Thread: Straight razors are an endangered species

I'm currently on holiday in Australia visiting my family. But this is really just an excuse to hunt through antique stores looking for straight razors and anything else to do with shaving. Unfortuantly it seems that since last year, when I made a similar trip, straight razors have become an endangered species. It wasn't long ago when one could find one or two pairs of straight razors in most antique shops. But it seems that straight razors have been hunted almost to the brink of extinction. It looks like the days when one could walk into an antique store and walk out with a couple of good straight razors has long pasted.

There is obviously a problem with over hunting. The straight razor is a species that is highly vulnerable to over hunting. All it takes is one collector in an area to totally wipe out a population of straight razors in an antique store.

So far on my holiday I haven't found one straight razor amongst a group of antique stores that had last year yealded almost fifteen pairs of straights. It won't be long before the only place one can find straight razors will be in the zoo of ebay.

Boy you have that spot on. I used to see dozens in the antique stores and less than $30. Now If you even find one, they want over $60 and they are rust buckets and not the kind that can be restored.

I think I missed a cycle getting into this.

David

We call it a day late and a dollar short. They still turn up, just harder hunting. Persevere.

Yep, its like that here in London. Everything you find is either rusty or costs a million pounds. Or both!

Very frustrating sometimes!

I had a lucky strike and found a Boker for 20$. Got it polished up -with Lynn's help- and it sold for 140$. Best find yet -I would have kept it, but it was too small, 9/16-5/8- ...

Outside of that, I've found a Geneva with a big chunk out of the blade for 85$, a Dubl Duck Golden edge with a huge frown and a missign chunk at the top of that frown for 127$, a bunch of no-names from Solingen (tiny blades) for 50$ a piece, each rust coated, a W&B For 30 that I maaaay go back for... Need to re-check the edge, and a bunch of other chipped, cracked or chunked blades, none for under 40$.

It's depressing. Especially the Dubl Duck... I got my hopes up, seeing the scales, maybe I could haggle with him! Then I saw the blade. When I called the seller on it saying that was a ridiculous price, and that the blade was actually damaged he said, "It was made that way! The inward curve is very rare, it makes the neck and cheek easier!"

... Really? I mean... Come on... Really? :

Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

When I called the seller on it saying that was a ridiculous price, and that the blade was actually damaged he said, "It was made that way! The inward curve is very rare, it makes the neck and cheek easier!"

... Really? I mean... Come on... Really? :

LOL. Some will try anything to make a sale.

Same happening here. Slim pickings at local shops and the prices are going up. It will continue until it is of equal cost to purchase new razors instead of old junk. It's almost there now. Then the local stuff will return to realistic prices. Supply, demand and good sense regulates price.

What you describe is exactly my experience also. But far from endangered is the straight razor. There are vendors with access to large numbers of NOS razors. While not inexpensive, these razors don't have the problems so often encountered with antique shop razors and eBay.

It does require adjustment of the AD to quality rather then quantity, in other words I now purchase fewer, but better, razors. I also visit eBay much less often.

Snagged a 6/8 Geneva Pyramid #7 with no hone wear and minor surface rust (came right off) for $10 at the local secondhand store today.

But I do feel your pain!


*runs away*

I think what scares me is the number of blades I have seen go to 'restores' in the last few months. There are some people who get a wild hair and decide they can do the work, in spite of no prior experience or sense of tool work... and they ruin a lot of otherwise good razors. Sometimes they don't even realize they've done it...

We had an internet bubble, then a housing bubble. Why not a str8 razor bubble?

Rest assured that today's str8 razor bubble--like the Dutch "Tulip" bubble of the 17th century--will burst someday as well, bringing prices of vintage str8 razors back to earth.