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Coma patina on this 6/8 Kropp
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Just off the workbench... Found this Herman Greager's razor last year. I've been sanding the rust off it off and on for several months. I bought the rusty blade because it was made in Manchester, NH. Hadn't come across a NH made razor before this so it came home with me.

Herman thought he had a great way deal with what he thought was a common straight razor manufacturing issue. He felt the tempering process was uneven and solved it by making the razor blank extra long and cutting off some of the "softer" toe before shaping/grinding the blade. He patented the process in 1898. Here's a link to the patent. US613032A - Razor - Google Patents - https://patents.google.com/patent/US613032A/en


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I found the 6/8s razor in one of my favorite antique stores and traded a sawbuck for this piece of local history. I was hoping the rust would be superficial. It turned out to be more deeply rooted. The scales are ebonite, a great find as far as I am concerned, and were in excellent shape.

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Here's the front side after a lot of hand work.

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Here's the back side after tons of handwork. I decided I'd hurt the blade if I kept trying to remove the pitting.

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I used Slash's "The Method" to hone the blade. First session looked good but my face didn't like the harsh feel. I switched razors as soon as I had tried each side of the blade. (Both sides were equally unsatisfying.) I reset the bevel and continued my way through "The Method" a second time. This time I ended up with a superb edge and a smooth shave.
 
Last on my workbench for a while is a 6/8 Frederick Reynolds "Hamburg Ring" with a mirror finish and custom dyed buckeye burl scales with steel Solingen pins and a black acrylic wedge. This blade looks as if it has never been used. Some blades just fit certain scales as if they were made together and not decades apart. These came together rather well.
 

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Just off the workbench... Found this Herman Greager's razor last year. I've been sanding the rust off it off and on for several months. I bought the rusty blade because it was made in Manchester, NH. Hadn't come across a NH made razor before this so it came home with me.

Herman thought he had a great way deal with what he thought was a common straight razor manufacturing issue. He felt the tempering process was uneven and solved it by making the razor blank extra long and cutting off some of the "softer" toe before shaping/grinding the blade. He patented the process in 1898. Here's a link to the patent. US613032A - Razor - Google Patents - https://patents.google.com/patent/US613032A/en


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I found the 6/8s razor in one of my favorite antique stores and traded a sawbuck for this piece of local history. I was hoping the rust would be superficial. It turned out to be more deeply rooted. The scales are ebonite, a great find as far as I am concerned, and were in excellent shape.

View attachment 1128662


Here's the front side after a lot of hand work.

View attachment 1128663


Here's the back side after tons of handwork. I decided I'd hurt the blade if I kept trying to remove the pitting.

View attachment 1128665

I used Slash's "The Method" to hone the blade. First session looked good but my face didn't like the harsh feel. I switched razors as soon as I had tried each side of the blade. (Both sides were equally unsatisfying.) I reset the bevel and continued my way through "The Method" a second time. This time I ended up with a superb edge and a smooth shave.

Very nice Bob that has turned out Beautiful mate, well worth the time and effort involved :em2200:

Last on my workbench for a while is a 6/8 Frederick Reynolds "Hamburg Ring" with a mirror finish and custom dyed buckeye burl scales with steel Solingen pins and a black acrylic wedge. This blade looks as if it has never been used. Some blades just fit certain scales as if they were made together and not decades apart. These came together rather well.

Very nice Sir!!! I just love how this has turned out, love those scales and it has become one fantastic looking razor that will serve you for many years to come. :em2200:
 
Very nice Bob that has turned out Beautiful mate, well worth the time and effort involved :em2200:



Very nice Sir!!! I just love how this has turned out, love those scales and it has become one fantastic looking razor that will serve you for many years to come. :em2200:
Thank you. It feels good when it all comes together doesn't it?
 
Thank you. It feels good when it all comes together doesn't it?

Yes it does. I have spent many hours trying to work out what was used when they was made, sometimes came up blank but other times you get great results.

I try to keep them as orignal as possible, but sometimes its not then we have to work out what looks good.
And that is what the fun is all about yes the challenge, and that is the fun with this hobby and learned tons on Badger & Blade with asking questions along the way.

