Wade & Butcher "The Celebrated" 6/8 Straight Razor.NEED HELP!

[Moonshot1968]

I'm new to straight razor shaving and new to this site and would really like everyone's input on my situation.
Let's start out by saying i've been using a Parker Shavette for about 2 months now and I really love the art of straight razor shaving. It has started to become very addictive. After reading many blogs on buying vintage razors at Antique stores, I decided to go antique shop hopping today for a "real" vintage straight razor. Out of a dozen or more places, I could only find one antique store that had a selection of 5 straight razors (hard to come by!!!). Out of the five available, there was only one that seemed to be in salvagable condition. It's a Wade & Butcher 6/8 "The Celebrated" Hollow Ground Razor. Although there is a crack in the handle, the blade seemed ok. With the exception of surface rust, there does'nt seem to be alot of pitting and the edge looks to be in good shape. Now i'm no expert by any means
but i would really like to have this razor restored. But i will let you be the judge and jury. I've enclosed some pics and would like to know alot of things about my acquisition.

1. Is this a good brand of razor?
2. How old do you think it is?
3. Is it salvagable?
4. if so, any idea of a restoration cost?
5. Most importantly, where to send it to? Any suggestions?
6. Should I try to restore it myself?

Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Oh. I paid $10.

Moonshot

 

[Doc226]

It's a Wade & Butcher 6/8 "The Celebrated" Hollow Ground Razor.

1. Is this a good brand of razor?
2. How old do you think it is?
3. Is it salvagable?
4. if so, any idea of a restoration cost?
5. Most importantly, where to send it to? Any suggestions?
6. Should I try to restore it myself?

Any advice or comments would be greatly appreciated. Thanks. Oh. I paid $10.

1. It is a very good brand of razor
2. I have not idea
3. Sure
4. Depends on how much cleaning you want to do
5. Many on this forum can do it
6. Absolutely

You can take it apart and take sandpaper to the blade, start with about 120 grit and work up to 2000. You will likely lose some of the script on the blade but it should come out nice.

There is a good amount of hone wear on it and there is a frown on the blade. Both of those can be corrected but again more work.

 

[morganjg]

That beast is going to need some serious love, but it should clean up pretty well. This one looks like something you should be able to do yourself with some dedication and effort. For the price, you didn't do terrible, as Wade and Butcher Celebrated are nice shavers. Start by going through the restoration thread and learning about the different wet sanding materials you're going to need for the task at hand. Start with a low grit for a long time to get most of the surface rust and patina off, then work your way up the grits carefully until you are satisfied with the final product. Then off to the final polish and hone. If you lose the scales before you sand, it will be easier to sand around the pivot point where it seems most of the rust is. This certainly wont be a showroom stunner, but definitely looks to be a great razor to learn on. When it's time for new scales, you can learn to make them or send them out to someone more experienced. Perfect project!