Just for fun, here are a few scans
Sears 1899 Catalog
- Thread starter Mike H
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Im curious about these pics...they almost all have smiles to them..does this mean the thoughts about why some straights do..and others don't have "smiles"...if the factory made them "like that"
don't see any of the giant bladed W&B's...
- Thread starter
- #5
No I looked for them, in many different years. I wonder if those were sold through barber supply catalogs instead.
The description from the $1.40 Boker was amusing.
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- #8
Except for the Craftsman and Sta-Sharp, I don't think I have seen a "S.R. & Co." razor.
So they were all like $25-$30 in today's money. That seems to me like a sensible price today for what they are, yet most new straights go for 5-6 times that?
Good post, and nice look back. Wouldn't it be nice if those prices held up today?
I actually bought a 1960's printing of the 1902 edition catalog from ebay just to look at stuff like that. several hundred pages of the wildest things...anyone want a buggy shipped to them? Anvil? Guns? weird electrical corset-like things? Ealy pre-phonograph player? Really fun to look at, and the kids really think it's cool too.
Krodor,
I'd love to hear what other kinds of shaving related stuff one could get thru the catalog, like soap, mugs, aftershaves, and such. Fascinating stuff.
I'd love to hear what other kinds of shaving related stuff one could get thru the catalog, like soap, mugs, aftershaves, and such. Fascinating stuff.
I think one of the best thing that Sears ever carried were the "House Kits" for under $1,000. They looked like quite nice homes. If blueprints were available, I wouldn't mind living in one of them today.
In the catalog that you have, were there any other shaving items? Strops and Hones? Brushes? Mugs? Soaps? Aftershaves?
I don't wanna hijack Mike H's thread, so maybe I'll let him have that glory of posting the pics.
But I can tell you that they were selling...ahem..."A Very Good Belgian Razor Hone" for 25 cents (plus 15 cents extra postage) and "A Superfine Belgian Razor Hone" for 50 cents, and if you wanted "Extra Superfine Belgian Razor Hone" for 75 cents. And for all you pros: Barbers' Special Belgian Hone (5x2 1/2 inches)" for $1.75, or a 4x2 version for 83 cents. Ahh...the coticule...
Couple Swaty's, some "Dark Blue German Water Hones with rubber stones" (maybe these were Eschers?)....oh yeah....20cents or 50 cents.
Razor strop paste: 11 cents a cake.
But I can tell you that they were selling...ahem..."A Very Good Belgian Razor Hone" for 25 cents (plus 15 cents extra postage) and "A Superfine Belgian Razor Hone" for 50 cents, and if you wanted "Extra Superfine Belgian Razor Hone" for 75 cents. And for all you pros: Barbers' Special Belgian Hone (5x2 1/2 inches)" for $1.75, or a 4x2 version for 83 cents. Ahh...the coticule...
Couple Swaty's, some "Dark Blue German Water Hones with rubber stones" (maybe these were Eschers?)....oh yeah....20cents or 50 cents.
Razor strop paste: 11 cents a cake.
It's kind of a "special interest" item now... I feel like that is why they are jacked up so much.
What's up with the rubber scales? Do we call that something different now?
I am assuming vulcanized maybe?
I've seen a couple of Sears Roebuck razors but not that early. The post 1900 ones were made by A. Kastor & Bros. I'm not sure about pre 1900.
Ebonite.
They also aren't made anymore....
You don't need to look all the way back to the 1890's to see that. Look at Old Spice Shaving soap. Vintage Williams. NOS blades. The list goes on and on
EDIT: I see you're referring to new ones. I imagine its mainly due to much lower production, although distribution costs probably play a role as well. Sears makes a razor (or buys it) and sells it in a catalog to you. Now, Dovo makes a razor, sells it to a distributor, sells it to a retailer, who sells it to you.
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They are still made. By Dovo, Boker, etc right? I know it's a specialty item but it's basically just a knife. Short of a custom job is there any reason to drop 3 figures on a new one? But a lot of them seem to go for that much.
