I just picked up (but haven't received yet) an old German open-comb four-piece travel razor. It looked interesting (it was listed as a "Gillette Tuckaway", which I knew it wasn't), and I had a $5 off coupon. It was grungy, but all the teeth were straight, and was in a nickel case. Looked like a good candidate for a revamp. Had a maker's mark of "P" over "F" (or vice-versa), and "Made in Germany" stamped on it. So, I started doing a little research on just what this thing could be. (So far, I've found nothing at this point.)
During my research, I stumbled across numerous websites touting "the best (insert random number here) razors for beginners" and such. I took time to read through some, knowing full well that "best" is totally subjective. Some of the information just misleading, some was flat wrong, some read like ads. And most are concerned only with new production razors, not vintage. But I'm not here to judge individuals or their sites. I'm here to tell you to find what "best" means to *you*, as a collector (and user) of vintage razors.
So...you've spent some time (and a lot of money) building a collection of vintage razors. You've also acquired many different blades, some brushes, and soaps/creams. Now is the time to put them to use and find out what to put on display or, in my case, pass on to a child (and/or grandchild). After nearly two years of collecting, I'm *still* in that testing phase, but have found a few that are definitely keepers (until I croak and my son gets them). There were some that I knew right away they would go away, and some that will stay. There were some that I wanted so bad to work for me, but didn't. So, they left. Like my E2 Schick injector. It's a tad aggressive, and doesn't give me as close and comfortable shave as the Schick adjustable with a twin blade. And all of my Milords...beautiful, near mint, they just don't perform to my satisfaction. My '41 Ranger Tech? It'll have to be pried from my cold, dead hand. The last V3 Super Speed I got is still trying out different blades, and I'm hoping it'll be a keeper. I'll hang on to the toggle just 'cuz it's a toggle. Out of the nearly 80 razors I've acquired, I'm down to 13, but I'll be culling out a few more before my next trip south.
I'm really hoping this old German razor will find a place in my rack.
