Thread: Does anyone know Anything about this Razor??

Hello Im new here I have collected a few straights in the past and I resently just found this one at a antique store. I looked around on google and I cant find anything on it so I took some pics and all for you maybe someone can help me find out info on it.

On it it says " SAM'S SPECIAL " and on the other side It says " Made In Germany For S. Rosenfeld "

It was my understanding that blades made in Germany were very good. So Im wondering if its worth fixing up.

Thank you all for your help and sorry about the crappy phone pics.

I would like to see a pic of the whole blade, there seems to be a HUGE rust spot there, I would like to see how bad that spot is, especially if it is into the edge. If it is German, it is probably gute!

Sure thing here is some of the rust spot. Looks like it can be saved. Its not to thick towards the edge of the blade it starts to thin out on the surface atleast

That would be worth it to me if I did it. Not to send out. There is a fair amount of spine wear so I would polish it with Maas or something like that and hone it. Beyond that I wouldn't go. TBH, I don't buy them in that condition anymore.

Your razor was no doubt made by an unknown manufacturer for the S. Rosenfeld firm which may have been a hardware dealer, an importer, a barber supply service or any company that retailed straight razors in the last century. Being "Made in Germany" is not a guarantee of quality however. There were many German manufacturers whose products were cheaply made. Razors that are marked "Made in Solingen, Germany" enjoy a great reputation because there were strict guidelines that had to be met before they could be stamped with the Solingen mark. That's not to say every razor "Made in Germany" is of poor quality, just that there is no certainty in the brand.

Regards - Walt

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

That would be worth it to me if I did it. Not to send out. There is a fair amount of spine wear so I would polish it with Maas or something like that and hone it. Beyond that I wouldn't go. TBH, I don't buy them in that condition anymore.

Sorry for not understanding fully but it would or wouldn't be worth fixing up? I mean I think I would atleast like to get the rust taken care of I have a morley & sons I might use for shaving.

Originally Posted by Walt

Your razor was no doubt made by an unknown manufacturer for the S. Rosenfeld firm which may have been a hardware dealer, an importer, a barber supply service or any company that retailed straight razors in the last century. Being "Made in Germany" is not a guarantee of quality however. There were many German manufacturers whose products were cheaply made. Razors that are marked "Made in Solingen, Germany" enjoy a great reputation because there were strict guidelines that had to be met before they could be stamped with the Solingen mark. That's not to say every razor "Made in Germany" is of poor quality, just that there is no certainty in the brand.

Regards - Walt

Okay great! That helps me understand abit more than I knew about the whole made in Germany thing. Makes since that it would have been made for a small company or something thus is why I cant find any info on it anywhere. Thank you guys!

Originally Posted by IrishWolf

Hello Im new here I have collected a few straights in the past and I resently just found this one at a antique store. I looked around on google and I cant find anything on it so I took some pics and all for you maybe someone can help me find out info on it.

On it it says " SAM'S SPECIAL " and on the other side It says " Made In Germany For S. Rosenfeld "

It was my understanding that blades made in Germany were very good. So Im wondering if its worth fixing up.

Thank you all for your help and sorry about the crappy phone pics.

It is worth testing.
By testing I mean tidy it up with some 2000 wet dry 3M paper,
MAAS and a tooth brush or what ever to remove the worst of
the obvious crud. Mostly this is just for sanitary reasons and
to make evaluation of the blade easy.

Then hone it up and give it a shave test.
This will tell you if there is any pitting that gets
in the way of honing and using. It may take
a couple hone+ shave test cycles to understand
how good it is or is not.

If it shaves well you can decide on the next step.
The next step can include a more intensive sanding
and polish perhaps a visit to vibrating polisher or
a bank of buffers with new scales. Some you can
do yourself some you can contract...

Reading the previous replies from folk that know you
could have a good blade or perhaps an exceptional one.
The odds do not mater because it is your face/ shave test
that is the final judge.