Thread: Another Antique Store Find (pic Heavy)

Ok, so I was at a conference a couple weeks ago, and during some free time, SWMBO found the local antique store. Jackpot! They had several razors, but I limited myself to 3... (darn budget)

Top to bottom in first pic:

Radium, (reverse says Lisaacs Wilkes Barre, PA.)

J. Torrey Razor Co. Worcester, Mass. (Almost wedge)

Hollow Ground Germany? (The etching on the blade looks cool, but I have no idea what it says. Looks like the first line is in German, and the second in Russian? If anyone can translate, that would be great.)

I don't know much about any of these brands, and would appreciate any info.

Thanks.

Oh yeah, they all had price stickers stuck on the scales. What's the best way to get all the sticky stuff off without damaging the scales? (not that there is anything special about the scales, but....)

Originally Posted by Bandman

Oh yeah, they all had price stickers stuck on the scales. What's the best way to get all the sticky stuff off without damaging the scales? (not that there is anything special about the scales, but....)

I use Rem Oil gun cleaner to get gunk off. Doesn't seem to harm the scales and it's good for the steel.

Okay, I can't be 100% certain on this, but I strongly suspect that I. Isaacs is the name of a hardware store or somesuch retailer and not a manufacturer name.

I grew up in Wilkes-Barre and never heard of any kind of foundry there, let alone one that made razors (it was a coal city, (and, at one time brewing city as in Stegmeier beer), not steel a city).

I have, on the other hand, come across half a dozen or so other razors that were stamped with a retailer's name and Wilkes-Barre on one side of the tang, and Made in Germany or Solingen on the reverse side.

As for 'Radium', I believe there were a few different manufactures who put that on the tang or etched it on the blade (such as Boker) as a selling point/advertisement to make the steel sound special.

In other words, I'm sorry to say that I think uncovering the manufacture of this one will be nigh impossible unless you some how manage to find out what manufacturer the retailer 'I. Isaacs' (in the pick it looks like an I followed by a period rather than an L) bought his blades from.

What's important though is that it may well make for a mighty fine shaver.

Good luck and nice finds! (The shoulderless blade with the etching has some very nice lines.)

Thanks Malacoda, that makes more sense now that I look at a little closer. The reason I bought these is because the edges were in pretty good shape, and I figured I could make shavers out of them. The Raduim seemed to hone up nicely until I tried to shave with it... Oh well, back to the stones.