What to look for in a vintage razor?

I have bought a couple of shave ready razors from the classifieds here, but I want to pick up a few more miscellaneous razors (especially when I start getting into honing).

If I go to Ebay, there are all kinds of vintage razors at varying prices. Most sellers seem to know nothing about razors.

Anyhow, what should someone look for when purchasing from Ebay or an antique store or whatever? Do you guys just have certain brands that you look for? There seems to be so many, I would think it would be hard to keep track of them all...

So... What should I be looking for?

Well,that's a subjective thing.Have you read the wiki?There's a good page on it here:
Good Straight Razor Brands - Straight Razor Place Wiki

This is just a small sampling of good brands.There are maybe hundreds more.Look for good solingen or sheffield or american brands with good clean blades and little or no hone wear that have good, clean,unwarped scales and close properly without hitting the sides.I use the word clean on blades and scales to mean not badly ravaged by rust,pitting,bug bites.cracks,etc.It is common to have to clean off old dried soap and such,but unless you want to restore,or have it restored,it may be best to buy razors in very good condition.

Ok, but irrespective of brand, if it's a decent carbon steel, it should be able to hone, and hold an edge?

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Originally Posted by HNSB

Ok, but irrespective of brand, if it's a decent carbon steel, it should be able to hone, and hold an edge?

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Short answer, yes. There are tons of great brands that will take a good edge and give a good shave. I think rather than looking at the list of razors that are OK to buy, check out the wiki article about what not to buy.

Also, be wary of eBay razors. I'd say about half or more of the razors listed are listed by people who have no idea what they're talking about when it comes to razors. That doesn't mean that you shouldn't buy it, it just means that if it's described as "really sharp" or "in great condition", look at the pictures and make your own educated decision based on what you've learned here.

I've had great luck getting shave razors from eBay, but the general consensus is that it's been sitting in a drawer for 50 years and needs to be honed up.

Good luck. If you need a second look at something you're wanting to pick up, feel free to drop me a PM and I'll give you an unbiased opinion.

Cheers.

I would look out for reasonable answers to the following questions as a minimum.

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The straight razor - Straight Razor Place Wiki
Despite their best efforts, many sellers have limited knowledge of what is essential information to be put into a classified. If any of the following are missing from the description of a razor that is for sale, you may want to enquire further to avoid later disputes over lack of quality.

1. When was the blade last honed?
2. Does it center in the scales without the edge making contact on either side?
3. Is the pivot pin tight?
4. Are the scales original?
5. Are there any cracks in the scales?
6. Are there any hairline cracks in the blade?
7. Do you have pictures of the (other side of the blade, close up of a certain area, etc)?
8. Do you offer a return policy if I am not satisfied?

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I would go so far as to say that any of the vintage razors that I have encountered have been of a good quality steel. Stuff made before the 1970s and some since then. Certainly the name brands even today are fine. With the old stuff even obscure brands are good IME. Condition is what I look for besides the brand on the vintage stuff. If you stay away from the 'hot' collectible brands and just keep an eye on the old vintage brands that are reasonably priced but in fine condition you can't go wrong AFAIC.

A couple of links you might find helpful:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...tml#post404538

http://straightrazorpalace.com/aucti...tml#post142321

http://reviews.ebay.com/Buying-Strai...00000001450975