Razors I saw today

So after spending a few hours on the internet reading up on razors I hit the antique malls today. I was pleasantly surprised to actually find quite a good selection out there! I made notes, although now that I look at them they are woefully incomplete. I would be interested in your feedback with regard to which of these razors might A) make a good starter blade, and B) make a good blade to collect or resell.

In spite of my lack of detail, most of these blades were in decent shape, minor wear, no major pitting that I could see, very minor nicks (or none at all).

[EDIT: I did not purchase any of these razors today, FYI)]

Torrey - "No. 900" on the blade itself
Geneva Cutlery - $20
Electric Cutlery - $25
Keen Cutter - $45
Ohio Cutlery - $18
Shumate - $36
the Saturday blade from a 7-day set (unsure of brand) - $30
E.M. Davis - $35
DublDuck - $50
Palm - Kirchner - $40
W.B. - Ivory (?) - labeled as 1890's - $60

Pics or it did not happen.

Aside from "we don't do apprasials" (and that is essentially what asking "Should I buy this blade for this price") it is impossible to say anything about a razor without seeing pictures or at least having a good description.

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Originally Posted by mainaman

Pics or it did not happen.

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I didn't even take good notes - why would you think I took pics? LOL For some reason I felt like taking pictures would alert the sellers and they would mark them all up on me. I guess that kinda sounds crazy now that I think about it. But yeah, no pics.

Welcome to SRP!
Never heard of the Ohio Cutlery one. Still, if you had these all honed up by an expert, you might not be able to tell the difference in shaving ability. On the other hand, as you probably know, the ducks have a following. I would probably go with the one that had the least hone wear, the least pitting, tight pins, and the most uniform bevel. Make sure it closes centered in the scales. A 5/8 to 6/8 blade would be a good bet too.

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Originally Posted by matt321

Welcome to SRP!
Never heard of the Ohio Cutlery one. Still, if you had these all honed up by an expert, you might not be able to tell the difference in shaving ability. On the other hand, as you probably know, the ducks have a following. I would probably go with the one that had the least hone wear, the least pitting, tight pins, and the most uniform bevel. Make sure it closes centered in the scales. A 5/8 to 6/8 blade would be a good bet too.

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I couldn't find much on Ohio Cutlery either. I was Googling everything on my iPhone while walking around.

Now I gotta go do more reading so I can figure out what these numbers mean....

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Originally Posted by dixonge

I didn't even take good notes - why would you think I took pics? LOL For some reason I felt like taking pictures would alert the sellers and they would mark them all up on me. I guess that kinda sounds crazy now that I think about it. But yeah, no pics.

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Without pics there is no way to tell if the razors are in good condition.

One of my best shavers came from an antique place. It is an unfamiliar brand but shaves like a champ!

Oh also, look carefully for chips and cracks in the blade.

The 5/8 - 6/8 thing refers to the blade width.

There was a Ohio cutlery Co. in Massilon, Ohio from 1919 to 1925 they weren't in business for very long. I like collecting razors from companies that have not been in business for very long, I would think it would be more collectible since there was not a long production on the razors from them. Just about any dubl duck model is going to be a good shaver and collectible. Torrey razors were in business from 1880 to 1963 they made some pretty good razors and a lot of them. There was two Electric cutlery co. One in business New Jersey from 1890 to 1910 and the other one in New York 1910 to 1920. Geneva cutlery co. we're in business from 1902 to 1935 and made good razors also. I can't find much information on the others. Everybody has their own way of buying and collecting, these razors that I have mentioned would be a good starter blade and the others maybe also just depends on what you want to collect and use. I would try to stay away from pitied and rusted blades unless you want to have somebody completely restore it to new condition which sometimes can cost quite a bit. I would suggest picking out the best condition / looking razors, ones that is not going to need a lot of work done to it maybe just honing and that's it. Good luck in your venture.

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Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Aside from "we don't do apprasials" (and that is essentially what asking "Should I buy this blade for this price") it is impossible to say anything about a razor without seeing pictures or at least having a good description.

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+1 on the money bit.

The only reason for me to buy a razor is that I would be
willing to shave with it. In fact do I want to shave with
it.

All in all good prices for sound steel i.e. if no nicks or cracks
and functional pins and scales. If you sold the DD
you should be able to cover shipping them to me...

I edited the first post to clarify - I did not actually purchase any of these razors today. I'm still looking and reading up.

I may revisit these malls over the next couple of days and pick up a couple, after a closer inspection.

I believe the Electric Cutlery had a stamped blade. It is the design that sticks in my head the most, might have to grab that one.

I also saw a wonderful Pakistani razor today, with "Two Golden Man" on the blade. Below that was an additional phrase with equally quirky English. It made me smile. I should get pics of that too.

