Thread: Questions with purchasing vintage Straight Razor

Well I already am interested in purchasing a vintage Straight Razor.I have a few questions.

Before I purchase a vintage razor how do I know what can be restored and what can't? and to what degree?

I would be sending out the vintage razor for a full restoration.

I would rather buy from this boards classified section but am limited.

Do people post ebay links of what there interested in buying and does this board give feedback on the potential purchase? Or do I send the link to a person who I want to restore it so they can see what I'm interested in?

Also who are the top people to have the razors sent to for a restoration? Sites?

When buying for myself to restore a reasonable lack of rust on the blade (though depends on the blade, the wedgier ones and some of the hollows can take it) especially near the edge. Lack of major chips, smaller ones can be honed out. Blade should be straight. Scales should not be too warped unless you want new ones. I'd avoid ebay if I were you, at this stage it would be a lottery as to whether you hit a good one (and indeed can be a bit like that at any stage).

Since you'd be sending it out anyway, why not buy an already restored blade, from the classifieds or from the person you'll be sending it out to? I presume that you mean your funds are limited (mine too) and I don't see that the path you're thinking to take can save you any money. May even cost you more if, say, the temper's gone. Hope this helps.

Many, if not most, of the razors offered for sale on the classifieds here are ready to use as soon as you receive them. Look for the term " shave ready " in the ad. For your first razor I would recommend buying a shave ready razor and then start thinking about what size, grind, style of razor you want. There are ads for restoration services in the classifieds too, so look at their websites and drool over the kind of work they can do.

Originally Posted by esp

Well I already am interested in purchasing a vintage Straight Razor.I have a few questions.

Before I purchase a vintage razor how do I know what can be restored and what can't? and to what degree?

I would be sending out the vintage razor for a full restoration.

I would rather buy from this boards classified section but am limited.

Do people post ebay links of what there interested in buying and does this board give feedback on the potential purchase? Or do I send the link to a person who I want to restore it so they can see what I'm interested in?

Also who are the top people to have the razors sent to for a restoration? Sites?

Take Alan's advice; stay away from eBay initially only because you have to learn how to assess the edge and hone wear and it's often tricky to spot blade cracks on eBay because some people take poor pictures.

You can post a link to ask for advice -- but you might also gain some bidding competition.

As far as who to send your razor out to, it's really up to you. Check out the gallery to see what people are doing and send a few PMs about pricing and/or turnaround time:
Custom Builts and Restorations - Straight Razor Place Forums

And you can also look at the member services page:
Member Services - Straight Razor Place Classifieds

Go to the Gallery in the forum index here and you'll see 'show and tell', restorations and shave of the day photos. You'll be able to see members posting their work and decide for yourself who you would like to send a razor in need of restoration to.

If you want a vintage razor in minty condition they can be found and usually bring a premium price. You can also use a vintage razor that looks it's age with staining and some hone wear. Just a matter of how important the cosmetics are to you.

I look for a full blade with no frown and with an even profile. No chips visible to the naked eye. Scales in good shape. Preferably not warped but if they are where the blade will still center in between them. No cracks in the pivot pin. I don't care for rescaling razors but if the scales aren't good that is always an option if the blade is good.

As others have noted the SRP classifieds is one source or you might find good vintage razors on ebay or locally in antique stores or in flea markets. Just look for as clean a razor as you can find. For starters check out razor clubs in the forum index here and your see examples of vintage razors that members collect. There is also the razor database in the SRP Wiki with hundreds of photos of current and vintage razors here.

It's probably best to purchase a shave ready razor from one of the established specialists. You will need other kit as well, especialy a strop. It would help to know what country you are in. Search thoroughly on this website, there is a great deal of info. If you are going to purchase from somewhere like Ebay, you need to spend some time on SRP researching the best brands and equally important, the ones to avoid.

I guess there is alot to consider. This also would be my second Straight Razor. Thanks for the advice everyone.