Thread: "Generic" Solingen Razor?

Hello All,

So I scored this "cheapie" Solingen razor off of ebay for $14. It looks like kind of a generic razor as it only has "Solingen Germany" etched on the tang; no other maker's mark is present. Can anyone tell me a little about these? Did they make "generic" Solingen-made razors, or could it be a "Solingen Knock-off?"?! I really just got it for honing practice and it actually honed up with a half-decent edge, but I know nothing about the thing. Any info is greatly appreciated!!

Impossible to say who made that razor.
I can tell you that it is missing ~1/16, may be more of the original size.

I have a similar one but with a round point that is going to be my sons 18th birthday present.

It is a lovely shaver - enjoy yours in good health.

I have found that some of the lesser known or unmarked razors still take a great edge and shave very well.

Originally Posted by mainaman

Impossible to say who made that razor.
I can tell you that it is missing ~1/16, may be more of the original size.

Wow No kidding, huh? Well I was suprised at how well it honed up, really seemed to take a nice edge! I'm going to shave with it tonight & will let you know how it goes

Originally Posted by jpcwon

Wow No kidding, huh? Well I was suprised at how well it honed up, really seemed to take a nice edge! I'm going to shave with it tonight & will let you know how it goes

I think that mainaman is pointing out that it looks someone had to take off a bit of the heel, it may have been damaged a bit. It's not a big deal, good luck shaving with that last 1/4 inch or so anyway.

You've got a perfectly nice German shaver there that should last for many years, capable of shaving you and your progeny.

Many of those generic razors were sold in sets as mementos of Germany and some were sold by various retailers.

I have one just like it. I bought it back in the '80s at an Army/Navy store in Boulder Colorado thinking shaving with a straight would be interesting. It wasn't even close to being able to shave and, at the time, I knew nothing about "shave ready" or how to hone it. I gave up until I discovered this forum in 2009. Now that I have it honed, it is a good shaver. The scales cracked around the pins and I have rescaled it so it doesn't have the cool "Solingen" inlay. Since it was inexpensive and nondescript, I use it as my travel razor.

Originally Posted by stimpy52

I think that mainaman is pointing out that it looks someone had to take off a bit of the heel, it may have been damaged a bit.

It does look like that's the case, but the jimps actually extend right to the heel of the blade (see pic). This suggests to me that that IS the actual geometry of the blade...Weird, huh?!