Should really old razors (and sets) be referbished?

[gregindallas]

I think it's a valid question. I watch Antiques Roadshow now and then and have seen the odd case where the poor smucks refernished granny's old rocker and it went from half a mil to $14.75 cents. Heh -you gotta know there were some "knock down drag outs" over that when they got home.

Some of my 100+ year old razors look to have been well used. Plating mostly gone and that speaks of long years of use. My ABCs cases look to have actually spent a lot of time being carried in pockets (what's up with that anyway?).

So, should 100 or even 75 year old razors be polished, replated and generally made to look new for re-use or should they be cleaned and left with their history intact?

 

[Texas Don]

Can't speak for the masses but as for myself, if I'm going to use it and it needs refurbishing to make it more useful, then I would refurbish it. If I'm going to be a collector, the first thing that I would do is educate myself as to what is and what isn't considered collectible so that I don't unintentionally ruin a valuable item. For everyday use though, go for it.

 

[Loric]

I buy my vintage razors to use. When I get them I clean them all up and give them a polish. Though I admit I dont buy the high end collector razors. If I have to choose between a new looking razor in a perfect case for $150 and a $20 razor in good condition with none of the accessories, I choose the $20, but thats just me.

There have been several posts like this and my impression from them was that by the time you buy a vintage razor in poor condition and replate it, more often than not you could have purchased the same razor in excellent condition for the same money you invested in the refurbished one. Though I have seen some very nice replated razors. I dont know if that helps, but that is my imprecision.

 

[Slivovitz]

I also buy vintage razors to shave with. I suspect that none of mine are all that valuable anyway.

I don't have them replated, but only because the improvement in appearance isn't worth it to me. I did fix the stripped threads on my ABC Pocket Edition handle with a helicoil. That's what it took to make it usable again. It's unlikely, though, that it was worth more with the stripped threads than it was after the fix.

Now if I actually knew that I could sell one of my razors as is for a very high price, that would be a different matter. I think that those razors are few and far between, though. With a piece of antique furniture, spoiling the resale value is a more common concern. Even then, if you want it for your own use, and if it looks better to you with a modern refinishing, you might ignore what the antiques snobs say, and take the hit.

 

[gregindallas]

I've been trying to figure out how the cases for my ABC sets got so warn. The silver plat is all but gone on one. It's got to take a lot of carrying around to do that. One answer may be that some may have gone to war (WW1 1914-1918).

 

[Greybeard]

I've been trying to figure out how the cases for my ABC sets got so warn. The silver plat is all but gone on one. It's got to take a lot of carrying around to do that. One answer may be that some may have gone to war (WW1 1914-1918).

The silver plate is pretty thin and a relatively soft plating material. Just rubs from other objects would remove some of it. The process of oxidation also uses up some of the silver. Cleaning the oxidation and polishing would also remove it.

 

[Bit2]

I have re-plated razors but never has it been my intention to do so for increasing value.
More so because it needed it to be useful to me as well as esthetically pleasing.

Razor collecting and re-selling for profit is a different issue.

John

 

[A_Jameson]

I have re-plated razors but never has it been my intention to do so for increasing value.
More so because it needed it to be useful to me as well as esthetically pleasing.
John

I agree with you completely. I have a boat-load of razors and am always buying more, always with the intention of putting them in my collection and using them from time to time. (with the exception being some miniature Lord Ladies razors and my Kampf Star which just looks intimidating)

Resale has never crossed my mind and I don't really see buying and selling razors as being a profitable venture. There are very few of us who actually collect them and most can be found very inexpensively with some searching.

I do to my razors whatever I feel necessary to be pleasing for me, and if that means something is in rough shape and replating it will make me happier with it. Then by all means, that's what I'm going to do.

Maybe you should just ask yourself two things, A.) Am I collecting for myself because I enjoy it? B.) Am I collecting as an investment?

If A.) Make yourself happy with your collection and do what you need to with your razors to make you happy with them.

If B.) Sell your razors to me and collect cars instead.

 

[papi]

I think it's a valid question. I watch Antiques Roadshow now and then and have seen the odd case where the poor smucks refernished granny's old rocker and it went from half a mil to $14.75 cents. Heh -you gotta know there were some "knock down drag outs" over that when they got home.

Some of my 100+ year old razors look to have been well used. Plating mostly gone and that speaks of long years of use. My ABCs cases look to have actually spent a lot of time being carried in pockets (what's up with that anyway?).

So, should 100 or even 75 year old razors be polished, replated and generally made to look new for re-use or should they be cleaned and left with their history intact?

Okay, I have a 1905 double ring gillette, I would be nuts to replate that. I have about (10) 1927 single ring gillettes, I would replate one in a NY minute, if I had the extra cash. I dont think I would be able to get 100% of my money back on it, but I would admire it everytime I picked it up to use, and would never sell it anyway.

 

[maxman]

This issue pops up fairly often and it seems to have three basic answers.
1. No because you will destroy the antique value to real collectors.
2. No because re-plating does not make it original and thus it should not be treated as such (the re-plating ought to be disclosed if/when selling)
3. Yes because it's yours and you can do what you want with it.

 

[jansob]

I won a cheap Gillette Travel in the brass case with the mirror. I've always liked them, but heard that the razor is less than stellar. Then I thought that my Feather Portable would likely fit (possibly with a new insert that I can make of dense foam). If it does fit, I'll clean, polish and possibly plate the case.

In the case of something as non-rare as this set, I don't feel bad about it. Even antique shops don't ask much, so I know it's not valuable!

 

[PlayerPiano]

I love the idea of replating a razor (to use). I get to use this beautiful razor in the same (or better) condition as when it was first purchased.

 

[Go West Young Man]

There are very few razors that are rare enough that you could significantly reduce their value by working on them

 

[wulfgar1976]

I suppose an extension to this question is should old razors be used at all. I buy vintage razors in order to use them and, as such, I don't go for anything collectable but rather things that are easily obtained for a reasonably low price. If I had a rare, valuable item, I wouldn't be inclined to use it let alone re-plate it.

I'd get one of my non-collectable razors re-plated if need be simply because of the pleasure that using them brings with the knowledge that there are plenty of others around.

 

[jansob]

Yeah, I guess there is a big difference to me between a true collectible and and old razor. If I knew this razor was one of a kind or one of the last ones left, or the only example, I'd sell it to a collector. I buy razors to use. I've got a small pile of vintage razors awaiting me (live in Japan, had them delivered to the US where I'll be on vacation soon). If I find one that really is The One for me, I'll likely have it replated and use it forever.

An analogy comes to me...I've own a very old pistol that was bought by my great grandfather. It was reblued and regripped by my grandfather, who carried it for decades. My father reblued it and carried it as well (if you haven't guessed, lots of law enforcement in my family). My father also carried it overseas during WWII, where it was stripped and Parkerized. The "collector value" of this pistol is obviously nil, but it's a family treasure, and I wouldn't sell it for any price. In a much less profound way, razors are the same to me...tools to be used and refurbished when necessary.

And yes, sadly, the pistol is far, far away, as the Japanese laws prohibit handgun ownership. But it's still in the family.