Thread: My new recent purchase!!!

Hi everyone!
I have purchased recently this "hamburgh ring" straight razor in a ebay auction.
Unfortunatly the condition are very poorly,the vendor say "only minor scratch and quite shave ready"
The photo in my opinion were not bad,and in the shank were stamped "extra hollow grind" and decided immediatly to buy it, i pay only 12.5 E for it shipping cost included!
The razor come to my home after 10 days but after a quick eye control.... what a shame!!!! (see photos)
In my opinion in new condition the blade was 7/8,now after over over over overhoning became a tad more of 6/8,it has also an estimated 0.4 mm reversed "smile" ,the last part of the blade near the edge its very very very stiff it dont flex at all pressed on the finger nail,it has near 0.35 mm wide honed edge and last but not least also the spine its not straight but about 0.4 mm curved in one side!!
In this condition its a piece of junk,i disassembled it immediatly and i am thinking about try to regrind it, alot of work !!!.
I still watched the ebay photo and i must honestly admit that the photo were enough clear to understand all the defects (exept the curved spine),in the hurry for buying i dont care much for details and this is all!!
My big error.
What do you think about,have you had similar experience???
Franz Kleber

Originally Posted by franzkleber

What do you think about,have you had similar experience???

Yup, I imagine most of us who have waded in ebay's waters have made purchases that weren't what they appeared to be.

Yep, I recently got one that looked fine in the photos. After getting it, it turned out one of the scales had broken and been glued back together. It was impossible to see this in the photos. Not too terrible a job but not as advertised. Ah well, we shall see how well it shaves.

You might want to pick up the Bill Ellis CD on restoration. He has a nice little section there on things to look at in the eBay pictures to at least minimize getting stung. Since watching it, I've noticed more. Like a blade that appears waay to short for the scales indicating the original tip may have been broken off. Really an eye opener.