Thread: Genco Straight Razors

More i into this razor stuff and i am having hard time to find bad Made old American blades.
Usually they are a little harder then UK or Germany blades . They all take the satisfying edge.

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

More i into this razor stuff and i am having hard time to find bad Made old American blades.
Usually they are a little harder then UK or Germany blades . They all the satisfying edge.

Agreed! The US-made razors I have encountered are very well made, excellent shavers, and although the steel is hard they take a VERY smooth edge and then hold it forever!

Originally Posted by hi_bud_gl

More i into this razor stuff and i am having hard time to find bad Made old American blades.
Usually they are a little harder then UK or Germany blades . They all the satisfying edge.

Agreed. I do love gencos, but there is plenty of other American Steel out there that is just as good. I have a H. Sears, a Torrey, and a 'no name' that are All American and all shave super smooth...have yet to get a bad one!

I've got a couple of Genco's. My favorite though, is my Easy Aces. Takes and edge and keeps it. The shave is as smooth as silk and razor just looks cool to boot. Love it!

i just got a Genco brand razor
it has No. 35 on the opposite side of the tang from the brand stamp
it will be my first restore that I have done
looking forward to shaving with it

I have some Genco and Geneva's, Ontario's, Dame Stoddard's and Landers, Frary & Clark razors and the American steel seems as good or better than my English, German and Swedish razors.

Resurrection take two. I hope I'm asking this in the right spot but I just picked up a Genco from an antique mall for $15 and have some questions.

I know nothing about restoration so 1) is it worth messing with and 2) who would restore it? It says "Genco Registered", is a round 5/8", half hollow, slight smile, straight edge, and a very thin and straight bevel. There's a fair amount of rust at the hinge, a few minor chips in the scales, broken pin, and usual tarnish. I don't have much of an eye for pitting damage but the darker spots are minimal near the edge.



Tim

I am not a Genco Expert, just a Genco Fan. The bevel looks nice and even. The size is usable. I would say it's worth the MAAS to clean it up. It does look like it will need to be repinned. For $15 I would say it was a good deal and the rust doesn't look extensive by any measure. I would definitely call it salvageable.

Once again, I'm not an expert. Hopefully someone with more experience will chime in.

Originally Posted by coder79

... 1) is it worth messing with and 2) who would restore it? ...

Yep, it's worth messing with and answering two, if you do it yourself. These razors are great shavers but you can get them rather cheap and in much better condition for less than a restore would set you back. Restores can get expensive and unless it is an heirloom or valuable razor it may not be worth the money but only you can decide that. Some single edge razor blades from the hardware store to scrap off the rust, some Maas, Semichrome or other metal polish ans some cotton swabs, an old tooth brush and some tooth picks and you'll be surprised at what you can do. If you are not familiar with honing and want to shave with this razor I would suggest spending the money to get it professionally honed. Check the members services forum under the classifieds forum for someone to hone this up for you. Good luck.

Originally Posted by Joed

Yep, it's worth messing with and answering two, if you do it yourself. These razors are great shavers but you can get them rather cheap and in much better condition for less than a restore would set you back. Restores can get expensive and unless it is an heirloom or valuable razor it may not be worth the money but only you can decide that. Some single edge razor blades from the hardware store to scrap off the rust, some Maas, Semichrome or other metal polish ans some cotton swabs, an old tooth brush and some tooth picks and you'll be surprised at what you can do. If you are not familiar with honing and want to shave with this razor I would suggest spending the money to get it professionally honed. Check the members services forum under the classifieds forum for someone to hone this up for you. Good luck.

Pinklather does wonders with honing gencos and his pricing is very reasonable... I vouch for his work. MAAS and a rag will do wonders with that blade.