Old gunky antique razors Eww!

[TheVez2]

I've been trying to wrap my head around this for some time. I need some help.

Sometimes when searching antique stores for razors, I come across one that is gunky... really gunky. So bad I can't believe someone thought that anoyone would actually buy it in that condition. It is caked in soap and some even have hairs still stuck in them (kinda gross, but they still clean up the same). How in the heck does that happen?

Did people not rinse their razor when they were done? Did they stop in mid shave?

I keep thinking that some poor guy either had a heart attach or got shot in mid shave and when the scene was cleaned up later, they just threw the razor in a box, as is.

Or was they guy shaving in 1971 and half way through, did the guy say "to hell with it" and finished off with his new Trac II?

Ever seen a razor like that? What do you think happened?

 

[Oldguy]

I've been trying to wrap my head around this for some time. I need some help.

Sometimes when searching antique stores for razors, I come across one that is gunky... really gunky. So bad I can't believe someone thought that anoyone would actually buy it in that condition. It is caked in soap and some even have hairs still stuck in them (kinda gross, but they still clean up the same). How in the heck does that happen?

Did people not rinse their razor when they were done? Did they stop in mid shave?

I keep thinking that some poor guy either had a heart attach or got shot in mid shave and when the scene was cleaned up later, they just threw the razor in a box, as is.

Or was they guy shaving in 1971 and half way through, did the guy say "to hell with it" and finished off with his new Trac II?

Ever seen a razor like that? What do you think happened?

Unfortunately these gunky razors pop up way too often. I think all your theories are probably right. But I think more often then not these guys just don't clean their razors after shaving. I could never understand it. But worse is actually selling something in that condition.

Len

 

[Prince]

Until there is a market for vintage hair, you'd think the seller would at least try to soak the razor in some water.

 

[luvmysuper]

The up side, is they are generally considerably cheaper than their clean cousins, and with very little effort can be made to shine as well as them.

 

[DamnFineBob]

Sometimes when searching antique stores for razors, I come across one that is gunky... really gunky.

I'd count myself lucky to just find one, one razor in any condition in the local antique stores. I swear they've all been bought up by some B&B members looking to corner the market on old Gillettes.

 

[cvixx]

I have often wondered about the sellers of such razors. If the sellers would take a little time to clean the crud off they would get a lot more money, which is why they re selling it. A shiny razor has a lot more appeal than one gunked up with scum. Are they just lazy or what???

As mentioned it makes for a better deal if you are willing to take a chance on what may lie underneath!

 

[wulfgar1976]

But I think more often then not these guys just don't clean their razors after shaving. I could never understand it.

I only clean my razors before I change the blade. It seems pointless to clean them every day.

 

[kg4ghn]

I love old gunked up green razors!

If I have $10 in my pocket, I would rather get five $2 razors than one $10 razor!

A short soak in some scrubbing bubbles and an old toothbrush and we are in business!

 

[TheVez2]

The up side, is they are generally considerably cheaper than their clean cousins, and with very little effort can be made to shine as well as them.

That's why I don't mind finding them in that condition.

A shiny razor has a lot more appeal than one gunked up with scum. Are they just lazy or what???

A shiny razor is more appealing to someone who it going to use it (like you and me), but an antique dealer probably doesn't think anyone is going to actually use something like that. Their primary customer is someone who wants to buy items with that aged look. Tarnish and patina are good things in the antique world. Granted that doesn't explain why they left the soap on it. I don't think anyone would buy an item like that to display without cleaning it up first.

 

[TheVez2]

I only clean my razors before I change the blade. It seems pointless to clean them every day.

So after your last pass, do you just put it away? Or do you at least rinse it off first? That is what we are talking about here.

 

[wulfgar1976]

So after your last pass, do you just put it away? Or do you at least rinse it off first? That is what we are talking about here.

I rinse the razor under the tap, mainly taking care to rinse the blade. However, it doesn't really dislodge much of the soap scum so the only time the handle and head are shiny like new is after the third or fourth shave when I scrub them thoroughly using the rough side of a sponge.

 

[TheVez2]

I'm not talking about soap scum here. I too only brush that off when I change the blade. I mean there is caked on soap, from leftover lather that wasn't even rinsed off, and more. I wish I had taken a picture before I cleaned some of them.

 

[wulfgar1976]

I'm not talking about soap scum here. I too only brush that off when I change the blade. I mean there is caked on soap, from leftover lather that wasn't even rinsed off, and more. I wish I had taken a picture before I cleaned some of them.

Ah, okay. Yes, I don't really understand leaving a razor like that.

 

[Go West Young Man]

The first rule of antiquing is "don't mess with anything you don't know what it is".
Cleaning up what you think is dirt, or tossing some accessory you think is junk is the quickest way to reduce the collectible value of most antiques. Dealers are smart enough to leave things as they are unless they know exactly what they're doing.

 

[TheVez2]

The first rule of antiquing is "don't mess with anything you don't know what it is".
Cleaning up what you think is dirt, or tossing some accessory you think is junk is the quickest way to reduce the collectible value of most antiques. Dealers are smart enough to leave things as they are unless they know exactly what they're doing.

Yeah, I pretty much get why the dealer doesn't touch it. Just can't figure out how it got to the dealer like that to begin with.

 

[Suzuki]

The only problem with really gunked up Superspeeds (especially the adjustables) is that it can be hard to tell if they're mechanically sound.

 

[hoslerd]

I'd count myself lucky to just find one, one razor in any condition in the local antique stores. I swear they've all been bought up by some B&B members looking to corner the market on old Gillettes.

I have seen some old razors in pretty good shape usually with the original case at the antique shops in Bisbee, AZ but they are usually going for a Premium price. You can get a much better deal on Ebay.

 

[Mike'sWorld]

I appreciate the fact that razors are much cheaper gunked up with decades old soap scum. Easy to clean, too. But I've also wondered why soap scum is on the handle, underneath the handle in the hole most razors have there. Did people shave and never even rinse their razors, even while shaving? Why even get soap on the handle of a razor?

 

[Casey]

I'd count myself lucky to just find one, one razor in any condition in the local antique stores. I swear they've all been bought up by some B&B members looking to corner the market on old Gillettes.

Ditto from the other side of the OH-PA border. Just hit one of the larger antique malls here, and saw a grand total of 2 straights with cracked scales, zero safety razors of any type.

 

[gaseousclay]

i've come across a few gunky razors during my visits to antique stores. some of them were so black with filth it made my skin crawl. you'd have to call in an exorcist to rid those razors of their funk