Thread: The workmanlike razors

I'm interested in the myriad of straight razors... The Gencos, Krusius', Gabels, and scores of other brands... Not to mention the houses that supplied barbers of the day and had they're own names applied to razors made under contract in Germany and elsewhere.
Who were the intended recipients of these, what I call "workmanlike"
razors? I assume that the intended market was professional barbers and not the average individual for his own personal use.

Does anyone know this to be the case, or am I way off base here? And, are there any sources for the history of these razors to answer these questions?

I don't think you can assume that they were intended for barbers, specifically. There are references in the old barbers manuals about learning to give a superior shave because it was becoming prevalent for the common man to shave himself. Add to that the fact that you could buy a razor at the local hardware store, and I think you have a huge market. Half the population of the world owned a straight razor.

If anything, the high end razors may have been intended for the barbers, as in the ones labeled "For Barbers Use." Think of it this way, in just about everyone's kitchen there is at least one chef's knife. The serious cooks and the professional chefs buy the top of the line knives and all of the hones needed to maintain them. Everyone else buys what they can find at the local department store, frequently, a no name brand.

Goog

Actually most barbershops bought their razors from to the trade vendors who often times had salesmen who went from shop to shop peddling all the products needed to run a barber shop in those days. Most barbers went for plain jane razors which were easy to care for and maintain. They bough good quality stuff but not top of the line.