Thread: New (maybe bad choice) acquisitions... with questions

OK... So I am new to the Straight shaving but it seems logical to me to have multiple razors to choose from and so as to have one while the others are out getting honed... (I swear this is not the beginning of RAD!!! ) well... I happen to be around an antique shop today and decided to pick up a couple of items, now again I'm pretty new, and well I may have made a mistake in getting these but I liked the idea of possibly having them restored and using them as I like the looks of them and hope this will be possible... I picked up all 3 items for a grand total of $70 and thought that maybe i got an ok deal... the brush is an old Ever-Ready on the bottom reads "150" I'm guessing from the looks of the hair its probably boar and pretty stiff, doesn't look like its bloomed at all but that may be from having been stored for a very long time... The first razor with the black broken scales is an H. Boker and Co. # 387, and the white one I am unsure about the MM is difficult to read but from what I can make out it has a top line that I can only see ends in "ING" and the second line says "Cutler to the Queen" and the third reads "EDINR". now I know there is a bit of rust on these but from what I recall seeing in some of the forums here some pretty rusty blades have been brought back to life before... The white one has quite a bit of damage to the edge itself multiple chips and what not but the rust looks like its all towards the spine...


the real questions I have are:
1) is restoration of these blades even possible??
2) does anyone know what the one in the white scales might be?
3) would anyone here in the member services dept. be willing to give me a rough (and understandably VERY rough) estimate as to what it may cost to restore these via pm?? (maybe using a set of old Tree stamped Boker scales for the re-scaling?)

Looks to me, since they are heavy grinds, that the razors can be brought back to service. I'd forget the brush though. YMMV.

Why forget the brush?? due to age?? or because its boar??

I think the brush is cool. It needs a bit of cleaning, and a new knot, but I would restore it.

edit:
White scales look like celluloid, hard to tell from the pics.

Originally Posted by Murmle

Why forget the brush?? due to age?? or because its boar??

I guess it would be alright if it was cleaned up. i like boar brushes BTW, but I guess I'm a brush snob and like new brushes

The scales on the rusty one look like ivory or bone to me. No collars on the pins usually is a natural material IME.

I had a feeling they would be Ivory as they are very thin and light but I'm certainly no expert!! The only thing I can find online in regards to the stamp on this is a brief reference in a book called "The Sessional Papers printed by the order of the House of Lords or Presented by Royal Command" it appears to be a copy of the 1872 session of The House of Lords in regards to Claims of Peerage... and it involves a razor marked "YouNG, Cutler to the Queen, Edinburgh" any other information would be great!!

Here is a close up of the Mark (or what remains...)

Seems the blade in the ivory scales is done. Why not get the other blade into that nice Ivory?
You would have something nice!

Nothing wrong with that brush handle,pull the knot and redo it.
Ivory????????

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Seems the blade in the ivory scales is done. Why not get the other blade into that nice Ivory?
You would have something nice!

I think with some sanding and a lot of honing that blade can be brought back, it looks like it's got some life left. The scales definitely look like ivory.

they are more than okay to be restored, as far as costs go...keep that in private messages. you can find loads of members who offer these service in the classified secction. just pm them and you can discuss all possible options. i would reccomend gsixgun as my number 1. I love his work and you just might too. nice finds anyways. cheers,
shayne.