Urgent! Please help: Boker Straights

[rvmx]

Hi gents, I ran across a pair of vintage H. Boker razors...the cost is ~$50usd EACH...the questions are:

are these worth it?

are these restorable?

how much will cost to restore and have them shave ready?

how much will be worth after restoring (not to profit, just to decide if keeping them and start shaving with something I could be proud of)?

Here are some pics:

Thanks for your help.

 

[mainaman]

the first one looks promising, the second seems to be a lost cause.

 

[rvmx]

I've added 2 pics of a filly...but that costs $65...again the same questions...should I get it?

 

[chfair]

i could be out of my mind. but i do not think i would pick up any of those for $50 in those conditions. i do not restore and have not been at straights for too terribly long, however it seems like a big project on all the blades for the price.

(first one does look the best from photos but i may be seeing things. either a rust spot or chip in the blade right near the scales?)

 

[Dharion]

They are restorable and if you'll restore them for yourself they should be worth it. But $50 is a bit steep if you plan on starting with them. For a beginner that's too much if you're not an enthusiast yet.

Please, read this: Ok, I want a straight razor... and this The Interactive Guide to Straight Razor Shaving.

 

[Kees]

Consider the Filly. They are very expensive to buy. Although this one has a lot of honewear it sould restore nicely and still has a lifetime ahead of it.

The heel of the blade looks unusual to me. I just wonder whether someone reground it though it might be original in which case it might be an older model.

 

[Luc]

Mmm, if this is going to be your first straight, I would recommend getting a shaver-grade straight shave ready on BST. It doesn't need to be a looker but that and a strop will give you an idea if you like it or not.

 

[shavewithbigelow]

That's too expensive IMO for those razors. You should be able to find better condition razors for less $$$ if you keep looking and be patient. If you "want it now" the BST is your best place.

 

[Live2Ride]

In this situation, I'd tell the seller what is wrong with them: lots of hone wear and uneven hone wear at that. Sure, you can make them shave ready. If you're still interested, find out if the seller would come down in price. Pay only what you'd be comfortable with. Good luck.

 

[JonnyAngel]

The Filly looked promising, but you'd need to get the price down. You can get great blades off here that are already usable for that much. Yet, I dig that Filly quite a lot and think that it would be great restored.

For restoration work look up Maximillian on straightrazorplace (SPR) He's my favorite restorer!

 

[mainaman]

the filarmonica has reground heel, that is not worth 65 imo.

Frankly a nice restored shave ready razor or a new one is a better option imo.

 

[Hawkeye5]

The Filarmonica has been modified as noted. I wouldn't buy it for $10.

The King Cutter is a good razor, but I would pass on this one.

Here is a sad lesson, not all blades can be restored. Some are just too far gone. If the pitting is too deep, removing metal can make it look good, but also make the blade too brittle for daily use. One can't really tell from a photo if a blade is restorable. Magnification is needed for an accurate assesment.

No bargins here. Move on.

 

[mparker762]

I'd pass on all of them personally, but if you really enjoy the restoration process then they could be worth it just for the large amounts of time you'll spend restoring them. The Filly is a totally lost cause btw, because at some point it cracked at the heel and was reground to that "unique" profile you now see. Problem is (a) it may be too brittle and (b) they may not have gotten all the crack.

 

[rvmx]

Thanks to all for your responses...I think I'll let them pass...

 

[professorchaos]

Pass on them.

 

[Seraphim]

Not only should you pass on them, but a slap in the face to the seller would not be out of line either...IMHO...

 

[domino]

Not only should you pass on them, but a slap in the face to the seller would not be out of line either...IMHO...

 

[wazazzle]

PASS.... I hate it when antique vendors price hella over. That's why some razors sit in the display for years. The white i'd prob pay $20, $25 most. The black i wouldn't even consider unless free. You can always ask to call the vendor and negotiate the price. Most vendors are happy to neg 15-20% off. Typically they just purchase a shoebox of bathroom junk from an estate sale for $5-10.

Personally i never drop more than $20 on a str8 or $10 on a de.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I'd probably pay to the tune of $25 on the Filharm, maybe $30 for the white Boker. If I wanted them.

Black one, I'd pay $5 if I needed the scales for another razor. I wouldn't even look at it otherwise.

 

[Will P.C.]

Don't bother with any especially if you never used a straight yet.


I usually don't go into too many stores, but I was passing though this small town the other day and saw a store that looked like it might have straights. It wasn't an antique store, but a second hand type place.

They had about 5 straights in worse shape than this. The cheapest one was 45 and it was a no name with half of the blade missing