this is more a refresher. One night Aramaic and the next Farsi — I have the tenacity of a shark and the discipline of a Spartan.
6. Oh, I also do all the cooking here.
7. I suppose it won't hurt to add refurbishing straight razors to the lineup.
Should I decide to do so, I will post a daily diary on SRP, hoping I don't bore you gentlemen to death.
Regards,
Obie