Old Lafayette straight razor

[BlackKnight86]

I found this old straight razor, marked “Lafayette Cutlery Co., Germany”. It’s….old. It’s sharp, but the blade and edge require some cleanup.

I know absolutely nothing about straight razors. Are these any good? What kind of steel were they made of, roughly? Would they withstand polishing to remove any slight corrosion, or are the blades too thin? Is it worth keeping? I wouldn’t ever shave with it…..if I kept it at all, it would be for….well….I don’t actually know. Because you have to have at least one razor in your collection?

Are these guys worth the time? Or is this the “CKRT of razors”?

Thanks, guys!

 

[UncleBoots]

A picture would help. Identifying old razors can be tricky, if the brand is not well-known, and I've not heard of this one, but "it's old, and it's German" will actually suffice as evidence that it is probably a worthwhile razor that would shave well if properly honed.

Polishing might mess up the edge to the point where it would need honing, but it probably does anyway, so no big deal. If there is not serious pitting in the edge, it's probably OK. So: post pictures, but in general, proceed to polish with no fear for anything but your fingers. As for steel, I'd expect it to be a simple carbon steel of standard Solingen type, and therefore worthy.

 

[Ernie1980]

Yes, definitely post a picture! Lots of razors were made for other companies, my reference books list two different dates for that company but seem to agree they started in 1909. By either account they ceased operating by 1929. Most of those carbon steel razors clean up well with some effort, I have done lots. If you really want to give it a shot PM me and I will give you more details than you probably actually want

 

[garry3]

I found this old straight razor, marked “Lafayette Cutlery Co., Germany”. It’s….old. It’s sharp, but the blade and edge require some cleanup.

I know absolutely nothing about straight razors. Are these any good? What kind of steel were they made of, roughly? Would they withstand polishing to remove any slight corrosion, or are the blades too thin? Is it worth keeping? I wouldn’t ever shave with it…..if I kept it at all, it would be for….well….I don’t actually know. Because you have to have at least one razor in your collection?

Are these guys worth the time? Or is this the “CKRT of razors”?

Thanks, guys!

Vintage German razors are not junk.


Lafayette Cutlery Co. a trade mark name of Wiebusch & Hilger 1909-1923.

"Hilger & Sons was an importer of cutlery and hardware in NYC, founded 1848. Eventually -- probably in the 1890s -- it merged with Wiebusch, to become Wiebusch & Hilger, one of the top 19th and early 20th century US importers of German, Bohemian, and English cutlery (there were dozens of wholesale importers, most located in the cutlery district of lower Manhattan, on or near Duane Street; other top firms included H. Boker & Co., Adolph Kastor & Bros, and Alfred Field & Co). After the 1891 US tariff increases, many of these importers acquired or built US knife factories of their own. Wiebusch & Hilger owned Challenge;

 

[BlackKnight86]

Vintage German razors are not junk.


Lafayette Cutlery Co. a trade mark name of Wiebusch & Hilger 1909-1923.

"Hilger & Sons was an importer of cutlery and hardware in NYC, founded 1848. Eventually -- probably in the 1890s -- it merged with Wiebusch, to become Wiebusch & Hilger, one of the top 19th and early 20th century US importers of German, Bohemian, and English cutlery (there were dozens of wholesale importers, most located in the cutlery district of lower Manhattan, on or near Duane Street; other top firms included H. Boker & Co., Adolph Kastor & Bros, and Alfred Field & Co). After the 1891 US tariff increases, many of these importers acquired or built US knife factories of their own. Wiebusch & Hilger owned Challenge;

CKRT are not “junk”, either, for that matter.

I would need to at least steel wool it, to get a spot of corrosion off the edge. Will it withstand that, do you think? If I wasn’t going to shave with it, what would be a good reason to have a razor. Are the Lafayette razors a good example of a quality period piece? Do any of you guys use straight razors for EDC/work, other than shaving? Do they have any niche outside of shaving?

 

[Ernie1980]

The steel is too thin for anything other than shaving, so if you are not going to make it a shaver then it will be a display piece.