Thread: Family Jewels

Okay, I've thought of this a couple of times now, so here goes. This thread is to be for you folks to display razors that you obtained from your relatives. Please provide photos and stories!

I will take a picture tomorrow. I recieved my grand fathers when i was in my teens. I believe that is what started my interest in straights. I have been collecting for over 20 years and started shaving with them a year ago. I will try to hone it up and shave with it.

Thanks Utopian for starting this thread. Here's a picture of a razor my father-in-law gave me. It was his grandfather's razor. It is currently in the process of being restored. I can't wait to see how it turns out and to give it a test shave. I guess I am more excited that I will be able to eventually pass this razor down to my son once he is older and can appreciate having his great-great grandfather's razor.

These razors belonged to my grandfather. He was born in 1901, he was a barber and retired in the late 1960s. The two razors in the first photo, a Frederick Reynolds and a Hess Forty Four, were the two razors that got me started. They were the razors that I used when I first attempted to shave with a straight razor.

The second photo shows a collection of my grandfather's razors that I recently found while rooting through my closet. They were in an old cigar box that had belonged to my grandfather that I had stashed away years ago, long before I ever got interested in straight razors, and apparently forgot about them. There were a total of thirteen razors in the cigar box. Ten razors were still in their coffins and plastic sleeves and were in great condition. The other three razors were still in a leather glasses case that my grandfather kept in his top shirt pocket to hold his razors while working. The leather apparently attracted moisture and rusted two of the razors beyond hope, one I was able to salvage.

I now have thirteen usable razors that belonged to my grandfather (photo #3). The list of razors include a Frederick Reynolds, a Hess Forty Four, a Filarmonica #14, three C-Mon razors, two Wonderedge Double Duck razors, a Stainedge Double Duck, a W. H. Morley & Sons Clover Brand, a Jas. T. Scott w/naked lady scales, one unknown extra hollow Sheffield razor and a Cutlerix razor. I am now in the process of photographing and documenting these razors so they can be identified as my grandfather's razors and so they can be separated from the other razors that I have acquired. Hopefully they will be appreciated and used by future generations of our family.

That's awesome! Those are in really beautiful condition.

Did you guys know RAD runs in the family?

When I started, I asked granddad if he still had the razor that I remember him using when I was a tike. It's a '60 Fatboy that he used for 25 years until he retired in the mid '80's.



With a bit more time digging around a box he surely hadn't dug in for over 30 years, he produced his father's straight, a razor simply called 'The Pippin'. This is a pre-restoration shot. He never shaved with it saying that he was afraid he was going to cut his head off and have it roll down the hallway.



The next stop was to my mom's house and she produced a Shumate Pacific that belonged to my great-father as well. When I questioned her how she got it and granddad didn't, she said that when they were dividing up his estate, he chose the razor.



Truth is, I don't even remember my great-grandfather...but I feel the connection every time I use one of his razors.

Great thread, Utopian. Loving the contributions so far. Only wish I could contribute.

Nice thread, Utopian.

I have three. Here's J.A. Helbberg frameback that belonged to my grandfather. I still remember him using it while i was a kid.
He gave me adjustable Gillette with box when i was about 15 or 16. I do not remember if it was new or used when i got it. I do not know which model it is, but i've been using it ever since.
My grandfather is on the second pic, that was taken in New York at 1937.
The one with no box belonged to my father-in-law. My mother-in-law said he carried it with him while doing his 'eastern tour' at 39-44. I do not know if it is true or not. All three are excellent shavers, used by me nowadays.

- I have my great grandfather's razor and my great great grandfather's razor
(it's stamped with what was probably the name of the store and the name of a town nearby "Ch Soy, Louvain", and has a chinese man as a logo, but I'm somehow thinking it's a german import since it's also stamped 'garanti' followed by a number; one of the razor's boxes has a german inscription which says "The Bastei" märke in qualität)
- I also have his natural combo coticule/bbw,
- his strop which is horsehide, the leather is about 0,5 cm (0,2 inch) thick and has a linen side to it

it's superb quality and you would rarely find me using anything else

And I agree this is a nice thread, would love to see all the razor related equipment other ppl have that belonged to their family

Both these razors are from family members that found the razors in my grandfathers and great grandfathers belongings.

The Shumate from my great grandfather had shattered scales and I've been dragging my feet making a new set from wood off the ranch. One day I'll get that done I have this set on there so I can shave with it on special days

The Henkels is a small bugger but it was also given to me with grandpas Coticule How cool is that