Do you own any razors and related items you consider PRICELESS?

I'm not really asking if you own any razors or related items that would be widely regarding as being so valuable that a price would literally be difficult to be placed on them.

Rather, I'm asking if you have any razors, hones, stones, etc that you personally find so valuable that you'd never part with them? Maybe such an item wouldn't be worth much to others but it is to you.

I thought about this recently. I've come to the conclusion that I'm a shameful collector in the literal sense because even though I do have some razors and stones I'm fond of and are "rare" or in excellent condition, I've concluded that everything I own razor related, theoretically, has a price I'd sell them for; sure, the price may be significant on some pieces, but a price nonetheless.

Maybe it's more of a philosophical thing. Knowing myself I'm very cautious about how I feel about the things I collect or own. I don't want to be all Gollum about them.:)

Here's a thought provoking question that may help get things started:

If your entire collection, all razors, stones, hones, strops, mugs, brushes, scuttles, etc were completely destroyed in a fire, would you be devastated? Would you even be a changed person on some level? Or, would you certainly be disappointed, but ultimately come to terms with it rather quickly, shrug it off with a, m'eh and move on?

I'd like to hear others thoughts on this.

Chris L

I only have 2 items that are on my "no sell" list. My grandfathers mug and brush.

Everything else goes to the highest bidder if I need some cash :)


Your question about a fire... Yes i would probably be mega ****ed.

I have a few stones that I would never sell.
I do not find myself a collector, I only have the stones I need and a few razors that I rally like.
As far as loosing everything, I'd get over it, it's items only after all.

My ex wife used to say that I cared more about things than people. There is something to that. Some of the stuff I have I will probably die with. OTOH, things change and nothing is carved in stone .... not even in an Escher yellow/green. If I lost it all I would be hurting but I would begin again for whatever time is left to this old guy. First person I would call would be Chris.... to get a price list. :D

I spent much time collecting many of the DDs I have and a few of them I had never seen before or since so if those disappeared yea I'd be upset. Probably a couple of hones, the larger coticule which is difficult to get now and my vintage escher and my Japanese finisher which came from Iwasaki's private quarry.

I have 6 razors that belonged to my Great-Grandfather - they are on my never sell list.

My first DOVO Special would be a last resort sell, just for sentimental reasons

I think I would part with pretty much anything else.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

My ex wife used to say that I cared more about things than people. There is something to that. Some of the stuff I have I will probably die with. OTOH, things change and nothing is carved in stone .... not even in an Escher yellow/green. If I lost it all I would be hurting but I would begin again for whatever time is left to this old guy. First person I would call would be Chris.... to get a price list. :D

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I'd set you up, Jimmy. And, I'd combine shipping for ya.;)

Chris L

the first razor i found in a antique shop i treasure not because its worth loads, but it was ny first find.

The only thing that I would consider truly priceless
http://straightrazorpalace.com/membe...about-1910.jpg
is my Granddad's shaving mug.

I'd not sell any of my hones, especially the naturals. Basically I love the naturals, and I need them all to hone with, so I wouldnt want to get rid of any of them. But I'd sell the synthetics before any of the naturals!

Theres only a few of the razors I have that I'd want to sell, but I got them knowing that I'd probably sell them at some point. I largely buy razors because I like the look of them, but there are a few I got to try out the brand name, or as fixer upper projects so I dont have the same attachment to them..!

Basically out of everything I own thats shaving related, I'd probably only sell about three or four razors..! Hehe!

I try and tell myself that everything is for sale at the right price...
Then I turn down offers that I would have thought I would have sold for...

I am an idiot sometimes :hmmm:

In regards to the fire question, only my Fathers old scuttle is irreplaceable...

Most pieces and persons have their prices and priorities. Push coming to shove, I'd probably sell everything except one set, which I'd use to continue to shave and maintain. I don't have any heirlooms though.

Heirlooms aside, I think most would do the same if things were really hurting in the Maslow triangle.

Fire? I probably would be pretty miffed about other more important things. But life goes on.

There is nothing I own that I would not sell in a heartbeat if I needed to.

What I do consider priceless is what I have learned from the razors and stones that I have, and have had. What razors I like, what size, what grind, how to hone them to the best they can be, and of course, how to use them properly.

Right now, I could lose it all, and know what 2-3 razors to get, and be happy.

Well, pretty much all the razors I buy are on the no sell list, unless I bought them specifically TO sell... I don't really collect unless it's collecting to keep.

That being said, the one razor I would never part with, and would be absolutely furious if anythign happened to came from my girlfriend's father... It's a WorldMaster 194, it belonged to her father's uncle (if I remember correctly). He gave it to me just after I had been going out with her for a year... For that first year he had been cold and, frankly, terrifying... After that one year mark, and after he gave me the razor, he's been very nice, and we've become friends...


Weird, Huh? But that's the one razor I'd never let go of, just because of the turning point it marks, and how wonderful of a gift that was.

