I assume many of you know this list of vintage straight razor manufactuers but since I'm a "noob" with the straight razor and a quick search didn't turn it up, I'm posting it. List Here
Thought it's not complete (Jernbolaget, C.V. Heljestrand, Klas Törnblom, E.A. Berg are just some obvious ones missing ) it's a good reference! Thanks!
It is British, American and German heavy, just 'cause that'll cover a LOT of what's out there. But it is a GREAT resource.
some more names Nice one Bronco! here's another useful list with photos http://straightrazorplace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Category:Straight_Razor_Database And for your amusement, some known brand names (without dates or locations, etc). Please pardon the links, most of them only take you to a form on the SRP wiki from which to enter mfr info to start a new article Charles Adams & Co. Joseph Allen & Sons Adolphe Arbenz American Knife Co. Joseph Badger & Sons John Baker & Co. A.F. Bannister & Co I. & J. Barber Barber, John Frederick Barnes & Co. Barnsley Bros. Usa Bengall George Bennett & Co. Binghampton Cutlery Co. William And John Birks Brammall Briggs Brittain, Wilkinson & Brownell Broch & Thiebes Cutlery Co. Brookes & Crookes Brown Razor Co. Brown Bros Razor Co. Buck Bros. Burkinshaw, Aaron Butcher, Brown & Butcher William & Samuel Butcher/Wade & Butcher George Butler & Co Charles Cadman & Sons Thomas Radley Cadman & Sons Charles Cammell & Co Ltd Cammell, Laird & Co Ltd Challenge Razor Works W. R. Case & Sons Charlton Bros. Clark & Hall F.A. Clauberg & Co. Clauss Clyde Steel Works/Samuel Osborn & Co John Coe & Co Colley & Co Congreve, Charles Continental Cutlery Co/Alfred Field & Co Cooper Bros & Sons Ltd John Copley & Sons Alexander Coppel Cutlery Co Henry Cowlishaw G.F. Creutzberg Jonathan Crookes & Son A.J. Curtiss Depew Derby Razor Company Diamond Edge Diamond Spear S.R. Droescher Dovo Edlis Barber Supply Electric Elgin-American Manufacturing Co. Salim Elias Thomas Ellin & Co Elliot, Joseph Joseph Elliott (Eliot) & Sons Wm. Elliot & Co. Empire Razor John Engstrom Eskilstuna C. Friedr. Ern & Co. Excelsior Cutlery Co. Eye Witness (Eyewitness) Works/Needham, Veall & Tyzack Bj Eyre & Co/Wiebusch & Hilger Ltd Fenney, Frederick Joseph Fenton & Sons Alfred Field & Co Harry Fisher Flagg Cutlery Ford & Medley George Forzley & Co. Friedman (Friedmann) & Lauterjung Germania Cultery Works Germany Ca. 1896-1938. Wm. Gilchrist Charles G. Grah Greaves, William William Greaves William Greaves And Sons Greaves, W & Sons/ Thomas Turton & Sons Ltd Griffin Cutlery Works Hahn, Ph. Importer, New York City. Hale Brothers Hall, Jonathan Hambleton, W.B. Samuel Hancock & Sons Thomas Hanover Thomas Hardy & Sons Harrington, Henry Harrison Bros. & Howson Hawcroft & Pearson Sheffield - 1835-1844 Joseph Haywood & Co Ja Henckels Herbrand Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett & Co Hm & Co/Hills, Menke & Co Henry Hobson & Son Hobson, Houghton & Co Ltd Jonathan Hobson Home Run Razor Hoosier Razor W & S Horrabin R. Hovenden (Hovender) & Sons Howell & Co Ltd Wr Humphreys & Co Hunold Hunt, Jonathan Michael Hunter & Sons Hustler/Clifton & Co Ltd W & H Hutchinson (Hutchenson) George Wostenholm & Son Ibbotson, Peace & Co Imperial Razor Jackson Knife & Shear Co. William Jackson & Co Christopher Johnson & Co George Johnson & Co Johnson, James Johnson Western Works Nasib Jureidini Said Khalil Jureidini Ar Justice (Justus) Co Kampfe Bros. Frank Kappler A. Kastor & Bros Henry Keidel & Co. William J. Klauberg Koken Barber Supply George W. Korn Razor Manufacturing Co. R. Korkemas & Co Landers, Frary & Clark Layman & Carey Co. Little Valley Knife Association Lockwood Bros Ltd Hg Long & Co/Long Hawksley & Marples/Long Hawksley & Co Maher & Grosh Najeeb Malluk Manhattan Cutlery Co/John Newton & Co Joseph Mappin & Brothers Mab Co., The Mappin Bros Mappin & Webb Co Marples & Co Marsden Bros & Co Marsden & Beeton March Bros & Co Marsh & Shepherd Marshes & Shepherd John Mcclory & Sons Ltd Hugo Melchior Supply Co. Metropolitan Manufacturing Co Millbury Razor Co. John Morton & Co Naylor & Sanderson Naylor & Son Ce Needham & Bros Needham, Veall (Veal) & Tyzack Francis Newton & Sons Benjamin Nicholson & Sons John Nicholson & Sons William & Thomas Nicholson Norris, Samuel Northfield Cutlery Co. Norwich Cutlery Co. John Nowill (Nowell) & Sons C & M Obenauer Owl Walsh, Lovett & Co Parkin/Staniforth Parkin & Co Parton And Osborne Hannah Patten John Petty And Sons Philadelphia Barber Supply Co Charles Pickslay & Co C. Platts & Sons C. Platts' Sons John Henry Pottery Preston Bros. Pribyl Bros. Celebrated Cutlery M. Price Prima Kannreuther & Co John & William Ragg Rahaim & Malhami Ransom & Randolph Razorine Manufacturing Co Reichard & Scheuber Mfg Co F. Alfred Reichardt Reinhard - Dinkelmann & Co Revisor Frederick Reynolds Roberts, Smith & Co Joseph