Thread: Antique stores...where most razors go to die

I'm not saying that there's not some diamonds in the rough out there in the antique shops, but OMG...I went to my local antique shop and the razors there were so mistreated that I got a little misty-eyed. Deep pits, excessive hone wear, and chipped blades were just a few of the horrors that I saw there.

My thing is that I want to get a nice vintage razor of good/great quality and historical value that I can shave with and maybe pass down to my kids when I'm old and grey, but I'm starting to think that such a thing is going to be really hard to find. Any suggestions on where I may go, or do I just need to keep my eyes peeled?

Check the classifieds here,
what exactly are you chasing after as far as style age etc.

I'm curious to know myself.

I think just the opposite about antique stores. Yes, there are some horribly treated razors on the shelves, but many diamonds in the rough are waiting to be found in antique stores. Search the forum for the beauties that have been found on the shelves.
I've searched the same stores & four months later found a beauty recently added.

I view antique stores as the "Klondike" of straight razors, ya gotta keep diggin !

When you are out hunting for razors in antique stores there are several things to keep in mind.

1. Persistence - You can't walk into a couple of antique stores on a Saturday afternoon and expect to find the mother lode. Go back at least once a month. These dealers don't order their items from an antiques catalog, they depend on turnover and are replenishing their stock constantly.

2. ASK!!!! Always ask if they have any straight razors. Most antique dealers are women and they tend to focus on the items that interest them when they are buying stock. If you ask about straight razors each time you are in the store, this could plant a seed and the next time they come across one they may pick it up with you in mind instead of pushing it aside to pick up a piece of collectible glass or some costume jewelry.

3. Leave your name and number. Most dealers keep a list of people who are looking for certain items. If they know you are serious, you may be surprised one day by a phone call. You are under no obligation to buy anything, especially if it is a piece of crap. But it will afford you the opportunity to explain just what it is that you are looking for.

4. Don't depend just on antique stores. Flea markets, swap meets, yard sales, local auction houses, Craig's List, or a "wanted to buy" ad in the local newspaper. All of these are potential sources. There are lots of folks who have grandpa's razor tucked away and have no idea that there might be someone in the neighborhood that might actually be interested in having it.

I have picked up over 300 razors using these methods and can attest that antique shops aren't all graveyards for razors. Some are just a resting place where they are waiting for you to come and save them from a lonely demise.

Regards - Walt

Originally Posted by pfries

Check the classifieds here,
what exactly are you chasing after as far as style age etc.

Well, I guess I didn't give it much thought. The only thing concrete is the age range. I'm looking for something mid 1800's to maybe early 1900's. I'm not a pro (or even a novice) as far as what to look for brand-wise; I'm going off of the "Good Brands/ Brands to avoid" suggestions list on the site. None of them were ones that I saw there, minus a horrible looking Wostenholm George & Son with a cracked blade and scales bit by the blade repeatedly. For all I know, I might be missing a diamond in the rough right under my nose. There's not much literature on vintage straight razors as I'd like to see. Maybe if I knew how to look, I'd be better off?

Other things I'm looking for: Spike point, straight spine/edge, and relatively light to the touch (not looking for a hefty cleaver). My "ideal" razor scales would be Mother-of-Pearl (probably going to be too pricey for that though) or Metal or something in black/silver/white. I dunno, the plastic ones look cheap in my opinion, but I might be missing something.

Could someone possibly point me in the direction of some great literature where I can brush up on my brand knowledge? There seems to be so many out there in the heyday, and I don't want to get skunked on a crap razor.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

I think just the opposite about antique stores. Yes, there are some horribly treated razors on the shelves, but many diamonds in the rough are waiting to be found in antique stores. Search the forum for the beauties that have been found on the shelves.
I've searched the same stores & four months later found a beauty recently added.

I view antique stores as the "Klondike" of straight razors, ya gotta keep diggin !

Totally agree with you on the "razor hunt" for the beauties, but how do you know what to look for? Are you looking for something just aesthetically pleasing, or do you have criteria which you use when you look?

Originally Posted by Walt

When you are out hunting for razors in antique stores there are several things to keep in mind.

1. Persistence - You can't walk into a couple of antique stores on a Saturday afternoon and expect to find the mother lode. Go back at least once a month. These dealers don't order their items from an antiques catalog, they depend on turnover and are replenishing their stock constantly.

2. ASK!!!! Always ask if they have any straight razors. Most antique dealers are women and they tend to focus on the items that interest them when they are buying stock. If you ask about straight razors each time you are in the store, this could plant a seed and the next time they come across one they may pick it up with you in mind instead of pushing it aside to pick up a piece of collectible glass or some costume jewelry.

3. Leave your name and number. Most dealers keep a list of people who are looking for certain items. If they know you are serious, you may be surprised one day by a phone call. You are under no obligation to buy anything, especially if it is a piece of crap. But it will afford you the opportunity to explain just what it is that you are looking for.

4. Don't depend just on antique stores. Flea markets, swap meets, yard sales, local auction houses, Craig's List, or a "wanted to buy" ad in the local newspaper. All of these are potential sources. There are lots of folks who have grandpa's razor tucked away and have no idea that there might be someone in the neighborhood that might actually be interested in having it.

I have picked up over 300 razors using these methods and can attest that antique shops aren't all graveyards for razors. Some are just a resting place where they are waiting for you to come and save them from a lonely demise.

Regards - Walt

We have a couple antique stores around my neighborhood which I went to, and I asked the lady at both Main Antiques and this one other antiquities dealer who showed me a bunch of razors; I feel like a monkey with a typewritter and no knowledge of Shakespeare when it comes to the whole good/bad/ugly side of razor shopping. Also looked at yard sales, but the only thing that I can find there once in a blue moon is a DE razor, which I'm not really all that interested in. I'll check other sources, but once again, I don't know really what is really a good buy and what is a "good buy" if you get what I'm saying.

I went in an antique shop today while I am in small town Alabama and they had a few decent razors. Unfortunately they knew what they had. I did pick up this Torrey for about $27. They had a couple Blue Steels in bad shape.

I'm in NY and have never found a straight razor in any condition in any thrift or antique shop. So that leaves me with eBay. I'm done buying I think. Unless something hits me right between the eyes!