Thread: Opinion on a Vintage Razor

Good morning all. This is my first post on here, and wanted to get some opinions on my first straight razor.

It is an H. Boker & Co No.346, "EXTRA HOLLOW GROUND" razor (see attached picture). From what I can tell about the trademark logo it seems to be a pre-WW2 razor from Germany, and looks to be in good condition. I got it on ebay for $70 (hopefully I wasn't taken to the cleaners on the price).

(I also picked up a 12,000 grit honing stone and a leather strop.) This description of the razor said it was almost shave ready, but might need a little more honing, which I hope I can do on the honing stone. I've watch several honing videos, but I know watching a video does not an expert make.

I'm new to straight razor shaving, and have been reading some of the beginning threads on here and found some good info so far. What are your thoughts on the type of razor above for a beginner?

Thanks to all who read/respond. I look forward to learning this new skill in the coming weeks.

Welcome!!! The wise will be by shortly, I'm sure, to give you the advice you need. My opinion on the razor is, Boker is a very good razor company. I have had 3 and all were amazing shavers. Good luck on your journey with a straight!!!

Its hard to tell what may be meant by "almost shave ready" The most important aspect is if the bevel has been set correctly which is really hard to tell from a pic. That razor, once properly honed will serve you well..bokers are a great blade

Nice choice for a first razor. I love Bokers. I wouldnt mess around with trying to hone it yourself just yet. Send it out to one of our many experienced members to get it honed correctly. They can be found in the classifieds under member services. Then if you need to touch up your razor you already have the hone to do it.

And Welcome to SRP.

I second Catrentshaving and TrilliumLT's posts. It is a fine looking razor, I just got my first spike point razor myself yesterday it is not a Boker, but it is German and has a family connection. Welcome to straight razor shaving and good luck when you get her ready to shave, my only advise thus far is mind the point.

My take on this trend of advertising straights as "almost shave ready" is this: It seems people have different expectations for shave ready. The person who did the honing may be happy with it, but he doesn't want to give a gaurantee on it, and risk negative feedback based on the customers "personal taste". So, the razor is listed as very near shave ready. The seller can feel that he has made his listing more attractive, while the buyer can feel like if there's much work to do, he might be able to do it himself. After all, it's "very nearly" shave ready. lol. I don't believe the seller wishes to be dishonest, but he also does not want to have his honing be a factor in his feedback. Then again, guessing people motivations is a fools errand. And I could be totally wrong.

As for the razor: It's a Boker. I love Bokers. For all of the 4 I've owned...I love them all. lol. And that one looks like it's in real nice shape. If it happens that you have difficulty in using it to shave, there's just gonna be that extra question of "Is it the razor, or is it me?" Where if you bought it off a listing that gauranteed shave ready, you could always send it back for rehoning, or have someone invested in your purchase, to help you figure it out. Luckily, we're all here..and we'll help. Again, good looking razor!

Hi User, and welcome to SRP!!!!!
Bokers are great razors, and will last a lifetime if cared for properly.
Don't attempt to hone it yourself at this point in time. Read the posts on this forum and ask any questions you might have. Shaving with a straight razor is a learned skill and will take time to master. This forum is designed to help new people start this journey.
Good Luck and Happy Shaving, John

Bokers rock. No way to go wrong with any razor this company makes. And the vintage varieties are all wonder straights.

Shaving, stropping, and honing are all learned skills needing development. It is hard to learn all three at the same time. Starting with a shave ready razor is very important because you will then know what a shave ready razor feels like. Avoid stropping the shave ready razor before the first shave as a bad stropping can dull the edge before first use. Learning to strop well is critical because a razor will not remain shave ready unless stropped between each use. Learning honing can usually be deferred until shaving and stropping skills have been developed, especially if one learns to do periodic touchups with a pasted strop. A poor honing can ruin the edge.

HTH

Boker razors are my favorite! I have 3 and they out-shave all of my others.

May I suggest getting it professionally honed for $20, order a couple of cheapies to practice on your stones

Razor looks gorgeous btw! a lot cleaner than all of mine.

Congrats and welcome!