Thread: A few of my razors

Below, I’m actually posting these for a couple of other member who I wanted to show them to but, of course, everyone is welcome to view them. This is a little history of my straight razor shaving career.

In the first pic showing the 4 razors going from top to bottom:

• My very first razor I bought about 21 years ago. It’s a Hoffritz 5/8 that I bought when I was about 22 years old. I bought it with the intention of shaving with a str8 but didn’t know a new razor was not shave ready and needed to be honed. Talk about a painful experience! This was in the days just before internet & SRP so, needless to say, it went in the drawer for the next 20 years. Some time after all of this crisis came about with the economy, I decided I wanted to give it another try in order save money with shaving. BTW: This is the razor I’m currently shaving with right now and does a wonderful job!
• This was my second razor I had my local barber order in August, 2009. It’s a C-Mon Cadillac 5/8. I think it’s a beautiful razor for what I paid for it brand new. It’s a good shaver too!
• My first ebay buy. Talk about getting lucky on the first buy from ebay. It’s a J.A. Whitson 4/8 in perfect condition made sometime around the 1930’s. This one has turned out to give me one of the best shaves ever!
• Another ebay buy and my first “Somewhat” of a restore. When I bought it, the scale was broken if half and I paid about $15.00 for it. It's a George Wostenholm & Son Pipe razor. I bought a plastic replacement scale from SRD for dirt cheap, un-pinned it, did some sanding & polishing on it and re-pinned it. I have plans to un-pin it again to do some more restoring on it.

In the second pic showing 3 razors going from top to bottom:

• My first Wade & Butcher. I love the shave I get from this razor! I don’t think it’s that old of a razor but I still love it. It’s a rounded or “Smiling blade” and was a little difficult to hone for the first time. If anyone has any info on the age of this one, please let me know.
• One of my pride & joys. It’s a Clark & Hall, full wedge with a bone scale, probably made in the late 1700’s. I can’t wait for the day I get the time to hone this one up and shave with it.
• Last but not least, my latest restore. It’s a Packwood with a bone scale made somewhere around 1820 to 1840 or so. The blade looked much worse, with very little shiny metal, than the Clark & Hall when I started with it. I actually started on this one back in April of this last year. No, I haven’t been working on it since then. It’s been sitting in the end table beside my chair in the den since early May. I’ve been having so many other things going on with work and all, I haven’t had the time to know I will be able to finish it once I pick it up again. I would rather leave something alone, knowing I won't have the time to finish it than start on it and have to stop again.

I hope all you razor lovers enjoy the pics and share some stories as well.

Nice collection you've got going there. Thanks for sharing

wow nice collection you got there,Keep us posted if you add to your collection.

Love that pipe razor. It will be interesting to hear how your razor from the 1700's hones up and shaves. Lots of history in your collection. Thanks!

Very nice bunch of razors thanks for sharing. I'm impressed by your Clark and Hall obviously. Lot of history there. Imagine all the places that little razor has been and all the people who have owned it over the years... Also I love the Wade and Butcher - what a beautiful blade! I haven't seen a "smiling" blade as you called it before (but i haven't seen many razors either). Is that style particular to a certain era or manufacturer?

I gotta laugh when I hear people talking about SR shaving and saving money. That may be the intent, but I doubt it really happens. I've spent at least 2k since I started this hobby in October.

I wonder how many people actually save money with this hobby. There is just too many things that you can get hooked on...

Razors
Hones
Strops
Brushes
preshaves
aftershaves
soaps, creams, balms
restoration equipment

and probably more I'm missing.


Also, nice looking razors!

Very nice a few sweet hearts there for sure

Very nice stuff
Thanks for sharing.

[QUOTE]

Originally Posted by jcsixx

I gotta laugh when I hear people talking about SR shaving and saving money. That may be the intent, but I doubt it really happens. I've spent at least 2k since I started this hobby in October.

I wonder how many people actually save money with this hobby. There is just too many things that you can get hooked on...

I make my self laugh about it. I actually meant to elaborate a little on that when I posted the thread but it was getting late and I needed to finish and get to bed. All you need to do is look at those pics to tell I haven't saved any money! Those razors weren't free! LOL! Although, If I could contain my vintage razor buying frenzie, I would only be spending about $1.00 per month on my soap. It still beats buying razors knowing you will only throw them away.