Missing Bevel

[Gord A]

I have an unusual 7 day set. The Solingen razors are in great shape but the box was like an Ikea kit when I received it. The box is now restored. I believe the scales are carved cow horn and are in good condition. The blades are also in great shape but on inspection they have no bevel at all so obviously have never been used. I was going to hone them up but as the blades have never been near a stone I have decided to leave them as is. How does a set that is 99% finished reach the market? Was honing the responsibility of the buyer?

 

[CpnStumpy]

When you say, don't have a bevel, are you thinking of how knives show a clear bevel?

 

[JPO]

I have no idea about the history behind why they came this way. I would get a razor without the factory edge/bevel over the so-called shave ready option. It is not uncommon to spend more time correcting a factory edge then to cut a new one.

 

[Gord A]

When you say, don't have a bevel, are you thinking of how knives show a clear bevel?

There is no evidence of a bevel at all, zero spine wear and I don't think they have ever been shave ready. It's as if they were shipped directly after hollow grinding. I don't need any more razors to shave with (I'm probably not alone here.) so I'm just going to enjoy them as they are. It would be interesting however if anyone else has come across something like this.
One suggestion was that they had been made by an independent artisan, shipped to a larger organization for sale and were never finished ???

 

[DrStrange]

I have an unusual 7 day set. The Solingen razors are in great shape but the box was like an Ikea kit when I received it. The box is now restored. I believe the scales are carved cow horn and are in good condition. The blades are also in great shape but on inspection they have no bevel at all so obviously have never been used. I was going to hone them up but as the blades have never been near a stone I have decided to leave them as is. How does a set that is 99% finished reach the market? Was honing the responsibility of the buyer?

Some razors were sold like that.

I have a pair of NOS Ern S525 blades.
I acquired them separately.
One was made for the Spanish retail market.

Both of them have flat edges,
like ice skates without the sharp corners.

 

[Gamma]

A lot of 7 day Solingen sets were sold as souveniers, and many of them were sold without having been honed. I've seen quite a few like that. Probably sold wholesale to a gift shop and then sold in haste to tourists running to an airport.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

They have been polished on a buffer and the bevels buffed off.

While they may not have a whole bevel now, there are remnants of a bevel at the heel of the second photo and a bit of hone wear on the toe and near the middle. Note the uneven S edge, in the third photo where the heel was forced onto the stone.

Also looks to have been hand sanded with sanding stria on the belly of both blades parallel to the spine.

All common indicators of a buffing wheel. Both are in need of heel correction, which may be why they were not used much.

Nice razors and scales. Hard to say from photos, but likely bone.

 

[Gord A]

They have been polished on a buffer and the bevels buffed off.

While they may not have a whole bevel now, there are remnants of a bevel at the heel of the second photo and a bit of hone wear on the toe and near the middle. Note the uneven S edge, in the third photo where the heel was forced onto the stone.

Also looks to have been hand sanded with sanding stria on the belly of both blades parallel to the spine.

All common indicators of a buffing wheel. Both are in need of heel correction, which may be why they were not used much.

Nice razors and scales. Hard to say from photos, but likely bone.

Thanks Brad, I think you're right and very observant of you. I am going to enjoy them as is.
I have always wanted a 7 day set since my Dad told me about them when he set me up with my first straight razor over 60 years ago. Never looked back.