The Standard Guide to Razors

by Roy Ritchie, Ron Stewart

Razor collecting, an off-shoot of knife collecting, has become popular in its own right. Often made of very precious materials and embellished with elaborate artwork, razors can be found in displays at knife shows, antique shops, and flea markets. This guide provides a detailed price guide for collectors to evaluate razors in a systematic fashion.

142 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 1995

Reviews

[Laur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very informative with great actual pictures (the majority were color, some in black and white.)

I originally bought this book when I frequented antique auctions and bid on an old box of razors and shaving equipment for a couple of bucks clearly not knowing anything about them or their value as I was looking to resell them.

The book included chapters on:
The history of shaving
Razor collecting
Just shavings
Handle materials identification guide
Dating razors
Factors that determine collector value
Appraising your razor
Appraisal chart
Listings of companies and base values
Care and management of a razor collection

Pages 224
Copyright 1999

Although this book is dated now, the prices on such pieces I’m sure have only increased - so extra research would need to be made regarding current values.
However, the identifications and other pertinent information would still be highly reliable imo.

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm new to straight razor shaving, and newer yet to collecting SRs. I didn't know where to begin, and this book should help most beginning collectors with the basics. The only negative I'd mention is that this $12.95 made in the U.S.A. paperback, which was copyrighted in 2007 (3rd ed.), cost considerably more from a bookstore in London, England. Shipping certainly raised the price. But you might want to look a little harder than I did for a bargain elsewhere.