What should I do with this?

[W_B_K]

Picked this up a little while ago. So far I have established it is old. How old, I don't know, but I am guessing 1870ish.

I am torn between doing a full restore of both the razor and case/strop or just cleaning it up a bit and honing it. The blade is in good shape with just heavy patina. Edge will clean up on a hone easily. I haven't come across a W&B with this style blade and the case/strop sure is cool too. I'd hate to restore it and ruin any historical value. Looks like the razor saw little use with very little hone wear. The strop sure has seen better days! (Did they try to hone the thing with the strop??) It even still has dried up strop paste in the well.

What do y'all think?

 

[DrColossus11]

You should probably box it up and send it to me.

I say sand and polish the blade and throw a new set of ebony on it.

 

[natchez]

You have a tough call to make. A restore would be magnificent, but your razor is in good enough shape to just hone and use after a light cleaning. I had it easier as the ones I have found have generally had broken or unusable scales.

If she were mine I think I would go with the light cleaning and honing approach, after all a full restore can be done at anytime.

 

[superbleu]

Leave as is, it goes well with the strop box, shiny razor with new scales would contrast too much with the strop box!

Hone it up and use it as is would be my vote.

 

[bradyarz]

looks very similar to the w&b johnmrson posted the other day, but your toe is more rounded- very similar shoulderless design though.

 

[Woodash]

I like that razor. I would buff it up with something like a ~400, 600, 800, 1200 sandpaper + 000, 0000 steel wool. You could have her looking pretty sweet in one evening. Then hone her up....

 

[heirkb]

I would have someone who has experience with original restores take the razor apart and restore the blade and scales and then put it back together.

 

[Nerdman]

Thats a nice one! Part of me says, barbicide bath, hone and use it! Bigger part of me says, clean her up and put her back together as close to original as possible. Not a mirror finish but just nice and clean with the original scales!

 

[Legion]

Normally I always say "full restoration and damn the torpedoes!". But in this case, since you have that box and it is all in pretty good shape, I would just do minimal work and keep it as original as possible.

 

[natchez]

Thats a nice one! Part of me says, barbicide bath, hone and use it! Bigger part of me says, clean her up and put her back together as close to original as possible. Not a mirror finish but just nice and clean with the original scales!

I don't think you ever met a razor you did not want to take apart and make prettier

 

[Nerdman]

Normally I always say "full restoration and damn the torpedoes!". But in this case, since you have that box and it is all in pretty good shape, I would just do minimal work and keep it as original as possible.

+1 keep it simple!

I don't think you ever met a razor you did not want to take apart and make prettier

u know me too well

 

[Munxcub]

I would want to restore the whole kit. Not replace it and make it new, retain the character, rejuvenate it, as if it has never been out of use, and maintained for 100 and some odd years...

 

[ianp1966]

I'd go with a light restore, keeping the character of the steel intact, and new scales

ian

 

[honed]

If it was mine, I'd give it a good clean & leave it like it is.
Imagine what that blade has seen & gone thru.
Removing that patina with sanding is heresy for me.
But each to their own I guess.

 

[W_B_K]

Well for now I guess I'll clean, polish up the scales and hone it... see how it looks. I wish someone hadn't taken sandpaper to it so the patina on the blade would have been even. If it turns out looking goofy it will get a full on shiny restore

 

[Disburden]

shave with it?

 

[W_B_K]

shave with it?

Well now, that is a given!

 

[Toff]

You have a wonderful piece of history there. The case is very unusual.
Hippocratic oath for razors: Above all, do no damage!
respectfully
~Richard

 

[johnmrson]

looks very similar to the w&b johnmrson posted the other day, but your toe is more rounded- very similar shoulderless design though.

It does indeed. I'd be getting it restored.