How to recognize a decent razor at a flea market?

[Magruder]

I prowl the flea markets for old safety razors, and see quite a few straights as well. In fact I see about as many straights as I do DE's.

Up until now I've just been after the DE razors, but lately I can hear the straights calling to me.

If I'm looking for a usable used razor, what do I need to look for, and what should I avoid? How do you tell if a razor is suitable to use?

[Austin]

Hopefully one of our resident experts will chime in. Nevertheless, I would make sure the blade is not pitted or damaged. Check the spine and make sure it is not worn out. Good luck.

[Magruder]

Uh oh, I posted this in the wrong forum. Should be in the straight razor forum

I don't see a smiley that blushes from embarrassment.....

[berzerkeleyan]

I don't see a smiley that blushes from embarrassment.....

: blushing : = :blushing:

I know b/c I use it a lot. :biggrin:

[rtaylor61]

This isn't as complicated as it may first appear. First, it's nice if the scales are in good condition, but they are replaceable. As Andrew suggested, pitting is a concern, especially if it is on or very near the edge. Look for uneven wear from bad honing. The edge should be straight and uniform, not have large curves. For example, if you are looking at a 5/8 razor, the blade should be 5/8 from the heel to the toe. There may be some minor variance, but if it is 5/8 at the heel and 3/8 at the toe, that is not what you want to take home. If there are large amounts of rust, you may want to pass on that as well. All of this is not to say that the razor you buy will be shave ready.

Randy

[Joe Chandler]

There are lots of things to look for, but in general, I'd offer these few tips:
1) Country of origin. U.S., English, Swedish, German, and French razors are generally safe bets. Avoid Pakistani stuff, always...and apparently they did make them there a long time ago, as I found some really old Pakistani razors in an antique shop.
2) Brands. Honestly, I pay way more attention to country of origin than brand names, but there are a few that are almost guaranteed to be great shavers. Wade & Butcher, F. Reynolds, Dubl Duck, Boker, Henckels, Joseph Rodgers, Greaves, Wester Bros., and Filarmonica, Hjelstrand, Hellberg, Torrey, Waterville, Joh. Engstrom, to name but a few. They have consistently proven to be great shavers, with very little variation in quality.
3) Condition. Excessive wear, rust, pitting...all these are to be avoided if possible. If it's a wedge type, they can be reground. Full hollows...let's just say I wouldnt. If it has pitting, no big deal unless it's near the edge. Spine pitting, and pitting higher up on the blade really only affects cosmetics, not the function.
This probably isn't a complete answer, but it's a good start. What's really fun is when you get to where you start looking for the sorta crappy ones so you can bring them back to life.

Oh, and cracks. I can fix almost anything except a cracked blade. If it's far enough back on the edge I can't shorten the blade and take out the crack completely, the blade is ruined.

[AFDavis11]

Additionally you may pick up a simple blade for just honing practice. Most guys will buy such a razor for around $10. If you find one with a decent blade under $10 it might be worth considering.

[netsurfr]

There are lots of things to look for, but in general, I'd offer these few tips:
1) Country of origin. U.S., English, Swedish, German, and French razors are generally safe bets. Avoid Pakistani stuff, always...and apparently they did make them there a long time ago, as I found some really old Pakistani razors in an antique shop.
2) Brands. Honestly, I pay way more attention to country of origin than brand names, but there are a few that are almost guaranteed to be great shavers. Wade & Butcher, F. Reynolds, Dubl Duck, Boker, Henckels, Joseph Rodgers, Greaves, Wester Bros., and Filarmonica, Hjelstrand, Hellberg, Torrey, Waterville, Joh. Engstrom, to name but a few. They have consistently proven to be great shavers, with very little variation in quality.
3) Condition. Excessive wear, rust, pitting...all these are to be avoided if possible. If it's a wedge type, they can be reground. Full hollows...let's just say I wouldnt. If it has pitting, no big deal unless it's near the edge. Spine pitting, and pitting higher up on the blade really only affects cosmetics, not the function.
This probably isn't a complete answer, but it's a good start. What's really fun is when you get to where you start looking for the sorta crappy ones so you can bring them back to life.

Oh, and cracks. I can fix almost anything except a cracked blade. If it's far enough back on the edge I can't shorten the blade and take out the crack completely, the blade is ruined.

Joe -
Thanks for that overview of things to consider. I had been wondering about this myself and your comments really helped.
Steve