Heels vs Wedges

[Frank Shaves]

I posed this question on the Restoration "channel" but no responses.

I got this Joseph Rodgers 7/8 inch near wedge on the Bay. Got to be 19th century. More rust than I would like, but I like the style and am ready for a challenge. The scales have heels instead of a proper wedge. My gut says to sand the heels down, and make a proper wedge.

1. Were these types of scales common with 19th century Sheffields?
2. Any advice/opinions about leaving the heels as is versus replacing the heels with a proper wedge?

As it arrived.

The "original" scales with heels.

 

[Doc226]

Personally, if the bode sits right in the scales I would leave as is


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[rbscebu]

I'm with @Doc226 on this, although I would only leave it as-is if the blade is sitting right .

 

[Herrenberg]

Can you explain "the scales have heels" for the slow kids in the back, such as, well, me?

 

[Frank Shaves]

Can you explain "the scales have heels" for the slow kids in the back, such as, well, me?

Profile looks like this:

Reminds me of heels on a pair of shoes. Perhaps not as high as John Travolta’s from Saturday Night Fever.


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[Frank Shaves]

Personally, if the bode sits right in the scales I would leave as is

The blade sits very nicely. I will leave as is.

There is a second shorter inner brass pin that just connects the two heels. I am tempted to remove it because I assume that the one main wedge pin should be sufficient. Looks like a hack to me. Is a second shorter/inner pin common? Could it be original or more likely someone's later work? Leaving the second inner pin would be the easiest path.

 

[totorlekiller]

This looks full of potential, I look forward to seeing it restored.

 

[Gamma]

I've seen a second pin on old horn scales numerous times. Most of the time I have found an entrance hole visible on the outside that is close to the main hole, only on one side and hidden under the washer. Sometimes it looks to be 'plugged' or something. I always assumed it was a 'goof' that occurred during the original assembly. Yours might be something else though. Weird stuff happened in those factories.

 

[Frank Shaves]

I've seen a second pin on old horn scales numerous times. Most of the time I have found an entrance hole visible on the outside that is close to the main hole, only on one side and hidden under the washer. Sometimes it looks to be 'plugged' or something. I always assumed it was a 'goof' that occurred during the original assembly. Yours might be something else though. Weird stuff happened in those factories.

This is exactly what I am seeing. The bit that surprised me is how the inner pin is visible from the outside of one of the scales. Decision made - I will preserve the original scales in their original form for historical reasons .

That said, I removed what turned out to be really deep active rust and pitting from the blade (the deepest I have seen), and I have to say that the blade has a beautiful shape. If only I could walk into No. 6 Norfolk Street and buy a new one.

 

[rbscebu]

.... If only I could walk into No. 6 Norfolk Street and buy a new one.

No. 6 still exists but now it's a Chinese Kitchen. Maybe Joseph Rodgers SR's are now Chinese made .

 

[Frank Shaves]

I finished cleaning up the blade and scales, and now just need to reassemble the razor and hone it. The blade had more deeper active red rust (Fe2O3?) than any other blade that I have cleaned up, so I applied some WD-40 during the sanding process and, voila, the residual red rust turned black. I think the black stuff is called black oxide or magnetite (Fe3O4) but am not sure.

Bottom line is the razor looks a whole lot better and I am excited about taking it for a drive.

 

[rbscebu]

A wonderful job. I think that you have a winner there.

When finished, shave with it and enjoy the fruits of your labour.