I found a "new" A.J. Jordan razor under the Christmas Tree!!

Christmas was pretty good for me from a shaving perspective. My wife got me a Tweezerman badger brush with Bigelow cream. I LOVE THIS CREAM! The brush is really amazing too.

But my grandparents gave me an A.J. Jordan straight razor. My grandmom bought it in Florida on their last trip. She had my grandfather take it to his barber to be sharpened, but I'm not certain it's really shave-ready. I'm going to give it a try next time I shave, but my gut says it won't shave without a proper honing. I know some about the razor, but there's a lot I don't know, so I'm going to throw it out there for everyone.

The tang stamp says A.J. Jordan St. Louis. I tried to date it and the closest I can get is 1890-1910. Blade seems to be 4/8. There's some pitting, but it's clean and shiny with a little bit of a smile. The pivot is dirty but I cleaned out 90% of the gunk. The scales *might* be horn. I don't know. I think it's a 1/4 hollow with a barber's notch. The scales themselves are in so-so shape. They are worn, and someone carved "3446" into them. There's a crack on them too, through the bottom pin. They have a pretty awesome patina and are functional.

Pictures in a minute, but I have a question or two for the denizens...

1. Can I apply a drop of thin superglue to stabilize that crack? I don't want new scales, that would ruin it for me.
2. Is there anything I can do to seal and protect the scales? Perhaps apply a layer of tung oil? Shaving is a very wet event for me and I'm worried about water getting into the microcracks and what not.

So here are some photos. Sorry for the quality...I used my phone, and I'm typically an outdoor landscape/architectural photographer and I have no idea what to do with items this small...

Attachment 85923Attachment 85924Attachment 85925Attachment 85926Attachment 85927

Well, that's a thoughtful present. The good news is that the blade looks to be all there with essentially no spine/hone wear. There's lots of information about AJ Jordan in the forums and in the Wiki, I'll let you dig a bit for that.

The scales look to be horn and in OK shape, not that they couldn't use a little care. My opinion is, go ahead and fill that crack with super glue. Let it dry well, probably overnight, then put the entire razor into a baggie with a bit of olive oil, let them soak, at least 24 hours. Afterward, wipe of the excess oil and rub them with a soft cloth to bring up the shine a bit.

The blade? If there's any doubt about how sharp it is, send it to one of the people in our classifieds to be properly honed. You'll know for sure, then, what sharp is, you'll have a reference point.

After that? Read, learn, shave. Relax and have some fun with it.

Because my grandparents paid someone to sharpen it, I'm going to shave test it next time I shave. Hopefully it's perfectly keen and I don't need to do anything about it.

I put some super glue in the crack...it wicked in nicely and I'll use some 0000 steel wool to polish off the excess. I'll dip the scales in some lemon oil and let it soak.

I just like that it's completely different from my other razor. I have a 5/8 3/4 hollow, so this one will be a new experience. I'm excited, even if I have to wait an extra week or two to send it to someone.

Nice blade, I would recommend soaking those scales in neetsfoot oil, since the oil is made from horn and hoofs being pressed. Let it soak for a few days and the scales will take what they need back from the oil. Just my opinion.

The oil did wonders. I used the stuff I use for rosewood and ebony guitar fretboards. I applied a liberal amount and let it soak and wiped off the excess. I did it twice with the second soaking overnight. The scales actually rehydrated to a smooth state an look really good. Tomorrow I'll be trying it out on my face.

As I suspected, the razor is NOT shave-ready. Felt like it was just ripping the hairs out of my face.

btw, I haven't found much info on AJ Jordan...does anyone have any?

Andrew Jackson Jordan B 1846 wholesaler,importer and mfg 1870's to 1920's St. Louis. This is a condensation from Goins and Levine's Guide 4. Hope this helps.

He bought the bankrupt PLATT'S Brother's company and plant in 1912 and made pocket knives. Most of the knives produced there were named after his nephew and I'm having am old-timer's moment and can not remember that name.

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...01/Jordan1.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...01/Jordan2.jpg

Here is a pic of a "harness jack" knife of mine that was made at the old Platt's factory.http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...Jordan/AJ3.jpg

http://i658.photobucket.com/albums/u...Jordan/AJ5.jpg

Willie