When it comes to the collector value of razors, I can't help you. As far as their suitability for shavers, I think it fair to say that (1) if it is vintage, and (2) if the blade is in good shape as far as rust is concerned, it will shave well.

I just have not run into vintage blades that don't do the job. There might be differences between a Cadillac and a Chevy. But, they both get you from A to B just fine. That's what I am saying about vintage blades. There might be nuances of differences - how well it maintains an edge for example, but they all do well.

And, every one in your list, in my opinion, will perform quite well.

I personally have a soft spot for Wade and Butcher blades, and in my experience hunting them down and trying to buy them, I've seen them sold for a pretty penny, even when the condition is less then stellar. Add in the ivory scales, and assuming the blade is decent to good condition, I would say that's a good price.

Hope that helps

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Originally Posted by LarryAndro

When it comes to the collector value of razors, I can't help you. As far as their suitability for shavers, I think it fair to say that (1) if it is vintage, and (2) if the blade is in good shape as far as rust is concerned, it will shave well.

I just have not run into vintage blades that don't do the job. There might be differences between a Cadillac and a Chevy. But, they both get you from A to B just fine. That's what I am saying about vintage blades. There might be nuances of differences - how well it maintains an edge for example, but they all do well.

And, every one in your list, in my opinion, will perform quite well.

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Most of these I looked at were very sharp - VERY - which surprised me a bit.

I am very encouraged after looking at restoration pics on this site last night. It's amazing what those guys can do.

If they're all vintage then they're all probably suitable to start on, assuming they're in good shape. As was said, pictures are pretty much mandatory to properly assess the razors.

I've had great results with older U.S. razors and own several Shumates. I've also found that in my area, antique stores are quick to label materials as ivory or tortoise when in reality they're celluloid (French ivory), bone, or mottled (spotted) horn. Be cautious when paying a premium on antique razors because of their presumed material.

EDIT: Check out some of the razor clubs. There are several dedicated to Shumate, Torrey, Ducks and W&B:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor-clubs/

ok, I now have pics of the Electric, the Torrey and the Keen Cutter in a Flickr set:

razors - a set on Flickr

Click around and embiggen...

The Electric Cutlery had no pin on the end opposite the end where the razor is attached (I read the FAQ but forgot most of it already, can ya tell?) but instead of a pin and a wedge it is glued together, and not done well. I intended to get a pic of that part but evidently did not.

The Torrey is very nice, and priced at $85

The Keen Cutter has mother of pearl on the tang, and almost looks like it is too wide for the scales - they bulge and almost warp. Not sure if this was a frankenrazor or if it is supposed to look that way. $45

But I passed on all of those and bought the Geneva Cutlery. It's plain but seems to be in decent shape. And for $20 there is plenty of room for honing and shaving practice without breaking the bank. I will take some pics of it tonight. It is definitely a study in simplicity.

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Originally Posted by dixonge

ok, I now have pics of the Electric, the Torrey and the Keen Cutter in a Flickr set:

razors - a set on Flickr

Click around and embiggen...

The Electric Cutlery had no pin on the end opposite the end where the razor is attached (I read the FAQ but forgot most of it already, can ya tell?) but instead of a pin and a wedge it is glued together, and not done well. I intended to get a pic of that part but evidently did not.

The Torrey is very nice, and priced at $85

The Keen Cutter has mother of pearl on the tang, and almost looks like it is too wide for the scales - they bulge and almost warp. Not sure if this was a frankenrazor or if it is supposed to look that way. $45

But I passed on all of those and bought the Geneva Cutlery. It's plain but seems to be in decent shape. And for $20 there is plenty of room for honing and shaving practice without breaking the bank. I will take some pics of it tonight. It is definitely a study in simplicity.

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Well I'd pass on that Electric one. Might be the lighting but it looks like some good hone wear at the toe, and all sorts of scratches like someone took rough steel wool to it. There's a tiny chip and it appears that there might be a slight frown (again, could be the lighting).

Torreys are great razors but that seems a bit pricey for me.

Keen Kutter looks like it could be a good razor with some proper scales. Genevas are also good razors and if that's the only one you purchased, I'm sure it will serve you well. Simple razors are great candidates for fancy scales. :)

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Originally Posted by commiecat

Well I'd pass on that Electric one. Might be the lighting but it looks like some good hone wear at the toe, and all sorts of scratches like someone took rough steel wool to it. There's a tiny chip and it appears that there might be a slight frown (again, could be the lighting).

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I like their logo, and I like engraving on the blade - just aesthetically. But yeah, not as good as I was remembering...