Even if it's getting rescaled by Max later this summer :p

I have a Dubl Duck Wonderedge that I received from my Mother for Christmas about 30 years ago.
She ran a country store and there was an old Barber who came by every week, he was in his 70's and an active barber.
One day I was visiting my mother and she said that Ted the Barber was going to retire and close down his shop. I casually mentioned for her to ask him if he had a good straight razor for sale. This was in the fall of the year and I forgot about it.
That Christmas we were sitting around after dinner and Mother handed me a small box wrapped in red and green paper.
I opened it up and there was the Wonderedge. She had bought the razor from Ted and he told her to tell me that he had "tuned it up" and it was a good shaver. I had not idea what it was worth and ask Mother what she had to give for the razor and she said $18.00. The only other razor I have ever used that will come close to the performance of this razor is a Filarmonica EPBD.
I also have a wooden bowl that my grandfather received as a gift in 1946 from my aunt. It had a sticker on the bottom of the bowl that said D. R. Harris, England. Shaving soap came in it.
These two items are a link to my Mother and Grandfather. They are valuable to me.

Why yes, yes I have some of those things with which I won't part. I just don't remember where I put them, but of course, that makes it all the harder to part with them even if the priceless were to acquire prices.

Looks like it's going to be a long climb.

:boohoo:

I have my grandfathers Swede, so it is maybe closest to priceless, but after all it is just an excellent shaver and that's all about it.
Most items have their prices. I think there is no single thing i own i wouldn't sell if things went that way and if the price was right.
And what it comes to fire they are just items after all. Of course i would be dissapointed but sooner or later i would pick myself (at least :D) 2 or 3 razors and kept on going.

Now, I'll preface my remarks by stating that I have no plans, or even thoughts of turning over any of my razors, but the only one I would find to be irreplaceable would be the NOS Hyashi Diamond 8000.
I received it at a great price through the kindness of a fine gentleman, so to me at least, that razor cannot be replaced.... And I care for it as such.

http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/b...t/IMG_3063.jpg

This one:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ent-my-dd.html

After all the hemming and hawing over what to do, I realized why I needed to keep it in my rotation. Yesterday was a long hot day, hosting a horde of 9 year olds at my daughters birthday party, then cleaning up afterwards. I was beat. I decided I need to relax and have the perfect shave to end my day in a relaxing way. The Goldenedge did not let me down.

Goog

My Heljestrand 31 is the only definite NO SALE in my collection because it was the razor that cut me worse than I've ever been cut before. It taught me valuable lessons. May sound funny, but it earned my deep respect so I can never sell it. It's priceless.

My Heirloom pieces are mine till I hand them to the next family member, Most of the other stuff is stuff in the long run. As a few mentioned above... Being a Colect-aholic I have tons of items stashed away and a catastrophic loss would be wrenching and more than a little distabalizing, but if my family was intact I'd get over it and start all over again :)

I have a few items that I would need a pretty substantial offer to consider selling, but I don't have anything that would be an absolute no-sell.

Well, if it's my life or my stuff, I'll save my life.... but I'll still be very unhappy.

I have a bunch that I have no intention of ever letting go.

While I like to consider myself a user, as I look at the accumulation I have to confess to being a user/collector. While my stash is no where as large as some, still under 50 razors, they are a culled group.

The only four items that I would never part with for cash are my great grandfather's strops, razor (rescaled by Max because the originals were cracked), and Pike barber hone, and my father's brush.

While I don't use any of them with regularity, they are family. Next would be the Livi Takda, but even that does not rise to the level of the others as they are irreplaceable.

My grandfather was a barber and I have now ended up with his last razor. It is a Dubl Duck Goldedge in really nice condition. I wouldn't part with it for anything and might even consider running into a fire in hopes of retrieving it.

I have some stuff that is worthless... ;)

To answer the question: no.
I have some stuff I'd hold on to as long as I don't need the money, like my nakayama and other hones. But I'd sell them as soon as I needed the money badly.

It may seem weird but I am not attached to my earthly possessions. They're just stuff. The only things I'd consider important are my wife and kids. All the rest can burn down with the house. Sure I'd regret losing some stuff, but in the end it's just stuff. I take good care of my tools and treat them with respect, but there is no emotional anchor attached to them.

This is something I learned from my mother and grandmother. My grandmother and father were beyond 'well to do' before WW2. She couldn't accept that they were eating real food while next door neighbors ate grass (literally). After WW2, most of what they had was gone because my grandmother shared / sold off whatever they had to help people survive. There's many a family in my home village alive today because of what she did.

So my mother, and afterward me and my siblings, grew up with the philosophy that stuff is just stuff. Care for it and respect it, but it's still just stuff.

