Thread: Jolly Fleas

Gentlemen,

This has been a straight razor rich week for me. Yesterday and today, I wandered through the musty isles of a huge indoor flea market-rummage sale event and encountered a squadron of the jolliest fleas.

This is what I found today:

1. Three Gillette Super Speed Slims and one Red Tip in excellent condition. After cleaning and polishing, they will be knockouts. Of course, I will put them up for sale, since I use the double edge only if in a rush and that I already have two gorgeous Edwin Jaggers.

2. Double Duck skinny mustache trimmer in a terrible shape with plenty of rust and broken scales. It could be a challenge to clean up and rescale, but in my pilgrim's opinion, it is not beyond hope.

3. Geneva Cutlery, 5/8" round point. The black plastic scales are broken. The blade, however, has not a spec of rust. Nothing. Rather, the blade shines. There is a small scratch close to the heel that runs vertically on the blade, neither effecting the edge nor the spine. It's just a little nuisance of a scratch, which I think could be taken care of.

4. Bowdin's Wedge (made for the J.E. Bowdin Co., Minneapolis, MN), 3/8", in a fairly good shape. It needs cleaning, polishing and honing. That's it.

5. Has anyone heard of a razor with the word TRUSTEEL on the shank? That's the only writing on this razor. It's a 5/8" round point with a few specs of rust. The scales have the butt encased in a metal sleeve, as well as the pivot pin area. The yellowish material for the scales, which are in perfect shape, is something (the name escapes me) used for some old smoking meerschaum pipes. What's the name? Once cleaned up, this will be a lovely razor.

And now, gentlemen, the royal flea herself:

6. C.V. Heljestrand, 5/8", square point, bone scales (I think), in almost perfect shape. No, I'll take that back: in "perfect" shape. A thorough cleaning and stropping I expect will be enough, although it might need to be honed. That's it. This razor is gorgeous. The C.V. Heljestrand Co. was established in 1808, so says the label on the red box, which happens to be in perfect shape. This razor was the seller's personal razor. The seller happened to have been one of my old radio listeners. This I discovered after giving him my card. Oh, we had a wonderful conversation. He plans to order my books, too, through my website: obieyadgar.com.

So, gentlemen, there you have it. Oh, those fleas were jolly.

Regards,

Obie

Very nice Obie!

I should be getting my first Heljestrand back this week, honed and ready to go. I'm excited to try out the mythical Swedish steel.

Best of luck on your restoration endeavors my friend.

Drew

pics please