I recognized the design from a razor book, which IDs it as "possibly Chinese in origin" from the 1700s or earlier. However, web references suggest this type of razor may be Colonial.
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I recognized the design from a razor book, which IDs it as "possibly Chinese in origin" from the 1700s or earlier. However, web references suggest this type of razor may be Colonial.
Oh yeah, and the pin looks like a square nail, if that helps date it.
A) period: September 17, 2009 about 3:12PMQuote:
Originally Posted by QuinnFlint
region: Halfway between Chengdu and Deyang on the eastern slope of a small hill
B) Both markings and corrosion. The markings translate to Genuine Original George Washington eBay Razor
C) It is a proprietary titanium alloy known only to two Buddhist monks who own and operate the Zeepk and Krieger razor companies. Each of them only knows half of the formula in order to prevent either from attaining total world domination. (You just can't trust a Buddhist monk.)
You should not attempt to clean such a valuable antique. The natural patina, that was attained through weeks of exposure to wet dirt, represents a large part of the value of that razor. The rust is the most valuable part of that razor.
Ouch. Yeah, just found the previous threads (I promise--I did search for previous threads before posting, just didn't put in the right keywords). So, chalk up another naive post to my growing body of asinine SRP behavior. At least I paid what it's worth--about 5 bucks.
Thanks for the reply. Harsh, but thanks.
As Utopian said, it's fake, and it's mostly junk... However they do make some really fun throwing knives!
I'm sorry, maybe that was too harsh. I started another thread about these razors a couple years ago.
I have no doubt that such razors did and do exist. I'm no expert and perhaps yours may be one of the genuine ones, but the number of them that show up on eBay and flea markets makes it clear that some people are banging out a lot of fakes.
That was one fun thread!Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
No worries: harsh, but also kind of hilarious...and certainly well-earned. I'm sure it won't deter me from future ridiculousness! :fim:
There was one in a large lot I won on Ebite, it's a rough joke of a copy if I ever saw one. It's currently weighing down a junk box...
I had a friend who kept a plaque in his office that read "No man is a complete failure, he can always serve as a bad example for others."
Quinnflint, in that spirit, would you please put back at least one of your razor photos?
Unless you spent a lot of time looking at razors on eBay :w, there was no way that you would have any reason to believe that razor was a fake. Yours may be one of the real ones for all I know. Real or otherwise, the forum is better off with your photo and your presence, so I hope both will return soon.
I always say that you can learn something from anyone, even if it what not to do.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
Okay, here it is. Moral of the story: these things are fakes, so don't buy them. However, if one happens to pop up on eBay in the next few days, that one is *definitely* authentic, and includes genuine stubble folicules from the beard of Genghis Khan, which can be DNA-verified by the seller upon request. Bid high! :):)Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
(Don't worry, U, not going anywhere--too much good stuff in these forums.)
no, man, that first response response cracked me up.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
The sad thing is that you are almost guaranteed to make more than your five dollars back on it, especially if you push the fact that you bought it in New England and speculate that it is a Colonial razor. (Genghis Khan had a huge role in the Revolutionary War but Washington had a better publicist.)Quote:
Originally Posted by QuinnFlint
I'm glad I didn't run you off.
P.S.: not putting this thing on eBay--even with an honest description, my conscience couldn't bear putting another one of these into the market. I like the throwing knife idea--seems like a much better use for it (although there's a significant chance my wife disagree).
Maybe these things really are rare ... maybe there's only one, like the solitary fruitcake that's been passed around for 85 years. Maybe it's like a game of tag; you buy it -- you have to complete the karma by selling it. Or maybe someone wins a bet if the same rusty object gets sold more than 800 times or starts more than 800 forum threads.
I don't see any reason not to put it on eBay as long as you are honest and declare that you do not believe it to be a genuine antique. There are several people selling these things on eBay and there is also a knife seller, I cannot recall the website, that sells them as Chinese Razors. As long as you are honest about it, there's no harm. Someone may still want it as a decoration.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuinnFlint
Edit: I found the website, it's Smokey Mountain Knife Works.
True...but I do sell an actual, authentic, good razor on eBay occasionally, and I know if I saw one of these ancient mystical chinese colonials in a seller's history, my maximum bid on any of his items would decrease dramatically....
Yep. That is true as far as I am concerned. These days I am more window shopping on ebay than anything else and if I see a selling pushing junk I avoid all of their listings.Quote:
Originally Posted by QuinnFlint
The sad thing is the guy who regularly sells those razors also sells a lot of other "antiques" that clearly are not. Without any particular expertise in these things, I think it's pretty obvious that if he is selling the same antiques in a regular three week rotation, that they are not real. He just banks on a regular crop of fresh suckers to come along and apparently his strategy is working.
Yeah, I saw one listed as a "priceless personal item." Wonder if there's a definitive way to show it's a replica. I guess the type of metal used would be telling... It'd be nice to shut down a seller of fraudulent antiques, or at least be a pain in his a**.
Well, as I said before, if you look in his feedback history, you will see what he sold. He has regular rotations of the same "antiques" every few weeks. "Antiques" do not come in an infinite supply so simple common sense indicates this stuff to be fake. I presented that argument to eBay. I suggest you do the same. Also, you can provide a link to Smokey Mountain Knives showing their "Antique Chinese Razors."
By the way, your signature disclaimer is great!
Thanks, I felt it was called-for.Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
And yeah, folks should let eBay know. It looks like he makes no effort at all to cover himself (even a line with something like "this is believed to be colonial/chinese/etc." would be sneaky, but sufficient) I'm pretty sure that kind of deliberate false representation of merchandise is a violation of at least one Federal consumer protection law.