So I frequent the antique shows and shops during the year. I look for DE all the time but always run into straights. I figured I could find some that y'all would be interested in but I am not sure what to look for. Could you help me out with pointers? What should the blade look like. What are good prices? If I can find some at great prices that y'all are interested in I would love to pass them along. I was at a show yesterday and passed on a Dubl Duck?(Solingen) that looked in good condition. The sun still reflected off the blade enough to look quite usable. It shaved the hair on my arm clean(not sure if that is a no-no). The guy wanted $20. Should have snatched it up since all I can google says they sell for lots more. So what should I look for?
Learn what smiles and frowns are. Corrosion. Cracks. How loose or tight the razor is in the scales, and if loose where in the swing it's loose. The type of tip (round, square/spike, french, spanish, barber's notch, etc.) and the width of the blade in eighths or sixteenths of an inch. You can find a list of good razor companies at places like straight razor place's wiki, but in truth almost all the vintage blades are of high quality and will make excellent shavers if in good condition. Collector's are the ones looking for specific brands, users may have a hankering for one brand over another but most of that is arbitrary sentimentalism. I've gotten open razors on eBay for as little as 5 dollars. The most expensive was a fancier one that was in very good condition for an entire 61 dollars. Pre-honed or edges in pristine condition will fetch a higher price but aren't worth it if the buyer has the equipment and skills to hone it. Most razors in acceptable and salvageable condition could be between chump change up to 20-30, maybe 40 dollars. Of course, having a book on the different razor companies, as a price guide, will be much more of an authority on what's a fair price or not. Taking digital pics and uploading to appropriate forums such as these of course is the most direct method to determine if any of us are interested in any given razor. I recently purchased a "Paul Kindermann" razor out of Ohio. It was old and in pretty fair condition, cleaned up quickly with MAAS metal polish and rust remover. I put tape on the spine and revealed fresh new bevel metal. It honed up quickly and easily. The first two shaves were a little rough and left my skin pinkish (not tender or irritated or razor-bumpy) but the third time was a charm because running the new edge across my skin eventually tamed it. A thin little 4/8th that provides as close a shave as could be expected for the grit level that it was honed up to. Six dollars and fifty cents for a razor that could provide daily shaves for the rest of my life. Not a bad deal...
Here's my check list: Hone wear: I know a lot of people will pass on a blade if it has a lot of hone wear (this is somewhat subjective, based on how hollow/how wedge-ish the blade is, but that's not my point). I, however, look for good blades. As long as the honewear isn't ridiculous, I still go for it. Don't sweat the wear unless it looks like the blade was once a 7-8/8, and is now a 4/8. Edge: If you're planning on trying to hone it yourself, look for a blade that isn't smiling or frowning, just for ease of learning. If you plan on having it honed by a pro, smiles are fine (I like smiling edges, myself) but always avoid the frowns. No one likes those (small frowns can be honed out, but if it's bigger than about 1-2/8 of an inch, just pass on it) Chips: Should be pretty obvious, but if the chip is big, just pass on it. Cracks: Check carefully for this one, some cracks can't be seen when you first look, carefully check the blade for hairline cracks. There's no honing those out. Rust/corrosion: Generally, if it's away from the edge, it's not too important, but if it's near the edge, just steer clear of it till you're more experienced. That's all I've got for now...
I'm not interested in honing any of these things or possibly using them. Just hoping to pass some along to y'all that are collectors or don't get the chance to look for older ones. Thanks for the info it looks like I could make some good decisions on what y'all have passed along.
Great info here! If you plan to shave with the blade you will need to learn to hone, so plan on purchasing the stones and learn how to use them. Paying attention to what is good steel is the priority. Some people (collectors mostly) will look at how beautiful the scales are, scales are meant to protect you from the sharp blade and to protect the blade from damage. Scales can be replaced, steel lasts forever! Pay attention to what ShavedZombie has pointed out.
Anyone can purchase straight razors. As its been stated though, you need to know what hone wear, frowns, pits, cracks and chips are and how each will effect the finished product. You also need to know if you are buying for resale purposes what the razor is worth, how much it will take to fix it, and how much skill you have in repairs. There are plenty of great shavers that sell on ebay every day. However, the name brands are often way over priced. These old large wedges leave lots of metal to make pit removing easier. Full hollow ground razors with cracks are essentially worthless in my mind. I am not a moderator or anything, but I can look at pics usually and tell you what its worth, where it was made, and how hard it is to fix. I love shopping for razors, but so many people are hoarding the old ones so sadly many of them will never get used. There are also people who build huge collections of razors that they will never use and refuse to let others have a chance to use them and that is sad. Its the greed of the world we live in. Just keep looking and you will learn what quality is and isn't. All things come with practice. You'll be amazed at what you find also. Good Luck!
