Some Unknown's + a Butcher & Wade (pics to share, and some ID request)

[stevensj2]

The other day, after hearing of my interest in razors and things, my grandmother showed and gave to me some straights that belonged to my grandfather before he passed away.

The first is this unknown one (to me), with wooden scales. The box didn't have any clearly discernible text, though there are some indications that something was once there. The only text/markings on the razor read: "Old English"

A close up of the blade and markings:

The next razor is a Wade & Butcher. Though the brand is clear, I don't know anything about that particular brand. The scales were a very smooth dark wood. This is my favorite looking razor of the set. It has a little rust, and I'm not sure if it could be restored to use again or not:

The markings were much more clear on this one:

Here is a closer shot of the box:

The third razor is also unknown one to me, with scales that appear to be celluloid or plastic, with a neat little design. It has the cleanest blade of them all, and looks to my amateur eyes as something that could actually be restored and used. It was in a Wade & Butcher box, identical to the one above:

A close up of the blade:

Thanks for taking a look, and if any identification can be made, I greatly appreciate it!

Take care all and have a good night.

 

[bjrn]

I'm pretty sure all three can be restored to usable condition, it'll take wildly different amounts of work (and tools) to get there though.

The first one... First off, I'll take a guess that it says "Cast Steel" on the shank, can't tell what it says above it. Would need a whole lot of TLC and sandpaper, but I bet it could be done.

The second one, you could get someone to grind down the tip so it's a bit rounded instead of that jagged broken tip you have now. And that's about what it needs, might be a good idea to check the whole blade for any hairline cracks that might have been caused by whatever it was the broke off the tip. New scales might also be nice since they are held together with string at the moment.

The third one would need the least amount of work. I can't really tell from the pictures if it's rust or just stains on the metal, but if it's the latter you could probably do the cleaning yourself with some MAAS or similar metal polish.


If I were you I'd get in touch with someone who does razor restoration work, and talk to them further. There are a number of people here and on SRP who do it. They have a lot more experience with restoration, and knowledge of what is and isn't worth it, than I do. To name a few: Joe Chandler, JoshEarl, Bruno and Kenrup all do it (those are their SRP usernames, I know Joe sometimes visits B&B, not sure about the others).

 

[FloppyShoes]

The W&B is worth restoring. Given an artistic hand, the tip can be reshaped and made safe/functional again.

The other two are not worth your time/money unless they have some kind of sentimental value. If you want a good shave, you can buy a new or used razor for the price of restoration.

 

[stevensj2]

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I really love the look of the Wade & Butcher. If restored, I may just have the chipped point smoothed out, but not eliminated; gives it a bit of character, I think.

I had no idea that it would be able to be restored, so I'm glad to hear there is definite possibility!

It very well may become my next project - I was thinking about making Ebony-stained stag scales this morning.

 

[DEwey]

The first one looks like it could be a Greaves. I know some of theirs are marked Cast Steel like that. (Personally, I would try to clean it up and see what I had).

The W&B needs rounded off but it is definitely fixable.

The 3rd has a very good chance of being a Clauss (also from Fremont, Ohio). Considered very good shavers with a cult following.