Rodgers (Rogers) & Sons William A. Rogers, Ltd William Rogers, Jr William Rogers Manufacturing Co. William H. Rogers John Russell Cutlery Co. J M Schmid & Son Henry Sears & Co H. Sears Mfg Henry Sears & Son Sears, Roebuck Seebohm (Seebahm) & Dieckstahl John Sellers & Sons John Shaw & Sons Sheffield Flatware Co. Ltd Sheffield Industrial & Provident Cutlery Trading Co Sheffield Safety Shaver Co. Sheffield Scissor, Razor & Tool Co J. Shephard Shepherd, John Simmons Hardware Co Slack & Grinold Slater Bros George Smith & Sons J Smith & Son Smith Brothers Southern & Richardson Sperry & Alexander Stacey Bros Standart Bros William Staniforth (Stanifarth) William Thomas Staniforth (Stanifarth) Staniforth, Parkin & Co W. Stenton & Son R S Stenton Swedish Razor Co George H Taylor & Brother Taylor Bros Taylor Bros Cutlery Co Taylor Witness/Needham, Veall (Veal) & Tyzack Thomas Turner & Co Tidioute Cutlery Co Tipton Cutlery Co Torrey Razor Co Trenton Razor Co Joseph Turner Joseph Tyzack & Son C F Ulmer Unwin & Rogers (Rodgers) Ltd. Van Camp Hardware & Iron Co Vom Cleff, R Vonnegut Hardware Co Ernest Voos Wade, Robert Wade & Butcher Wade, Wingfield (Winfield) & Rowbotham William & Samuel Butcher/Wade & Butcher Walker & Hall Samuel Warburton Warburton, Thomas Washington Cutlery Co Edward Weck Wiebusch & Hilger Ltd Wilkinson Sword Co Ltd H. Wilkinson Wilson, Hawkesworth, Ellison & Co Jacob Wiss Cutlery Co. J. Wiss & Sons A. Witte Cutlery Co Francis T Witte Hardware Co Cf Wolfertz Co Wolfertz & Waldman George Woodhead & Son Woodworth Knife Works B Worth & Son Wostenholm, George George Wostenholm & Son John Wragg
Great information from lee but here is another piece of information a new straight razor user like myself needs to know. What is the fair market value of a straight razor from various makers. Would you please lee take your list and sort the makers based on what a fair price for a straight from each of the makers is. For example there might be a group $100 - $150 and another group $150 - $200 with various makers under each catagory. I think that this result would prove very helpful to new users like myself.
:happy097 Sure Lee will do that. He has plenty of time now that he is taking a break from the arcade. Right, Lee? JB, a lot of those manufacturers no longer are in operation. Which makes their razors vintage, which makes the values of the various razors from ONE manufacturer worth various amounts based on condition, rarity, etc. Too many variables to do what you're asking.
Holy crap, JB, that's a tall order...are you willing to pay for that? Not to mention that value is purely market driven, i.e. not at all stable. I have one book from 1997 or so that lists the base value of a collector grade Genco at $12....which makes me almost cry.
Those lists are quite impressive! I agree with the Queen, there are WAY too many variables to ranking them in any order. How do you compare vintage razors from different areas, different times, etc...? Perceived value is based on the market, the buyer, seller, and the condition, and change continually. In one circumstance brand A may be worth 10X brand B. Take another pair of straights on a different day, different place, and brand B is worth 10X more than brand A.
You can't sort brands by value. Imagine trying to line up every Ford ever made and putting them all into a price range - you'd have $100 to $1,000,000 depending on thousands of variables; brand is usually only a very small part of a razor's value Now, there are a few brands that only appeared on razors for a short period of time (eg. 1875-1877), so you could possibly assign a base value to such a brand, making allowance for condition, attractiveness of design, and practical considerations as multipliers. But many brands like Wostenholm and Wade & Butcher produced razors of all kinds for over a hundred years - even if you had a lot from every year of one particular such brand all in the same condition, and the market was absolutely stable and predictive, the dollar values would have a wide range. But as more and more people are buying, selling, and collecting straight razors, the market is in more and more fluctuation. No thanks to eBay Even antique shops do their homework on eBay and then go adjust the price tags in their displays. And oftentimes (especially since so many older straights were hand-made) a razor may appear to be unique and there really is no good estimate of value at all. To me one might be worth $10 and to you $500 or vice versa Lee's market opinion: Having said all that there are two brands that always seem to sell on eBay for some sort of premium: Case (as long as the scales aren't broken) and Dubl Duck (as long as the blade isn't broken). A current fad are the big Wade & Butcher Barber's Use razors which are selling for two to ten times that of most other brands in comparable condition
