Which razor do I keep.

Hi,

I am in the very fortunate position of having aquired all of my old (92 years) deceased barbers straight razors - 13 in all.

They are a mixture going back to the 30s (or before) and include a Bismark, Puma, Fisher, Wilkinson, Kropp, Mauber, Reich, Dispatch, ERN, Veldawerk, Idelthal plus a Durham Duplex and an unnamed one.

Now I have never used one before but can see the benefit in having one so I have decided to keep one back for moi.

But Which one?

They are in various conditions of sharp to very sharp and I have stropped a few to brighten up the cutting edge and tried them all on my (dry) neck with a mixture of results, which is probably based on their sharpness as opposed to the quality.

How does ANYONE choose a razor?

Would EBAY be the best place for the rest of them?

Thanks for your help in anticipation.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

Hi,

I am in the very fortunate position of having aquired all of my old (92 years) deceased barbers straight razors - 13 in all.

They are a mixture going back to the 30s (or before) and include a Bismark, Puma, Fisher, Wilkinson, Kropp, Mauber, Reich, Dispatch, ERN, Veldawerk, Idelthal plus a Durham Duplex and an unnamed one.

Now I have never used one before but can see the benefit in having one so I have decided to keep one back for moi.

But Which one?

They are in various conditions of sharp to very sharp and I have stropped a few to brighten up the cutting edge and tried them all on my (dry) neck with a mixture of results, which is probably based on their sharpness as opposed to the quality.

How does ANYONE choose a razor?

Would EBAY be the best place for the rest of them?

Thanks for your help in anticipation.

---

rizla,

Why keep just one, pour vous?

IMHO the Bismark and the Puma would top my list for keepers. They are well known and respected razor brands. In fact, there are photos of razors such as those posted in SRP's "SOTD" forum on a fairly regular basis.

As for where to dispose of the other sr8 razors in your cache. If you are really set on disposing of them, why not sell them on the SRP "Classifieds?"

BTW...It would be nice if you could post some photos of the str8 razors in your possession here at SRP. They might help the members give you the best feedback to your question(s).

Take care...

Welcome to SRP. The Bismarck and the Puma would be the brands that I would lean to depending on condition. You can't sell them here on SRP until you have something like 50 posts.

Ebay would probably be your best bet if selling them is what you want to do. Take good photos of the blades and scales (handles) and in your descriptions give the measurement from the top of the spine to the cutting edge of the blade. Mention whether there are any visible chips or cracks in the blade or the scales and you'll have better results in your auctions.

If you're inclined to start shaving with the best method devised by man go to the SRP Wiki beginner's guide here. If your deceased barber friend was a honemeister you may have a shave ready razor or more in the mix. :gl:

I wouldn't be asking which one to keep. I would be asking which one to sell. The answer I would come back with is none of them.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1010884.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1010885.jpg

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1010891.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/bismark2.jpg



Also a load of boxes that don't appear to belong to ANY of these razors.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1010874.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by ndw76

I wouldn't be asking which one to keep. I would be asking which one to sell. The answer I would come back with is none of them.

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Must say that they are a good start to a collection and I would hate to get rid, but then I am also a bit of a hoarder and I'm told ('er indoors) that I should get out of that habit.

What sort of money would i expect f they were to sell and are they something that can only increase in value and if so, relatively, by how much?

I realise the last Q is very difficult to say.

Re the pics. sorry if I appear to have broken the forum. As you can see I haven't attempted to clean them at all and there is no pitting on any of the blade edges.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

What sort of money would i expect f they were to sell and are they something that can only increase in value and if so, relatively, by how much?

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The policy on SRP is not to give $ estimates. If you go to ebay and do a search for Puma razor and then look at the column on the left you'll see a menu selection of 'completed items'. You can get an idea from that. The one you posted the photo of is nice but has hone wear and maybe a bit of chipping in the center of the edge .... or corrosion. Condition is a big thing. Nice photo though.

Actually, the mark on the Puma disappeared after I sharpened it.