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Originally Posted by commiecat

Genevas are also good razors and if that's the only one you purchased, I'm sure it will serve you well. Simple razors are great candidates for fancy scales. :)

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It has plain black scales, not sure of the material.

One thing is for sure.... It is FUN hunting for razors "in the wild"!
One of my best ever shavers is an Abercrombie & Fitch 5/8 plain black scales Made in Germany blade that I bought for 20 bucks at an antique store this past Christmas Eve day 2009. Simple blade, non-descript, unassuming.... But a delight to use. Have fun hunting!

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Originally Posted by dixonge

which of these razors might A) make a good starter blade, and B) make a good blade to collect or resell.

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(A) None of them. Get a razor that you know and don't have to guess about. Which, since you have no experience, means you have to get it honed and tested by somebody you trust (concentrate on finding such person).
(B) None of them - again you have zero experience and that is critical for figuring both. If you want to collect, get some books and look at collections and figure out what you want to collect and why. If you want to resell, get at least a year of experience with razors, then you'll start having better idea what is what, and why.

If you are thinking about shaving with a straight razor and concerned about budget and or price (which I would guess by your OP) I agree with Gugi. Tackle one hurdle at a time and start with a good razor that is professionally honed and not from someone on eBay as the possibilities of getting stuck are high. As a newbie start by shopping at SRD, Classic Shaving and Vintage Blades for new razors or the classified section here for vintage and the like. These vintage blades have been around a while, longer than I have been alive, and they will be around for a while more. Study up, ask questions, have fun! Don't rush it and your chances of getting burned will be greatly reduced.

Good luck

He's looking at vintage blades by quality manufacturers in an antique store. I don't see anything wrong with that and, personally, would encourage this type of post. It's certainly a better alternative to the various posts in which people ask our advice after having bought some do-not-buy razor on eBay.

Assuming there are no major steel issues, I'd say that the Geneva was a good purchase for a starter. Even after sending it out for honing, or possibly full restoration, the total cost won't break the bank.

Now asking about which are collectible or would be worth reselling is sketchy at best, but I think it's good for new users to ask our opinions about antique razors to start with.

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Originally Posted by commiecat

He's looking at vintage blades by quality manufacturers in an antique store. I don't see anything wrong with that and, personally, would encourage this type of post. It's certainly a better alternative to the various posts in which people ask our advice after having bought some do-not-buy razor on eBay.

Assuming there are no major steel issues, I'd say that the Geneva was a good purchase for a starter. Even after sending it out for honing, or possibly full restoration, the total cost won't break the bank.

Now asking about which are collectible or would be worth reselling is sketchy at best, but I think it's good for new users to ask our opinions about antique razors to start with.

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+1
The total cost won't break the bank.

dixonge,

First check out the SRP wiki--especially the section on acceptable razor brands. I think you'll find several of the brands you mentioned in the wiki's list. From your list I would have to say that a number of the brands stand out as excellent quality shavers such as Torrey, Dubl Duck, Shumate, and Geneva.

Second, examine the SRP "Classifieds." There may very well be the same brand and type of razor in the Classifieds that you saw in that antique store.

Third, checkout the SRP SOTD. Any number of razor brands that are in your list are displayed there. The pics may give you some idea of what a particular vintage razor will look like as new old stock (NOS) or after it has been restored.

Just my 2 cents of advice. Take it for what its worth.

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Originally Posted by jhenry

dixonge,

First check out the SRP wiki--especially the section on acceptable razor brands. I think you'll find several of the brands you mentioned in the wiki's list. From your list I would have to say that a number of the brands stand out as excellent quality shavers such as Torrey, Dubl Duck, Shumate, and Geneva.

Second, examine the SRP "Classifieds." There may very well be the same brand and type of razor in the Classifieds that you saw in that antique store.

Third, checkout the SRP SOTD. Any number of razor brands that are in your list are displayed there. The pics may give you some idea of what a particular vintage razor will look like as new old stock (NOS) or after it has been restored.

Just my 2 cents of advice. Take it for what its worth.

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I have been doing all of the above since I signed up. I'm planning on having someone hone my Geneva. I've got some whetstones from when I thought I was going to hone my own kitchen knives, but based on how that went I'm hesitant to be the first one to touch my razor.

I actually shaved a few small test spots today. I'm not quite due for a shave, so there's not much to work with, but I tested spots on my cheek, neck and head. I used a very low angle and went with the grain, mainly just seeing how it felt, testing my grip, etc. It actually felt quite natural. I can actually picture myself shaving with it, which is good since all my wife can picture is scenes from that movie which shall not be named. LOL

I think I'll try a spot or two with shaving lotion in a day or two. The blade seems very sharp, but I'm not sure how well it was honed, or how long it has been. OH! Pictures. I should do that now...

