Thread: Help with identifying a razor

Greetings, gents!

I have been using a DE razor for the last couple of years, and have moved on to a Merkur slant. I am always looking for the ultimate shave however, and this has finally lead me to consider trying a straight razor.

After googling and reading a bit, it might seem that the modern razors aren't necessarily as good as the good old vintage razors and their softer types of steel (obviousely, this is debatable but I am not going to start such a discussion now ).

I have found a possible candidate for my first razor online. It has the letters "ERN" ingraved, as well as "Solingen". From googling, it would seem that this might be a C. Fried. Ern razor, an old manufacturer of great renown. Also, it has a crown and sword engraved on the blade.

(see the image posted along with this post for a photo)


I would love input concerning the identification of this razor and its quality. In short: should I buy this, or should i look for a different vintage razor / buy a new razor such as TI or Dovo?

PS: the razor is used by a professional barber in years past, so it is probably dull. I do have a contact who can hone the blade to perfection, so this is not an issue (assuming this is a quality razor).

Looking forward to replies!

Regards
Andygent

Welcome to SRP

The brand and maker are good. This particular razor has some issues. Potential geometry issues in that the toe looks wider than the heel. Active rust near and likely in the pivot. Visual evidence of past rusting on the blade, the dark splotches. The most worrying is that the dark areas are on the bevel near the edge. This may indicate that the edge has devils spit through the metal. If it does a lot of width may have to be removed to get a sound edge. I would walk away from this razor based on the photo.

If you are set on this razor check ebay's completed listings for similar razor's. So that you can negotiate appropriately. While you are there see if there are any active listings in better condition that are in your budget.

Drop by the member introduction section and introduce yourself.

Good luck.

Jonathan

There are probably better options on the Classifieds section here. You will get a shave ready razor without the issues that this one has. I assume you have done the usual reading and have factored in the cost of a strop - you will need to strop before or after each use.

Thank you for the feedback, that is very useful.
I will walk away as advised

Guess I will go with a Dovo best quality 5/8 or TI le dandy 5/8.

Btw: I do know that stropping is necessary. Money isn't all that of an issue; I go for quality and would rather avoid a sub-par first experience. Great quality is the reason I thought about getting a vintage razor instead of a modern one.

Thank you once again!

But you don't seem to be taking the advice. Why buy a new razor (that may or may not be shave ready depending on where you buy it from) when you don't even know if you will stay with it? You can get a quality razor for far less than the price of a new one. If price is not an issue and you prefer a vintage, it's even more reason to check out the classifieds.

Originally Posted by UKRob

But you don't seem to be taking the advice. Why buy a new razor (that may or may not be shave ready depending on where you buy it from) when you don't even know if you will stay with it? You can get a quality razor for far less than the price of a new one. If price is not an issue and you prefer a vintage, it's even more reason to check out the classifieds.

The vintage I found was located at a norwegian site where one sells secondhand stuff. I could go on ebay etc. to look, but I thought that was a bit hassle because I'm not exactly an expert as to what is quality razors and not. Not saying that I won't check it out though