Thread: $10 Böker

My wife and I had stopped in the local pet store. Coming out with our Kitty Kibble, we noticed that the nearby antique store was open. This is the Brigadoon Shop inasmuch as they are only open one weekend every hundred years.

We went in and I rapidly cased the joint for straight razors. Nothing. Just the usual jewelry, furniture, bottle caps, those disgusting plastic trolls. My wife is a obsessive shopper and I knew I would be there for the next hour or more as she personally inspected everything (This deck of Delta Airline Playing Cards is missing the joker...)

Sigh.

I made another perusal. Still no straight razors. Wife was looking at an adorable art deco asparagus server.

I looked again, praying to the straight razor Gods, and I noticed, in a case I had already scanned, the outline of a straight razor box. It was partially covered by some baseball cards and an I Like Ike button. All I could see was

-KER & CO'S
-ED RAZOR

And a price tag showing $10.

"Pardon, do you know if there is a straight razor in that straight razor box?" I asked of the elderly lady behind the case. I figured it was $10 for an empty Böker box. The lady removed the box from the case and shook it- Yup there's something in it.

Be still my heart. It could be anything.

The lady tried to peel the end of the box off. NOOOO! I suggested she allow me to open it and snatched it from her hands. The box did not want to come open. It's as if the cardboard had gotten wet and had fused together. That didn't bode well.

The box came open after a lot of wiggling. I held my breath and removed- what?

Well it was a Böker. It was rusty and dusty. But even a piece of a rusty Böker is worth $10, right? My voice cracking, my poker face melting, I said, I'll take it. (And no, at no time was I tempted to say, Ten dollar too beaucoup.)

So, what I got was a depression era Böker No. 1056 Spanish point, shoulderless grind, worked spine, and figured scales. There appeared to be no hone wear and the scales and pins were in perfect condition. The edge however was uneven, dinged, rusty, and kinked as if it had used as a screwdriver.

The finish responded well to light hand polishing. The edge was another matter. I started out on a Norton course crystolon and worked up to a hard Arkansas and then to the Norton 4K (dropped back more than once to the Arkansas) then up to the Norton 8K (often falling back to the 4K and a Dura Barber's hone) and then on to the Swaty and then stropped on .5 micron chromium oxide.



If this sounds like I was in random flail mode, I was. But somehow I got the edge to a shavable condition.

After one darn fine two pass shave I can say that this is a great razor. The balance is superb. The edge cut effortlessly and close but perhaps a little harsh. In my experience such edges tend to mellow. Certainly it's the best $10 razor in my collection. I wouldn't sell it for double what I paid.

Congratulations my good man, that's a lovely razor, and kudos to managaing to hold the poker face long enough to secure it for $10

Geek

Suh-WEET!

For $10 that really is a steal..! Thats a great looking razor with that worked spine and gorgeous scales.

Sorry to hear about your bad luck. Tell ya what i will give you$11 for it and take it off your hands.

SWEET!!! I have a new love for Bokers after my last shave. Let us know how she is. Hope to see it in the SOTD!

What a sweet looking piece of steel! Congratulations on your fortuitous find!

Great score on a beautiful Boker, Library Guy! I gotta start scouring the local shops! By the way, "Ten dolla too beaucoup," that's funny. "You numba 10 GI." Great scene from a great movie.

Uncommonly pretty Boker, with all the fancy trimmings! Congratulations The edge may improve with further honing, down the road. Takes several sessions sometimes, IMO.

That razor looks so sweet I'm not even jealous of ya!

Congrats on an excellent find!

Real nice. The 1056 with the worked spine is a honey. I've not run into a Boker that wasn't a great shaver.

Great find,nice hold on poker face,although I imagane you did a happy dance after you left-nice find
Griz