Thread: Any information on this razor would be appreciated

Hey there, 1st post! This is my first foray into straight razors, making the jump from Japanese carbon steel kitchen knives. I was perusing the local consignment house today and saw this razor. I figured I may as well pick it up; it was cheap. From browsing these forums it looks like a Crown & Sword that has been used enough for the logo to rub off, remnants are still visible, though barely.

Welcome to SRP. Yeah, looks like it has a lot of life left in it. If you are going to hone it yourself you might check out the SRP Wiki for honing tips and videos. Alternatively there are members who do honing for a nominal fee listed in our classifieds under 'member services.' Also in the SRP Wiki, check out Lynn Abrams suggestions for the first shave in the beginner's guide.

Welcome to SRP

It looks to be a ERN Crown & Sword, it got the same model # as this possibly a bit older, and probably rescaled at some point.

Very nice, excellent shaving potential there. Are the scales smushed a bit at the pivot? It looks like it in a couple of the pictures.

Just a recommendation---have it honed and have those scales looked at, the classifieds have several listings for this type of service. Having a truly shave-ready razor makes all the difference in the world when you're starting out.

Welcome to SRP!!! Yep, you have a razor that can be used for many years to come. ERN, to my knowledge, never made a bad blade, only first class stuff. You might want to send it out for honing, and if you do, the scales can be replaced for a small fee if you just use plastic. But, the blade is far enough up the food chain to deserve a nice set of scales if you want. Read, Watch, and Ask questions. The great guys on this forum will be glad to help. Best regards, wildhog

Thanks for the info guys! The scales aren't really smushed in, but they look to have taken substantial damage due to scraping against a hone. The metal on the pin is partially worn away, and the scales are also cracked around the pin.

I think I will have to take advantage of the member services here to get the blade a proper first honing, as my experience is limited to my kitchen knives, and the finest stone I use for that is a 5k Chosera.

Any suggestions as far as scale material? Not looking to spend a mint, but something nicer than plastic for sure. Maybe some stabilized maple burl?