Thread: Junkers

It has become obvious to me, through the tutelage of the experienced members of this site that i am trying to learn restoration on a blade that's way to nice for my trembling newbie mitts.

Ive never really used eBay, but i just started an account and I'm wondering if there is a go to seller for junk blades, or do i just keep my eyes open?

Finding junk blades isn't that hard.... The key ting is how much do want to pay for "junkers"?
Just keep an eye peeled...... You can find some great bargains...... All depends on how "junky" of a blade you want.
You might see one straight razor you may consider to be "junk", but someone else sees it as "treasure"....thus the bidding war.
Patience and luck....... Pay attention to the shipping costs too..... A cheap razor might not be that cheap after shipping costs.

I think there are some sites out there that do offer "junker" razors...... Others I'm sure will chime in.

Knowing what constitutes a good restorable blade is of primary importance. Experience is the best teacher but here is a place to start.Purchasing straight razors - Straight Razor Place Library . Look at the sellers feedback and set a limit of how much you are willing to bid for a particular blade and stick to it. Find a mentor here on this forum and ask his opinion.

A couple of things. If you watch a lot of razors you will begging to understand what is junk and what is a great deal. You will have to try to understand what makes them junk. There are many things to avoid. Some razors have too much corrosion near the edge, others too much hone wear, then there is chips and cracks, then there is also one that have had people work on that have had all the fine lines blown by buffing and sanding. What you do want to find is razors that look close to new, but are just a little dirty. Then when you work on them you want to preserve the shape and looks of the blade. There is a ton of restoration information on this site. Start hand tools only and work up from there. You will be amazed at what you can do with steel wool and polish. Pinning and scale making are actually harder than they first appeared to be, for me anyway. I think in the end what you are looking for is undervalued razors that need help and elbow grease.

Well, don’t buy junk razors, buy the best razor you can afford. I find good name brand razors with little or no wear under $20-30, all the time, at flea markets and antique stores. The classifieds most always have nice razors in the $50 range, shave ready.

The trick is, to walk away from a cheap, trashed razor. If you get it to shave, you still have a trashed razor. If you spend a little more money or time and you get it to shave, you will have a decent shaver.

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Well, don’t buy junk razors, buy the best razor you can afford. I find good name brand razors with little or no wear under $20-30, all the time, at flea markets and antique stores. The classifieds most always have nice razors in the $50 range, shave ready.

The trick is, to walk away from a cheap, trashed razor. If you get it to shave, you still have a trashed razor. If you spend a little more money or time and you get it to shave, you will have a decent shaver.

Thats how iwget mine.
No ebay here.

Originally Posted by RezDog

A couple of things. If you watch a lot of razors you will begging to understand what is junk and what is a great deal. You will have to try to understand what makes them junk. There are many things to avoid. Some razors have too much corrosion near the edge, others too much hone wear, then there is chips and cracks, then there is also one that have had people work on that have had all the fine lines blown by buffing and sanding. What you do want to find is razors that look close to new, but are just a little dirty. Then when you work on them you want to preserve the shape and looks of the blade. There is a ton of restoration information on this site. Start hand tools only and work up from there. You will be amazed at what you can do with steel wool and polish. Pinning and scale making are actually harder than they first appeared to be, for me anyway. I think in the end what you are looking for is undervalued razors that need help and elbow grease.

Couldn't put it any better Rez.

Once you get the hang of it,
Junk like this one I picked up over last weekend are ones that can be restored.
It will become a 5/8 instead of a 6/8. The rust isnt bad, spine wear is lite and eaven, but it has a chip in the blade at the toe and mid point that can be removed. Plus a great set of scales.
Just $10

By the way.
It was a flea market find [emoji6]

Originally Posted by outback

It was a flea market find [emoji6]

I have to see where there are some in my area. I know they have a couple huge ones closer to NYC where i used to live. There's a lot of antiques shops around here. Ill be on the prowl.

Fortunately junkers are easy to find.


I do agree with the suggestion that you should at least try to find diamonds in the rough. I used to sort my razors into three categories of boxes--1. Ready to hone 2. Fixer Uppers and 3. Wretched Refuse. The last category was just for razors that may at least yield a part, like perhaps, a thrust washer. The thing is, as time passed, some of my Wretched Refuse got promoted to Fixer Uppers as my restoration abilities improved. Hopefully the same will happen for you!