Thread: Not sure if I should buy

Hey guys, I went to an antique store yesterday to look around for some str8s. Only found one in a store here in town. It had "Schatt & Morgan, Titusville PA" stamped on the tang. The store had it listed for $48. I know I will have to get it honed and restored some. It didn't seem to be to too bad of shape but I could tell it needs some work.

Has anyone heard of this brand / company before? Is the razor any good / good price? How much would it cost to get restored?

Thanks,
-amt

Originally Posted by amt

Hey guys, I went to an antique store yesterday to look around for some str8s. Only found one in a store here in town. It had "Schatt & Morgan, Titusville PA" stamped on the tang. The store had it listed for $48. I know I will have to get it honed and restored some. It didn't seem to be to too bad of shape but I could tell it needs some work.

Has anyone heard of this brand / company before? Is the razor any good / good price? How much would it cost to get restored?

Thanks,
-amt

You nearly Schatt yourself!

Only you can say really. I've had no experience of that razor. Bear in mind though, if you keep an eye on the classifieds, you can pick up a vintage razor that's had all the work done already, for not much more and certainly less than the buying price plus restoration work. Just a thought that I hope is helpful.

I've not heard of the brand. I don't think I would pay that much money for vintage razor that I'd never heard of and new would take some work unless there was just something about it that I had to have (intriguing etching, nice scales, etc.). Especially when, as already mentioned, you could pay about the same amount of money for the same type of product right here in the classifieds, except you won't have to worry about honing and restoration. This is, of course, merely what I would do in your shoes, what you do with this opinion is your choice.

Either way, I hope you enjoy your decision!

EDIT: You MAY be able to haggle the price down. It all depends on how much you are willing to pay though.

They are an old time knife maker and very well known. I didn't know they made straights.

Originally Posted by amt

Hey guys, I went to an antique store yesterday to look around for some str8s. Only found one in a store here in town. It had "Schatt & Morgan, Titusville PA" stamped on the tang. The store had it listed for $48. I know I will have to get it honed and restored some. It didn't seem to be to too bad of shape but I could tell it needs some work.

Has anyone heard of this brand / company before? Is the razor any good / good price? How much would it cost to get restored?

Thanks,
-amt

Compare and contrast with the selection in the Classified.

Do a Google search for "Schatt & Morgan, Titusville PA"
and you will find stuff like
"Founded in Gowanda, NY. In 1895 as the New York Cutlery Co., Schatt-Morgan later moved to Titusville, Pa. in 1902 and soon grew to be the largest knife maker in the U.S. Between 1926 and 1933; Schatt-Morgan fortunes dwindled to a hollow resemblance of their former status as the pre-eminent maker of the finest cutlery in this country. In 1933 bankruptcy was inevitable and all assets were sold to a new upstart company, Queen City Cutlery."

Above quote from Cumberland Knife Works - Home

Opinion:
The late 1800's to the pre-depression 1930s are what I call
the golden age of straight razors. Technology made quality
steel possible and mechanization made fine hollow grinds more uniform.

Inspect the razor (reverse) to see if it has a reference to German or English steel.
If not it may be one of the American razors that some like a lot. The
American steel can be harder than older razors and may respond well to the
modern fast cutting modern hones like the Naniwa Super Stone family
or the older Carborundum razor hones. Watch out for harsh
hones that might micro chip very hard steel.

The odds are that you have a fine shaver....

But there is no knowing until you hone it or have it honed
and give it the shave test.

Schatt & Morgan like Case is a collectible name in the
knife world. If it is in good condition and the price is
right it might be worth owning --- or heck just shave with
it.

I'd like to see some pics of that S&M razor! Heck, I didn't know they made them. Pictured below is one of the Queen-made congress knives I got from Cumberland. It's a great knife. The pen is a '46 Parker '51 and the razor is a legacy 'The Pippin'.

Originally Posted by amt

Hey guys, I went to an antique store yesterday to look around for some str8s. Only found one in a store here in town. It had "Schatt & Morgan, Titusville PA" stamped on the tang. The store had it listed for $48. I know I will have to get it honed and restored some. It didn't seem to be to too bad of shape but I could tell it needs some work.

Has anyone heard of this brand / company before? Is the razor any good / good price? How much would it cost to get restored?

Thanks,
-amt

FWIW (I'm still learning quickly) --

If it doesn't have "collector value", and neither the blade or scales are special, and you _know_ it's going to cost you money to get working, the price is too high. But it might be negotiable, and at _some_ price it might be worth buying.

There are two price benchmarks I use:

. . . a _new_ Dovo "Best Quality" -- hand-honed -- is $80 from SRD.

. . . a vintage "shave-ready" razor can be had from $33 (Whipped Dog Straight Razor Sales) to $40-$50 in the SRP "Classifieds".

Either of those will arrive at your door ready to shave with.

If you get "razor acquisition disorder" and learn how to hone, there are some decent values in antique stores. I've made some mistakes (and so will you) in learning what's junk, what's "good value", and what's not worth buying.

One eBay seller has a good motto:

. . . Don't rush -- there's always another razor.

Charles