Should i buy?

ok, guys, you will know what i am looking at

i just visited an antique shop in my city that has been closed all winter and therefore i havent looked it up yet

anyways, i went there today and found three razors that i have on hold until tomorrow
i was wondering if i should pick them up for sure or not

anyways, here they are

the first has written on the tang: Suplee hardware co. and made in germany on it; etched into the blade is the word figaro, it has some silver (i think) inlay on one side of the scales

the second says "clear cut de luxe" (there is a space in the de luxe) etched into the blade
it is a covered tang (mother of pearl i think, or very close to it), the scales are broken some, but in a way that is even on both sides and you wouldn't notice unless you were looking for it

the last and third thing, is a rolls razor, still in box, (both the silver box it came in and another box around that), it seems to be in good condition

i talked him down to 18 for each straight and 25 for the rolls

is this worth it for me, or will i be getting ripped off?

with tax the total for the three is 61

what do yall think?
good deal or not?




ps: there is one that is covered in rust for 1$ that i am getting too for an experiment with CLR, i will let everone know how that goes



also, the shop has many more straights in it (i will probably prowl there every so often), including what i think is a W&B (i didnt get a good look at it) so if anyone lives around Bristol, TN/VA check out Antiques on Commonwealth

It would be impossible to say without photos to tell the condition. It will also depend on how much of the work (if any is needed) you can do yourself.

+1 to the above post. Also, unless the hone is intact the Rolls ain't worth much if you want to use it. They make for pretty display pieces...

they are all in a condition that i can take care of myself, learn how to easily enough, or i will be learning how to deal with it sooner or later

the condition of everything is good

the guy has 3 rolls razors, the one i have on hold, the hone seems to be intact (i may get a different one if a hone is intact on another of them

there isn't much work needed (except for the one covered in rust that i mentioned before) on any of them

if i decide to get them i will be posting pictures

if the hone is intact, is the rolls worth it?

Do not use CLR it will stain the blade and discolour the scales!!! :banghead:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by epd

Do not use CLR it will stain the blade and discolour the scales!!! :banghead:

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EXPERIMENT is the key work, the blade and scales are both shot, i just wanna see what will happen
if the blade was good, (it has a lot of gold inlay an etching on the blade, but the blade is half rust or more)

i dont care about the razor, i just want to see what the CLR will do :)

Asking a bunch of straight razor enthusiasts whether to buy or not is like asking an alcoholic if they want a drink..... Buy buy buy!


Seriously only you know if it is worth the money to you, if it is buy them if not don't, if you do though make sure to share the pics.

as an avid bay buyer, I would say that is too much. Unless the rolls is complete, don't pay that much. An old straight that is not a W&B, Westonholm, or any other highly sought after razor, is only worth about $10.00 as a blanket statement. I have many, MANY, blades of excellent quality that I got for a lot less than 20.

Remember, there is always another razor.

Razors sell for next to nothing to astronomical prices. W/o actually seeing them it is hard to put a value to them, which we don't do in the open forum. Bottom line is "how available are they in your area?". Here in WNY I was falling over them almost anywhere I went so 10 - 15 bucks was about average. That was a few years ago. Now I have to really hunt for them and they are much more expensive. Today $18 is an average price. As for brands, as long as they are not from a country on the 'do not buy' list you should be safe with vintage US, German, English or Swedish makers. Some of my best shavers are no name brands. As long as they are quality steel the bottom line is in the honing. The Rolls razor is up to you. I don't use them so I might pass on that one unless the cost is insignificant to you, but then you wouldn't ask. Good luck.

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Originally Posted by Joed

Razors sell for next to nothing to astronomical prices. W/o actually seeing them it is hard to put a value to them, which we don't do in the open forum. Bottom line is "how available are they in your area?". Here in WNY I was falling over them almost anywhere I went so 10 - 15 bucks was about average. That was a few years ago. Now I have to really hunt for them and they are much more expensive. Today $18 is an average price. As for brands, as long as they are not from a country on the 'do not buy' list you should be safe with vintage US, German, English or Swedish makers. Some of my best shavers are no name brands. As long as they are quality steel the bottom line is in the honing. The Rolls razor is up to you. I don't use them so I might pass on that one unless the cost is insignificant to you, but then you wouldn't ask. Good luck.

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+1 My rule of thumb is <$15 for straight blade, no chips bigger in depth and/or width than the thickness of my thumb nail...I don't care what it is (though for a good example of a razor type on my want list I might be coaxed to pay more). BUT, that's me, in the midwest, with very few straight enthusiasts within hours. It could be an entirely different world where you are, and only you can prevent forest...I mean...only you can tell if it's worth while.

Peace,

i refuse to pay more than 20 for any razor that i buy, but these are the only razors left in bristol below that mark (i bought most of the others)
i am really drawn to anything with a covered tang, so i am more than ready to buy the covered tang, the other i am still wondering about, as well as the rolls

If it's really a MOP covered tang and you think it's worth it, go for it. I picked up Morley Clover with a covered tang and then saved for a few months to have someone restore it. As to the Rolls, I picked one up off the bay a few months back that the pix showed as having no crack for about $20. The leather is good but the hone broke the day after I got it. I had set it on my dresser and was going to start messing with it and my 18m old son came by and saw something shiny. When I gave him a rather stern "No! Put it down." he dropped it on the floor and the hone cracked. So now I have a pricey, but very nice looking piece of metal that hangs out with my shaving stuff and just looks cool. I figure one of these days I'll find one that everything else is trashed on and I'll get a donor hone for it.

I say go for it.

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Originally Posted by crazyengineer

....snip...
ps: there is one that is covered in rust for 1$ that i am getting too for an experiment with CLR, i will let everone know how that goes
....snip....

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CLR hmm... CLR is a cocktail of acids it may make pitting worse.
Use with caution. I would recommend simple wet dry sanding to start
perhaps with 1000 grit 3M wet dry paper.

A light sanding will let you see if the edge is sound (no cracks,
no swiss cheese pitting).

If you use CLR let us know... just because I would not
try it does not mean that it has no use to you.

Photos help...

Have fun.

here are the three straights that i picked up, i did pick up the rolls as well, unfortunately, i didnt realize until i got home, the shaving handle is missing
but, i do have 2 sets of instructions for it (one set wrapped in an original paper of some sort)
i also have a list of prices for rolls razor parts
i do not have pics of the rolls yet, but the straights had their picture taken on a bed scanner, it seems to work really well actually

as you can see, there is one that is shot (that is the one i am using clr on)
there is the MOP tang, and there is the other one

I hope that MOP tang isn't too far gone. And keep your eye out, you may stumble across the rest of the Rolls. I'd also recommend scanning the instructions to it and seeing if you can get them added to the wiki as that seems to be something people stumble across on a regular basis.

the MOP is in good condition actually, as is the one above it
the last one...well, you can see it, the scales actually have about and inch or so missing from it (this is my experiment razor)
the MOP, you can probably see the broken scales on it, the other side is broken almost the exact same way, there is a brand name on the tang, but i cant read it (havent put it under magnifier yet) i was thinking of rescaling this one (it will be my second,i have another that i will do first to learn)

what would look good with the MOP? (pictures would be great if someone has some)

If you wanted to be old school, get some imitation MOP. MOP is beautiful stuff. When I was a kid I was give 5 or 6 pen knives with MOP scales in various colours. I wish the person that had given them to me had saved them till I appreciated them for their beauty. Not for merely being another knife.