Jones Bros & Co. Ltd - Toronto

Hello,

Being very new to Straight Razors, I would like some feed back to a razor that was apparently used by my Great Grandfather. on the neck of the Razor it reads: Jones Bros & Co. Ltd Toronto and on the other side it reads: Hand Made.

It has a chip on the end of the Razor (please see attached pictures).

First Question: Is this a good razor or has anyone heard of this manufacturer before?

Second: Is this razor repairable?

Third: If this razor is not worth fixing, would it be suitable to learn and practice Honing and Stroping with this?

Any other comments are welcome.

Thank you,

Frederick Cook

The blade is narrow but it looks like it's possible to repair.. You have 2 options:
1) Just stash it away and keep it to remind you of your great-gramps.
2) You could send it off to Joe Chandler (that's his SRP nickname as well) and he could fix it up, even keep it completely stock. Here's the list of things I'd have him do if I REALLY wanted to shave with this one:
-shorten it
-clean it up
-shorten the scales to match the new length of the razor
-trim the wedge to fit the new shape of the butt end of the scales
-hone her up
Just PM him and ask for a quote.

By the way, I've never heard of these guys but there are lots of great manufacturers we've never heard of and the location being in Toronto fills me with optimism for some strange reason :w
The reason I suggested this restoration procedure is that it would preserve as much of the original parts as possible and restore the razor to full functionality. The resto will cost more than the razor's really worth even in mint condition but it would be worth it considering the sentimental value.

Thanks for the feedback...

I guess where I stand with this razor is... I need to find out if it will be a good shaver. If it will be average, then it probably wouldn't be worth me fixing. Can I try and hone and strope this blade in it's current condition?

Thanks again.

Frederick Cook

Frederick, I can't tell you if it will be an above average shaver. I can tell you that it will do the job (give you great shaves) with a great deal of certainty, but I can't committ to more. The biggest value for this one would be the collector's value and I'd do the resto just for that. You could certainly hone it up and shave-test it before you send it out for more detailed restoration. I'd be weary of the tip though.

It's likely to be at least a very good shaver, and it may even be a great shaver. You can hone it up (or send it out) and shave with it in it's current condition as long as you're very careful about the tip. But since you don't have any straight razor experience you don't have the knowledge to evaluate whether it's good or great or merely average. At any rate, there's no point doing the restoration just to get even a great shaver out of it - not while genuinely great shavers are readily available for < $20 on ebay. The only reason to do the restoration is for sentimental reasons, so you can shave with the same razor your grandfather did.

I just found a Jones Bros. & Co. razor in Strathroy Ontario and I am in the same boat. I cant find any REAL info on it but it intrigued me a lot because this one is very ornate. It have celluloid scales and a nice blade that says King Edward on it but the real wow factor was the REAL ivory tang that goes all the way up the shank as well. It looks beautiful and it can definitely be a great everyday shaver. If anyone out there knows anything about this company please add to this thread. I will add a pic soon.

-Stropping Young Lad

https://archive.org/details/barbersupplies00joneuoft