Hess 42 – $100

4/8, quarter hollow, square point, jimps bottom, Stainless.

The Hess razors are said to be the smoothest stainless blades around. They are also beautiful – cracked ice scales, gold wash, inlay on the scales, and a beautiful fit and finish. This one is pretty darn close to mint, with just some faint staining on the blade.

The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Wostenholm IXL in Pressed Horn – $60

11/16, full hollow, square point, pressed horn scales.  This razor may have been shortened a bit, as there is a slight gap between the blade and the spacer, and the front half of the stamp wore off.  But the pressed horn scales still look beautiful, and she delivers a wonderful Sheffield shave.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Rugra – $30

11/16, full hollow, round point, jimps top and bottom.  The jimps on top are actually that criss cross pattern you find on tools for grip (I think it’s called gnirling, but I’m not sure).  Anyway, this may have once been a beautiful blade, but now with spots of staining and shallow pitting she looks like a workhorse to me.  I must say, though, I was impressed how smooth she shaved.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Puma High Class – $75

13/16, full hollow, round point, jimps top and bottom.  A beautiful blade…. is what she once was.  There is rust on and near the spine, and the tang is blackened.  It’s really a pity. because I am 90% sure the blade is NOS.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

Comes with the original coffin, and you can have her as is (if you’re going to have her restored) or shave ready for the same price.

Paragon – $45

4/8, faux frameback, square point, shoulderless grind.  I’m not sure if this razor is American or German, and given the stiff grind I can’t really tell.  There are some small spots of staining and shallow pitting on the blade, but I wanted to save the etch.  I rescaled her in black acrylic with an ivory acrylic spacer; brass pins and stainless steel washers.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Klass 1615RP – $30

5/8, not quite full hollow, round point, jimps bottom.  I have heard a lot about Klass razors, and I was still impressed at how smooth this razor shaved.  But she’s got staining and shallow pitting, so there is no way I could ask a premium for her.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Jung’s Junior – $30

5/8, full hollow, square point.  This razor may have had a blackened tang, but that’s mostly worn off.  She’s a touch shorter than normal, at 2.75 inches.  There is some staining on the blade, but no pitting.  Jung’s are really fantastic Solingen razors, and this one is no exception.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Henckels (8)1 – $30

7/16, quarter hollow, oblique point, jimps top and bottom.  I’m not sure if this is a 1 or an 81, as I have seen both stamped on blades exactly like this.  What I do know is the razor was this size originally – she has not been worn down.  If you have never tried a blade this small, I’d really recommend at least giving it a whirl, and if you already know you like small blades, this is a razor for you.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Bengall – $30

5/8, not quite full hollow, square point.  This blade is a little shorter than normal, at 2 and 5/8, but the scales are proportional and appear original, so I’m guessing she was made that way.  There is some shallow pitting under the stains by the toe, but I still think she’s a beautiful razor.  She curves up at the toe, but hone wear is even, so maybe she was reground or just made that way – hard to be sure.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

Aviator – $50

13/16, full hollow, round point, jimps top and bottom, smile.  Though I’ve never heard of the maker, this blade gave the typical smooth Sheffield shave.  There is some light staining on the blade, but no pitting; I didn’t do much because I wanted to preserve the black in the etch.  I rescaled her in black acrylic with an ivory acrylic spacer; brass pins and stainless washers (I really like how it looks on black scales.  The pivot is snug, the razor stands open, and she centers in the scales on closing.

This razor is shave ready.