I imagine my answer will change again over time (as it has now) but at the moment it's probably an MK 31, preferably in ivory. I've passed on a couple over the past two weeks or so (one because I hated the custom scales, even though they were very well done) and one because I had just spent my razor money on a nice rock.
What razors do you still need?
- Thread starter Eastcoast30
- Start date
I've got an MK 32 shaped hole in my Scandinavian case. MOP or tortoise preferred, pristine.
Something like this western Kami made from Swedish steel 300+ $ U.S
Also an aggressive ( smooth and efficient in my books ) SS DE razor head -Tech style .
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Also an aggressive ( smooth and efficient in my books ) SS DE razor head -Tech style .
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rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
Looks like my seven-day set of Bengalls will be completed within a couple of weeks. Last night I was the winning bidder on a pre 1924 T.R. Cadman ⅝ "Bengall" in VG condition for under USD 30 including shipping. This will complete my set of seven.
After the Bengall set, I have ordered a custom (my first) Proserpine Razor Co (PRC) ¾ Spanish point from Steve Colling. He is working on it now.
That should be the end of my straight razor acquisition needs/wants
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Uh huh. Say, do you have any Swedish razors yet? They're kind of amazing.That should be the end of my straight razor acquisition needs/wants
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
No, but I had a Swedish girlfriend once. She was amazing.
rbscebu
Girls call me Makaluod
What razors do I still need? None.
What razors do I still want? I would be accused of a DoS attack if I listed them.
What razors do I still want? I would be accused of a DoS attack if I listed them.
I saw a set 4 of 7 Schulze in the wood box for $95, 1 is good to go, 1 has a nick in the edge (can be honed out), 2 have some rust and would require polishing. Scales are good to go. Blades have not been honed much and show little use. On the fence about it. I would like them, but not sure yet. Price is firm. I looked at restoration prices looking like $80 per. Puts me at $103 per SR. Anyone have any thoughts?
I’ve had a few razors go through my hands but I never feel like there’s anything I need. I think all high quality, well known and respected brand razors of any particular blade width and grind type are all pretty similar in their characteristics tbh. There are some stand outs of course but that goes for anything. If I’m looking, say, for a 7/8” full hollow razor, brand, year, scales, whatever doesn’t come into it for me, I would just get whatever I liked the look of and could afford at that moment in time.
I’ll trade you for a MOP BK42.
Lol, if I had one of those to trade....
I did find a clean(ish) 31. Some pitting close to the edge and a minor crack at the wedge. I will probably keep looking for another.
It's funny, I like big blades and I like little ones too, but the 31 looks and feels like "just right" to me.
- Thread starter
- #76
I have a 31 that I like. Matt at GSG is repinning it for me now. He usually has a few and if you email him, he might set you up. They come plastic and pre-ban ivory. Mine is ivory and yes, it feels "just right".
They're common enough even in ivory that I'm not sure I can justify to myself what Matt usually asks for them. Also, (and this is petty, I know) it bugs me that he repins them with washers. Although it might be worth seeing what he would do for an unrestored one.
- Thread starter
- #78
I have been able to justify Matt's prices as well as some sellers that charge more than Matt. It goes like this: In order to avoid high seller prices, I need to find a razor "in the wild". This means buying a razor online from a source such as eBay. I would then pick up a razor for, say, $50 only to find out that there were geometry problems and I am unable to hone it. Or other problems that did not show up in the photos but made the razor less desirable. By the time I "struck gold" on the 'bay, I already shelled out more than what Matt charges. And I have a bunch of razors piling up that I don't know what to do with. So I have limited my 'bay purchases to those $8 or $15 razors where I have a special interest and I think I might be able to restore them. At that lower price level, I have had much better success. But at the MK 31 level, I would be hesitant to spend a decent sum unless I knew I could trust the vendor.
You make a fair point, @Eastcoast30 . I also don't want to make it sound like I'm saying Matt's prices are bad; they're not and you know exactly what you're getting.
I don't mind taking a chance on the bay if the price is right. Of the 6 Heljes I have bought from ebay, 4 were pristine and two had some obvious issues. Two of the pristine ones were MK 3s, (one unmarked) which are very similar to a 31 except the thumb notch, and together they were still less than what you'd pay for a similar razor from a "safe" seller.
That said, the 31 I just bought was right at the limit for what I would pay for a gamble, and the pitting ended up being more problematic than the photos suggested. Not that the photos were bad. It's just deeper than it looked and I'm going to have to decide how I'm going to address it since it's right at the edge. I could return it, but I've already honed it and if nothing else I can salvage the ivory scales. You pays your money and you takes your chances, as they say.
I don't mind taking a chance on the bay if the price is right. Of the 6 Heljes I have bought from ebay, 4 were pristine and two had some obvious issues. Two of the pristine ones were MK 3s, (one unmarked) which are very similar to a 31 except the thumb notch, and together they were still less than what you'd pay for a similar razor from a "safe" seller.
That said, the 31 I just bought was right at the limit for what I would pay for a gamble, and the pitting ended up being more problematic than the photos suggested. Not that the photos were bad. It's just deeper than it looked and I'm going to have to decide how I'm going to address it since it's right at the edge. I could return it, but I've already honed it and if nothing else I can salvage the ivory scales. You pays your money and you takes your chances, as they say.
- Thread starter
- #80
You struck gold with those pristine CVHs.
