Thread: Razor Restoration for Fun & Profit...

Is it accurate to say that the restoration of straight razors is generally profitable?
I'm not so worried about the time it would take to complete a restoration, but I'm wondering if you can at least recoup the cost of equipment after cleaning up a few old shavers.
I don't have a dremel or a band saw or anything that would constitute razor restoration equipment, but I'd love an excuse to get that stuff on hand.

Of course someone who does it can best tell you but I would think that if you are highly skilled and have the right equipment and price according to the work involved you could do OK but you won't get rich and you shouldn't quit your day job.

Like any work, the best will make money out of repairing making or renovating razors.

Many of us however dabble in the renovation area as a hobby. From my experience, I would say that its an inexpensive and very enjoyable hobby. If I wanted to make money however, I would have to become a lot better and I would have to treat my hobby as work.

Hope that helps.

If I bought all the right equipment it would be very expensive because I tend to get attached to my razors and I don't think I could sell them.

I can definitively tell you that you will not make much if any profit. By the time I figure buying a scroll saw, drill press, sandpaper, coping saw, dremel, pins, brass and all these things, you could buy several out of the classifieds. I am not a good restorer yet. But, I have a stressful day job and rather than watching some of the depressing news or garbage on TV, I grab some sandpaper at night when I get home and sand. Then if the weather is too bad for golf on the weekend, I pick up the sandpaper again. For me, it lets me clear my head and getting the feeling of accomplishment after I finish one and lather up, it makes it all worth while. Don't do it just for money, do it to enjoy yourself and enjoy it. In truth, selling one to someone who finds great joy with the razor is worth more than the money. BEsides the bidding on ebay today is brutal so don't do it to try to make money, it won't be worth it.
Good Luck and Have Fun!

Originally Posted by ZMKA

Is it accurate to say that the restoration of straight razors is generally profitable?

Suuuuuuuuuuure it is, Per hour I could make more at McDonald's or Taco Bell,

Restoration is more a labor of love, not a profitable business, but yes it keeps the wife off my back as it is a self sustaining hobby... However I am not including the shop in that cost factor as I bought all my tools for gun-smithing many years ago...

If you think you are going to make money at this, you are starting off with the wrong idea.....
Now if you were to restore razors for just yourself, and then put them on E-bay, yes you might take advantage of some of the idiots out there over bidding on razors...

Not trying to neg ya out here, just keeping it real, ala Randy Jackson

You should for sure try it. It's a great process and a great feeling of accomplishment.

That said, I totally agree with Glen. It is sofa king time consuming that there is no way, at the cost of what restored razors are going for (except for those rare examples, as mentioned), that you could make money on this, alone.

Now that *that* is said. It is a very low cost of investment to play around. Some sandpaper, new pins, and a buffer of some sort.

Keep us posted (with pictures) of your restoration progress.

im lucky, im a carpenter. so all those tools like bandsaws and bench sanders i got i claimed on my taxes.

dont get me wrong i didnt make a lot back on taxes, but i have multiple uses for them. i think i got an extra $3-400 back on tools alone last year


as for the razors. shiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaaaaaaaattttt son, get a razor, fix it up, build some scales and sell it. anyone you ask who sells razors to make extra income, which lets face it we all do, will tell you that you add the cost of pins into the price. you add the price of epoxy, blades etc into the price.

just be fair. if a new blade cost 30 dollars and epoxy is 5 and you are making scales for a razor out of wood you have left over dont add $35 on top of the price you already plan to sell it for. but adding $3-$5 extra isnt a crime. now if you produce 6 razors that band saw blade is paid for. see what im saying. like i said, be fair though, as tough as times are for you they are for everyone. good luck and have fun

Originally Posted by ndw76

If I bought all the right equipment it would be very expensive because I tend to get attached to my razors and I don't think I could sell them.

thats so true

If you mean profitable to be..."make back my costs and some minimum wage" then yes. But if you mean "full time job," then absolutely not. If it were profitable, everyone would be doing it.

I do it for the razors. I get to shave with a new razor every other day or so. Thats profit enough for me.