Bought my first straight razor... Solingen Crown and Sword

Originally I had intended on buying a Gillette Super Speed safety razor, and may still do so, but this literally fell into my hands so I couldn't pass it up.

I work at an antiques store in London, and this old guy came in with a few bits, this razor being one of them. The blade is clean, no pitting, looks hardly used. The pivot pin is solid and the blade falls cleanly between the scales.

Like most other Crown and Blades, it is stamped ERN on the back and says 'Best Silver Steel' on the top and 'Made in Germany' below the ERN.

Im deciding whether or not to delve further into the straight razor experience or sell it and carry on with my original plan...

keep it, have it honed, shave with it
welcome aboard!

Any idea to its age? Its hard with straight razors, much easier with safety razors for some reason...

Time frames for straights are normally decades rather than specific quarters of a year, some brands are plentiful, others are scarce. Taking a guess, 30's - 50's.

ERN made a lot of razors and Crown & Sword was the top of the line. I've owned a few and they were all excellent shavers.

That's a beauty...

If that razor fell into my hands, it would not be going anywhere!

OMG that is one pretty straight

Sigh,

Okay Im slowly starting to become convinced to keep this thing... where in the UK should I have it taken to be honed? I don't want to drop it off with someone who will do less than the best work.

I can tell Im in for a life changing experience somehow...

I believe a gent named Neil Miller does alot of honing in the UK..

http://www.strop-shop.co.uk/

Neil is the man in the UK.

I have an 1166 myself.
And excellent razor, takes a wicked sharp edge & still very smooth.
Like someone said before, C&S was ERN's top of the line straights & that says a whole lot, since ERN was a very well regarded Solingen maker.

As for honing, Neil Miller is an awesome guy to deal with.
Also Steve Dempster @the invisible edge is a very knowledgeable guy.
I've shaved with razors honed by both of them & they are both excellent honesters IMO.

Hello repeatclicks.
On the other hand, if you must go DE, I have got an almost brand new ( I have only used it twice- has been cleaned and put away in it's original box), "Merkur of Solingen Vision 2000 Safety Razor - in Brushed Chrome". I am willing to swap it as I have gone with straight razors only.
http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/shaving/safety-razors/vision2000-merkur-safety-2000.php

bambos said:

Hello repeatclicks.
On the other hand, if you must go DE, I have got an almost brand new ( I have only used it twice- has been cleaned and put away in it's original box), "Merkur of Solingen Vision 2000 Safety Razor - in Brushed Chrome". I am willing to swap it as I have gone with straight razors only.
http://www.executive-shaving.co.uk/shaving/safety-razors/vision2000-merkur-safety-2000.php

Click to expand...

No offense, but I don't think that would be a fair trade at all. He would be trading a super nice straight for a razor that is so huge many would consider it to be un-usable.

I certainly don't think it is the best choice for a first DE razor.

If he decided to part with it, he would be able to use the resulting funds to buy 2-3 really nice usable** double edge razors.


**It's just my opinion, but I think of the Vision as being a clown razor.

Another vote for keeping it, having it honed, and using it!

If you work at an antiques store, you should be able to find through the shop or through networking, a cheap SS or similar vintage Gillette, if you are somewhat patient about it. Or, you could find a user grade SS or Tech on the BST to hold you over until you can find something really pretty to use.

Although I prefer the shave and experience while using a straight, I can't always wake up with enough time to do the whole routine in the mornings during the work week, so I found a simple DE setup that works and have learned to use that well. Now, I get a DFS every day during the week and I'm not stressed or rushed in the mornings, and my straights get treated better since I have time to clean them up properly after each shave.

Thanks everyone for keeping a look out for me! I don't know its true value, but I reckon somewhere around the £70-100 mark. Doesn't really matter to me anyway.

The more I hold it, the more I want to keep it. Strange how a blade can have that sort of power haha!

Get it honed and try it, if you dont get on with it then think about moving on, if you want a de look around the bst, loads of good razors on there to start you off, and well priced.

Happy Shaving!! That's quite a nice razor!

What about strops? I need one obviously... does it need to be linen backed? What does the linen do?

What's a reputable strop? I want to get a quality one straight away.

Neil Miller http://www.strop-shop.co.uk does all of my honing, and he also makes and supplies top quality strops. Enjoy straight shaving and welcome to the club!