I expect all of the razors to have been repeatedly honed over the years but I cannot tell which are more honed than the others.
Are any of the examples shown VERY rare or just nice?

Thanks for all the replies so far BTW.

Rizla
ALl those razors are nice, and would make great shavers.
You could sell them, but you wouldn't make big bucks, IMO. They are nice razors, but the ones which sell for hundreds and hundreds of dollars are, if not NOS, very well preserved. It really boils down to tool vs collectible...

I think the most fruitful thing would be to keep them for yourself, and enjoy having a nice rotation of superlative shavers...if in the future you decided to let one go, you could always do it through the classifieds here or pass it on as a shave-ready razor to another beginner.

would love to see some photos of the Kropp

I've got one of those Puma FF's in 6/8. Whenever I think of selling it, I shave with it & always decide to keep it :)

My Opinion if it were myself,I would keep them all,if you indeed pick up the fine art of straight razor shaving you will want to aquire more razors in the future, at the moment you have the latter beat, just start shaving :)

WHAT!!!!! Dude, keep the all. I'd love to have that collection.

I'd keep them all, but then I have RAD..! :D

That little cache will keep you in restore projects for months, and a lifetime of great shavers!

I`d keep them all except selling the wilkinsone to me:D

I like Bismarcks and Pumas and I have been looking for a Wilkinson for a long time....

Is this a spoof? Would anyone say that? Hmmm

I am with Ben on this one. If you do in fact begin to shave with a straight, but had unloaded 9-10 of these on eBay for a very small gain, you will regret it. You surely won't be able to reassemble a collection like this for the money you will get for them, and if they are all in the condition of the ones you have shown they should clean up and shave nicely. Hang on to them, unless you are making the choice between food and razors. Being a hoarder is one thing, and I am in favor of not having clutter stacking up in the corners. But there is a big difference between porcelain German Sheppard figurines and functional pieces of history that will never cross your path again.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by mackie

Is this a spoof? Would anyone say that? Hmmm

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My first thought as well. It smacked of those "Is this 29 Ford Coupe I found in my backyard worth keeping?" type threads on hot rod forums.

IMHO I would consider keeping the collection and having them restored by an SRP member who is an expert in that area. They could probably do wonders restoring them to their former grandeur.

Then and only then would I consider selling any of them. Their restoration may cost you a little money, but it would probably make them more attractive to potential buyers.

Of course, once you see how good looking they are after being restored, you may just want to hold on to them.

Just my 2 cents.

Hi all,

Damn you guys.

Looks like I might be keeping them. (bar PERHAPS one or two)

Must say I wasn't really sure and have never used one before (Being bearded too), but I understand everything that is said about keeping them and think that this might be the way to go.

How easy it is to let something go and spend the rest of your miserable, trying to replace it.:rofl2:

Btw sorry, chaps - this is NOT a hoax.

Q. I have a couple of whetstones and strops - would I be able to bring these up to scratch (since they have been looked after by a pro) or am I better off sending them away?

It sounds like you have a ready rotation. work through them for a bit and find your favorites..Creme rises to the top!:D

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g?t=1267016146






Well, There's the Kropp as requested but to me that isn't a touch on the Veldawerk shown below but then I am going by 'Pretty' rather than 'Practical' perhaps.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g?t=1267016239


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y1/Ornate4.jpg

Here are some of the others.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y1/atlante.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y1/fisher1.jpg


http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1010841.jpg

Also found this, too.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...1/P1010830.jpg

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

How easy it is to let something go and spend the rest of your miserable, trying to replace it.:rofl2:

Btw sorry, chaps - this is NOT a hoax.

Q. I have a couple of whetstones and strops - would I be able to bring these up to scratch (since they have been looked after by a pro) or am I better off sending them away?

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Funny story ...... I had some Belgian Coticules (3 of them) that I had gotten from pro barbers for maybe $20.00 each in the 1980s. In 2006 I sold all three on ebay along with a couple of dozen straights that I had accumulated in the same time period.

When I listed them on ebay I asked a friend to critique my photos and item descriptions. This piqued his interest in shaving with straight razors and he found the 3 leading shaving forums on the internet.

