I grabbed another new razor today :D

[cevulirn]

http://i53.tinypic.com/2vujaqc.jpg
http://i52.tinypic.com/2rpfcwn.jpg

I handed the seller a $20, and he said deal. Zero nicks, no pitting on the edge, honed up nice. I feel like I practical stole it :D

Its a little plain looking, but good steel is good steel :D The blade measures at about 11/16ths. A little simichrome and she polished up real nice, just a few spots on the blade, not sure if I want to take the time to work em out, or keep it as is.


Its a W.H. Morley & Sons, Clover brand. As near as I can tell it was made between 1913 and 1927.

[l921428x]

Hey I got a straight edge razor, it was given to me years ago, by my wifes grandmother. Robeson, Worchester NY model 34-D-300. Wadda ya think?
Has patina no nicks.

[Richard Simmons]

That's a nice one! I've started keeping an eye out for those when I browse estate auctions. What's the average price range for a good quality razor, say pre WWII?

[cevulirn]

Expect the base price of a decent razor to be about $20 in an antique shop. If they are selling it for less it might be damaged or known to be of poor quality, so pay attention. If the razer looks 'nice' expect to pay more, and if it is stamped with Sheffield or Solingen expect to pay more. A little bit of trivia, If a razor is stamped with 'Sheffield, England' it was manufactured after 1892, if its just stamped 'Sheffield' it was made before :D Just make sure the blade isn't warped or frowning.

[cevulirn]

Hey I got a straight edge razor, it was given to me years ago, by my wifes grandmother. Robeson, Worchester NY model 34-D-300. Wadda ya think?
Has patina no nicks.

I'd like to see it :D Have you ever shaved with it?

[Richard Simmons]

A frown would indicate over sharpening/honing?

[l921428x]

I'd like to see it :D Have you ever shaved with it?

Never shaved with it, as I have no knowledge of how to sharpen it. I will try to post a pic.

[cevulirn]

A frown would indicate over sharpening/honing?

A frown would indicate poor technique while honing. Easy way to check is to hold the edge against something flat. If you can see light through the middle and the edges are touching the surface, its called a frown. If the middle touches and the ends are not, its called a smile. Generaly you want the edge to be perfectly straight or have a slight smile, although I've a couple older wedges that were made with a smile. Its a little trickier to sharpen a smile, but you can still shave with one just fine, Some blades even have a pretty extreme smile by design.

Also, a little hone wear isn't a bad thing, its a natural part of a razor with some history to it. Its the 'Oh my god, what did they do to the blade?' hone wear to avoid if your collecting, or even using, as it can possibly indicate abuse of the blade, and it just plain don't look nice!


Never shaved with it, as I have no knowledge of how to sharpen it. I will try to post a pic.

I'd love to see a picture of it. A lot of high quality razors were made right here in the USA. I could probably get it honed up for ya if you think you'd like to give shaving with straights a try, depending on the condition of the blade. A lot of American made razors are known for having harder steel I have a Torry brand razor with a tiny imperfection in the edge that I just can't quite polish out with my finer stones, I'm probably going to give it some more time on my 1000 grit bevel setter to get that out, then go back and put a final edge back on it.