Multiple questions from an interested DE shaver

[WVUfanMG]

Greetings gents! I've been DE shaving for the last few months and have gotten into collecting them and vintage shave brushes. Now the itch to try a straight has started to tug at me and I recently got an offer to purchase some straights from an individual who sold me an Ever Ready brush. Here are the photos:


They're low quality, but that's what I was given. My questions are these: What are they? Would it be worth getting any of these and having them honed, or should I just purchase from Whipped Dog? I have no idea what I'm looking at when it comes to straights, so I sure appreciate any help you all can give me.

I'm sure I'll be asking many more questions during this process. Thanks!

 

[Sando]

They look to me to be good quality but of modest value. But that doesn't really matter at this point. Each should clean up and hone up fine.

Here's what I'd do with them: use an old toothbrush and some cleaner like Scrubbing Bubbles. Scrub them good but a little mark or patina here and there isn't a big deal as long as it's not on the edge. Sanitize them. Then contact a honer from here on B&B and send them out to be sharpened. Then you got 3 fine shavers to learn straight shaving with. Later, you can fancy them up with scales etc. and/or learn honing with them.

 

[WVUfanMG]

Thanks Sando! I'll see what kind of deal I can get on them.

 

[Dave Colangelo]

I would give rickboone1 a shout, he does rounds of free honings and does a great job. Try and get on to one of his rounds and get the razors honed up. As stated above clean them up a bit, I uses metal polish on the blades works well. Be careful around the edges even a dull razors is still sharp by knife standards. Get them all honed or get 2 honed and keep one to teach yourself how to hone if you want to learn. You will also need a good strop once they are honed and in shave shape. If you find you like the straights over the DE's then I would look into getting a new one. Personally I find it takes longer and since a new straight is a bit more than your average DE you may want to decide you really like it before you invest in it.

Regards
Dave

 

[Mikishots]

Is there any discernible text on the tang? Hard to see from these images.

Other than that, the edges appear to be fairly straight, the discoloration seems to be minimal (the blade's metal seems to be in pretty good condition) and the scales are fairly clean and even in appearance. I'm thinking that these will clean up nicely. 30-40 bucks for the lot would seem reasonable to me.

 

[Slash McCoy]

What they said!

I wouldn't mind seeing close ups of the tang stamping or engraving and also any blade etching. I can't tell what they are but chances are they will hone up just fine. The butterscotch looks interesting. Don't overpay though. Priceless relics they are not. Decent razors they probably are.

 

[WVUfanMG]

Roger that guys! I haven't heard back from the seller, but it sounded like she thought they were worth a fortune. I'll see if I can get them all for 30-35. I couldn't distinguish the stamping or anything, even after enhancing it in Photoshop, they were just low quality images she threw in message. I'll keep you guys posted if she responds to my other inquiries.

 

[Krodor]

Would it be worth getting any of these and having them honed, or should I just purchase from Whipped Dog? I have no idea what I'm looking at when it comes to straights, so I sure appreciate any help you all can give me.

they are exactly the kind you'd get from Larry @ Whipped dog...perfectly adequate but no frills....the kind I like.

I'm sure I'll be asking many more questions during this process. Thanks!

just try to stop us from answering them, bickering over the answer, then offering to out do each other to hone them all for you (yes, that is an offer from me if you get one...I'll hone one up, gratis).

 

[WVUfanMG]

I swear, this site never ceases to amaze me. At the rate we're going, I'm going to have to use a random number generator to see who hones my first straight!