He jumped in with both feet and his enthusiasim led to my getting back into it. I still regret selling some but not all of the razors and of course the 3 coticules. If anyone reading this bought a coticule on ebay in November or December of '06 send a PM to me. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

Hi all,

Damn you guys.

Looks like I might be keeping them. (bar PERHAPS one or two)

Must say I wasn't really sure and have never used one before (Being bearded too), but I understand everything that is said about keeping them and think that this might be the way to go.

How easy it is to let something go and spend the rest of your miserable, trying to replace it.:rofl2:

Btw sorry, chaps - this is NOT a hoax.

Q. I have a couple of whetstones and strops - would I be able to bring these up to scratch (since they have been looked after by a pro) or am I better off sending them away?

---

Maybe...But just to be safe, I would pick what to you are the most good looking and send them to a restorer.

IMHO its not just a question of making them shave ready, but restoring their aesthetic allure as well. This may mean some work on the scales, along with the sharpness of the blades.

I have to half agree with BK - sorry buddy. Yes, these are all nice razors and I personally wouldn't let them go. But I disagree that you couldn't possibly get a good amount of money for them on eBay. I'm not saying this because of the condition, I'm saying it because some of these manufacturers seem to start feeding frenzies and people might get out of hand with their bids. You just might get more than you think for these, but it's not a guarantee.

Anyway, I still say keep 'em, clean them up and start shaving! You'll be kicking yourself if you don't.

On a side note, crop your photos in the future please.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

Q. I have a couple of whetstones and strops - would I be able to bring these up to scratch (since they have been looked after by a pro) or am I better off sending them away?

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You are probably better off sending them to a pro. :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by BingoBango

I have to half agree with BK - sorry buddy. Yes, these are all nice razors and I personally wouldn't let them go. But I disagree that you couldn't possibly get a good amount of money for them on eBay. I'm not saying this because of the condition, I'm saying it because some of these manufacturers seem to start feeding frenzies and people might get out of hand with their bids. You just might get more than you think for these, but it's not a guarantee.

Anyway, I still say keep 'em, clean them up and start shaving! You'll be kicking yourself if you don't.

On a side note, crop your photos in the future please.

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Yes. I am sorry about the photo size but I didn't realise till after uploading them to Photobucket and putting them on here and it was too much trouble to photograph them all again.

BUT, I will make sure to avoid in the future.

Is there an approx cost to refurbing or does it depend entirely on the condition?

Refurbishing does depend on the condition and on the skill of the restorer. Some of them can make them look better than new but it ain't cheap. On my own razors I generally take a tube of Semichrome and a paper towel to them and call them restored. :) Depends on how fussy you are. If it shaves good that is all I care about. YMMV.

I wonder if Simichrome is the same as Solvol Autosol?

Good deal on Simichrome at the mo, I see.

Amazon.com: Cleaner Simichrome Polish 50 Gram/1.76 oz: Everything Else

Lest than 5 Bucks (as you would say:)) a tube.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

Actually, the mark on the Puma disappeared after I sharpened it.

I expect all of the razors to have been repeatedly honed over the years but I cannot tell which are more honed than the others.
Are any of the examples shown VERY rare or just nice?

Thanks for all the replies so far BTW.

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rizla
I wouldn't too hasty in refurbishing any of your razors unless you are sure how to correctly get the job done without doing any damage that might be uncorrectable.

When you are ready to restore one of them, post any problems you see in the razor and someone will suggest the best way to proceed. You'll have plenty of help on this site. Proceed with caution.......

Quote:

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Originally Posted by rizla01

Well, There's the Kropp as requested but to me that isn't a touch on the Veldawerk shown below but then I am going by 'Pretty' rather than 'Practical' perhaps.

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That a great looking razor IMO. Really get to the Utilitarianism in me. Just a good old Sheffield razor. All the razors look great and if had the money would surely pick them up.

Hio Chaps, has anyone any guesses as to the age of this old leather wallet?

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...y1/wallet2.jpghttp://img.photobucket.com/albums/v2...g?t=1267137800