I don't have any heirlooms nor do I have family to hand "stuff" down to so basically its pretty much all replaceable if I sell it. I wouldn't sell my new Iwasaki because its new but I've learnt to never say never :)

I had an 8/8 Breidora that I thought I would never sell. O, cursed poverty. Most beautiful razor I ever owned, and shaved like a dream.

[IMG]file:///Users/preston/Desktop/Breidora.JPG[/IMG]

The only shaving item I have that's priceless is my Grandfather's shaving mug.

http://i558.photobucket.com/albums/s...y/100_2092.jpg

I was named after him and I have the note that my Grandmother wrote to my Father in 1994 when she was passing it down to her Grandsons. She bought it for him in 1927 or 28 here in Wichita Falls.

Everything else is just stuff that would be fun to replace (I'd get to enjoy the hunt, again). My Wife went through the tornado in 1979 and lost everything but her family so we USE everything we have, no mater how valuable because it can be taken away in an instant.

Zacsdaddy

Personally, I'm still looking for that "priceless" item... but some of my natural stones come close.

the Acquisition Disorder marches on! :)

Absolutely none. Not least because none of the items of equipment I own are irreplacable, not least because none of them are heirlooms.

For me, it really is that simple. Most razors are like any other in terms of performance. Yes, my Otto Deutsch "Hans" is a looker (and the only razor the wife will let me put on display), but even that one could be reasonably easily replaced.

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Originally Posted by Bruno

I have some stuff that is worthless... ;)

To answer the question: no.
I have some stuff I'd hold on to as long as I don't need the money, like my nakayama and other hones. But I'd sell them as soon as I needed the money badly.

It may seem weird but I am not attached to my earthly possessions. They're just stuff. The only things I'd consider important are my wife and kids. All the rest can burn down with the house. Sure I'd regret losing some stuff, but in the end it's just stuff. I take good care of my tools and treat them with respect, but there is no emotional anchor attached to them.

This is something I learned from my mother and grandmother. My grandmother and father were beyond 'well to do' before WW2. She couldn't accept that they were eating real food while next door neighbors ate grass (literally). After WW2, most of what they had was gone because my grandmother shared / sold off whatever they had to help people survive. There's many a family in my home village alive today because of what she did.

So my mother, and afterward me and my siblings, grew up with the philosophy that stuff is just stuff. Care for it and respect it, but it's still just stuff.

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Bruno, a great and selfless act by your grandparents. The human spirit cannot be suppressed.

The stuff I have that I consider to be priceless are heirloom pieces.
Pretty much all the necessary items. I've got my great grandfathers hone, a natural combo coti; his vintage strop, linen + horsehide and two of his razors where one of these belonged to his father so my great great grandfather.
It's basically the only stuff I have atm. I feel like I don't need anything else (besides a brush and some cream ;p), I feel so fortunate to have this in my possession.

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Originally Posted by jasp

The stuff I have that I consider to be priceless are heirloom pieces.
Pretty much all the necessary items. I've got my great grandfathers hone, a natural combo coti; his vintage strop, linen + horsehide and two of his razors where one of these belonged to his father so my great great grandfather.
It's basically the only stuff I have atm. I feel like I don't need anything else (besides a brush and some cream ;p), I feel so fortunate to have this in my possession.

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Wow! Really? Your Great Great Grandfather? That is just so cool. What is his date range?

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Originally Posted by Alembic

Wow! Really? Your Great Great Grandfather? That is just so cool. What is his date range?

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being a young fella myself, it could date back to around the late 19th century, however I have no idea to when he actually got this particular razor I have in my possession

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Originally Posted by joke1176

Personally, I'm still looking for that "priceless" item... but some of my natural stones come close.

the Acquisition Disorder marches on! :)

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+1 I've only been at it for about eight months now so, while I have some razors, hones, etc. that I like more than others, I haven't yet come across any one particular item I'd never sell or be devastated to lose.

So far, the thing I treasure above all others is the experience - which can go anywhere with me, can never be sold (but can be passed on), and can't be taken away.

As for losing all my shaving gear (fire, natural disaster, theft, etc.) - I think I would be more upset over not being able to shave for lack of any gear more than I would over any one particular item having been lost.

I actually did lose everything in a fire not too long ago...the moving company's van had misadjusted brakes and the pad caught fire somewhere in Idaho. Up until then, I'd come down on the side of yes, I'd be upset at losing everything. But after having gone through it, I've found that for the most part, it is just stuff...and it's actually fairly fun, in a perverse way, to start over and have the knowledge you've built up acquiring everything, and getting what you really want the second time around. The only exception to that are the heirlooms and one-of-a-kinds...those are tough. Everything else though, game on!

I have only 1 str8 that is not up for sale. My dad gave me my gradpa's razor after he had died. Couldn't sell or ever replace it if I lost it. other than that all can be replaced.

I have four special razors that were sent to me for testing by Thiers-Issard. I love 'em and I'll never part with 'em. :) As regards the other 90 to 100 straight razors floating around this house, well, you never know.