Thread: ID help

hello i am a new collector and have a question about a razor that i just bought. it has westpfal cutlery co. soligen germany stamped on it along with the number 80. ive searched for this company but only found it to be in New York. does the maker and city on my blade match up? thanks for your time

welcome to the straightrazor place.

this is the best place on the net for us straight shavers.
as for your razor, a lot of razors were made in germany and exported to america and the same goes for english ones made in sheffield.

your straight is german made but made to be exported to the states. so yes,,it is german and should be a great shaver...half of my razors are made in germany for the US market.

should be a great shaver..enjoy

Solingen in Germany is the town / area that was frequented by cutlers. That is where the razor will have been made. Westpfal Cutlery Co will be the company in the US that retailed the razor.

Originally Posted by ri7ani

so yes,,it is german and should be a great shaver...half of my razors are made in germany for the US market.

should be a great shaver..enjoy

A word of caution regarding German made razors - - "Made in Germany" is not a guarantee of quality. After WWI there was a glut of cheap German-made razors that flooded the American market. Even though many good makers were producing quality razors to be sold by hardware companies, barber supply houses, etc., under their personal brands, there were others who didn't exercise the same quality control. At one point the manufacturers of American made razors went before congress to testify to the strain these inexpensive razors were putting on their industry and asked that tariffs be placed on these cheap, imported razors. The exception, of course, are those razors produced in the Solingen area of Germany. These razors were almost always of a higher quality because of the enforced standards legislated by Solingen. So, while most German razors made between the world wars were of good quality there are exceptions to the rule.

Regards - Walt

thanks a lot everyone for your help. its nice to finally have some advice about razors. im going to buy a book on identification and value. i have about 13 razors so far and dont know the value of many of them.