I'm from the school of learning from your mistakes. That being said, if you did buy the whole lot of razors, and none where worth a thing, and only one turned out to be a good shaver, you have paid a small price for a valuable lesson.

I have a thing for buying razors, and thus far have gotten pretty lucky. None of them are all that nice looking, but they all shave well, which is my biggest concern. The advice you've been given is all good, but at some point, we all get suckered into a less then savory purchase. IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE!!!

That Torrey looked sweet, until I saw the price. Interested in seeing the Geneva. I've got a 4/8 Geneca and it's a lot of fun. You might want to go back and take photos of the others. The Shumate, W&B and DD sound good. If you haven't done so yet, make the guy an offer! For all you know he'll go for it and you can get a few bucks off. Or a package deal...

Also, I agree with Commie about looking for vintage finds this way. Sure, Ebay isn't a great way to shop for razors without knowing what to look for, but if you can look at a razor in person and post some photos here, I don't see why you wouldn't go this route. Plus, it looks like dixonge stumbled across a little treasure trove of Sheffields. I'd haggle with the guy though, but that's the New Yorker in me.

Here ya go

Picasa Web Albums - dixonge - Geneva Razor

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_ZwjHhvaHUdo/S5...0/P1050554.JPG

Yuck, the hone wear looks really bad. Somebody had no idea what they were doing, or the razor didn't perform very well to warrant such abuse.
Hopefully it can be saved and used.

Oh bummer. That Geneva is too worn down to bother with.

Yeah, that is a good amount of hone wear. She won't be the prettiest razor but I think it can be corrected by our pros (hopefully) to be used as a shaver. Send it out and see what they say; worst case is you have a razor to practice restoration and a good set of scales. I wouldn't use that blade to practice my honing on, though.

Here's a thread explaining hone wear with some images. Basically we're looking at the giant flat spot on the side of the spine and how it progressively gets larger from heel to toe:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...hone-wear.html

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Originally Posted by commiecat

Yeah, that is a good amount of hone wear. She won't be the prettiest razor but I think it can be corrected by our pros (hopefully) to be used as a shaver. Send it out and see what they say; worst case is you have a razor to practice restoration and a good set of scales. I wouldn't use that blade to practice my honing on, though.

Here's a thread explaining hone wear with some images. Basically we're looking at the giant flat spot on the side of the spine and how it progressively gets larger from heel to toe:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/begin...hone-wear.html

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aha! I think I might be getting it now.

I also think that I detect a slight difference of opinion in the membership as to what constitutes an acceptable level of hone wear. I'm going to side with commiecat at this point, since A) I already bought the damned thing, and B) it's a first shaver, and definitely not for collecting purposes.

I'll definitely send this out for an expert opinion. Now if I can just pick an expert....

P.S. Thanks for that link! Very helpful

Now that I've done some more reading, I thought I would see if I'm actually understanding what I'm seeing. Does this represent a fair assessment of the problems with this blade?

http://content.screencast.com/users/...03-09_1009.png

A couple of additional thoughts:

1 - it is highly probable that this thread should be in a 'beginner's' area, in case a Moderator is lingering...

2 - My dad thinks he has a straight razor somewhere that used to belong to my grandfather. I'm cautiously anticipating this discovery...

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Originally Posted by dixonge

aha! I think I might be getting it now.

I also think that I detect a slight difference of opinion in the membership as to what constitutes an acceptable level of hone wear. I'm going to side with commiecat at this point, since A) I already bought the damned thing, and B) it's a first shaver, and definitely not for collecting purposes.

I'll definitely send this out for an expert opinion. Now if I can just pick an expert....

P.S. Thanks for that link! Very helpful

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You can see that whoever used the razor previously put more emphasis on the toe when honing, so the razor lost more steel from both the spine (wider flat spot) and the edge, which is now sloped almost like a smile.

I think that someone can fix it so that it'll shave. Check out the member services area and send a few PMs with pictures attached and you should have a few estimates. As to who to select, you can view various members' work in the gallery, or just go with someone geographically close to you.

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Originally Posted by commiecat

You can see that whoever used the razor previously put more emphasis on the toe when honing, so the razor lost more steel from both the spine (wider flat spot) and the edge, which is now sloped almost like a smile.

I think that someone can fix it so that it'll shave. Check out the member services area and send a few PMs with pictures attached and you should have a few estimates. As to who to select, you can view various members' work in the gallery, or just go with someone geographically close to you.

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Thank you - and done!

wow, very instructive topic! thanks to all contributors.

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Originally Posted by mainaman

Pics or it did not happen.

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Now that's what I said to Trump,