Thread: New razors

My mother got these razors from a flea market back in Arkansas and I will be picking them up in a few weeks, but I was looking to get some information and possibly a date on them. The blade says Friedr.Abr.Sohn and Square 77. The markings, according to the wiki here put it at 1895, but I don't think I'm doing it right because it can't be this old and in this kind of shape to be sold cheaply at a flea market. I know it can't be shave ready from a flea market, but they tell me it is extremely sharp.

The second says "Bengal" (with one "L", not two) on the blade and "Fermarud" on the scales. I can't find anything else about it on the web. I posted this on Badger and Blade and it was suggested that it was made by Gebruder Lang, but I can't find anything about them on the wiki. Again, any information about the company, a possible date range for this, and if this would be a good shaver would be greatly appreciated.

This last one, I don't have a whole lot to go on. The markings on the blade are really corroded, but it looks like it says "Clauss" or something like that in cursive print. There don't seem to be anything on the scales. After some digging, it looks a lot like the Clauss Extra Barbers Special on the wiki. Is this right? Is there a way to date all of these razors?

These are my first straight razors and I realize they will need some work to be shave ready. I have been wet shaving with DE razors for almost a year and am finally making my way to straight razor shaving. I have a lot more reading before I'm ready to take one of these to my throat an learn to maintain these razors, but I can't wait.

Cant really help with info but man, I have to find that flea market! Nice finds. All look great and honed up should make great shavers

I can't really speak for the other two, but I believe that Bengal to be a Sheffield blade. High-quality, and very collectible. There are or were a couple for sale here on the classifieds and over at WhippedDog, so maybe you can look them up and compare the photos with yours to be sure. Awesome finds, though. Even if that first one doesn't turn out to be legit, it is a beautiful razor anyway.

Thank you for the information. I was hoping to get a possible date on these, but I understand straights are hard to date because they don't have date stamps like DE razors. If anyone has any information on these, I would very much appreciate anything you could offer.

Using the Wiki on this site for the Friedr Herder razor (the first one), the symbols match up with the date of 1895. Could this razor really be made around this time? Is there any way to find out?

The Herder mark acording to GOINS" is 1888 but that only means that when it was registered, I believe. The company is still is business as of 1998 when GOINS" was printed.
Clauss, Fremont, Ohio as opposed to Henrie Clauss, is still in business. I drove past the factory about 15 years ago, but they had stopped making razors perhaps in the 1950's when most of the old companies got out of that business.

Great finds! Do you think if I send your mother some money she will go shopping for me? She's found better blades than I've seen in six months.

Originally Posted by SonOf1337

I can't really speak for the other two, but I believe that Bengal to be a Sheffield blade. High-quality, and very collectible. There are or were a couple for sale here on the classifieds and over at WhippedDog, so maybe you can look them up and compare the photos with yours to be sure. Awesome finds, though. Even if that first one doesn't turn out to be legit, it is a beautiful razor anyway.

The symbol overlying the name is the same as the triangle trademark of the Lang brothers, I'd go along with the original interpretation without any other data. Would be interesting if they were using the name too, I believe Cadmans was still operating when they were in business.