And the more you do the better we seem to get with all the practice, but then you get to see what you have done and that makes it all worth while. More so when they turn out beautiful.

And you sit back and say I did that :001_tt1::001_tt1::001_tt1::001_tt1:
 
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There are good deals to be had at antique shops. They don't always know what they have. I've picked up a lot of ivory scales in such places. I always thought that DDs were expensive but the one I did buy is a very nice shaver, easy to hone and it holds its edge. Nice job!
 
Very nice Matt!!! Have you got any before pics at all.

But that has come up real nice beautiful infact but i do like the ducks

The top photo is the before. There wasn’t much to do with this one, but I still need to clean up a few spots of rust staining on the gold wash, but I’m not sure this is possible.

Thanks Ian!


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There are good deals to be had at antique shops. They don't always know what they have. I've picked up a lot of ivory scales in such places. I always thought that DDs were expensive but the one I did buy is a very nice shaver, easy to hone and it holds its edge. Nice job!

Thank you, I’ll agree. Antique shops can be full of great finds, but most times they want a fortune. Thanks!


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I just finished these scales for a beautiful Thiers Issard, Le Grilot, for an SR shaver near Baton Rouge. Red spruce scales laminated to black acrylic with an amber wedge and brass, rosette collars. The spine work on this blade is beautiful.

Wow those scales are gorgeous. They have a crocodile-like texture to them.
Just before you send it to the customer is the wedge pin damaged? It might be just polish.
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Wow those scales are gorgeous. They have a crocodile-like texture to them.
Just before you send it to the customer is the wedge pin damaged? It might be just polish.
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Thanks. This material is gorgeous: it has movement and in a certain light it looks like embers are burning on the inside. The marks on the wedge pin were two smudges of greaseless compound that just rubbed off with a soft cloth.
 
Just finished cleaning up a J.NOWILL & SONS pretty 6/8 blade with a full Maker's Mark and original ivory scales with washerless pins and a lead wedge. The Maker’s Mark on the tang reads SHEFFIELD ESTABLISHED AD 1700.

The right side of the tang is engraved with a letter D and the J. Nowill "cross keys" symbol.

The blade itself is engraved “Warranted Firth’s Steel Ground in Sheffield,” clear and full with a mirror finish. The wedge side of one scales has a couple of scratches (the cracks do not penetrate all the way through the scale). I did not want to sand it all the way down—I prefer not to mess too much with nice, restored ivory.
 

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So, I think I just had the best week of my life on the auction sites... Are you ready to drool boys?

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Ohhh yeah! Papa's got some work to do!
You wouldn't believe me if I told you the steal I got on each of these but in order:

Wade & butcher 8/8 for barbers use notch. Not much work needed but I will do my best to keep the scales. The etching is deeeep so I should be able to get her shining from tip to tail.

A monster Bengall notch (6-7/8) extra hollow. Now, I personally have never even seen one like this. Definitely keeping the nice horn scales.

My creme de la cream... A 1st Gen Filarmonica Doble Temple 13. Blade is untouched! The scales however have rotted away completely. I wonder if I can get the lyre off the side to transplant to a new scale?

Heinr Boker & co. Tree brand Arbolito 5/8. This one throws me a bit because the stamp does not match the newer vintage Gen. I dunno I'll call it last Gen vintage though. Not much needed here, just a bath n polish, new pins, and a rub on the stones.

Time to get ta work!!!

***To top it off I have another ancient beauty that is late to the party. I guess that's just her way of making a dramatic entrance though. I'll save for another post once we've been formally acquainted. 😉
 
The top photo is the before. There wasn’t much to do with this one, but I still need to clean up a few spots of rust staining on the gold wash, but I’m not sure this is possible.

Thanks Ian!


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Matt if you get stuck send it over, and I will put a new coat of gold back on it for you so it retains its looks.
As you need to get rid of the rust it will lose the gold, both of mine did and look how they turned out.
 
So, I think I just had the best week of my life on the auction sites... Are you ready to drool boys?

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Ohhh yeah! Papa's got some work to do!
You wouldn't believe me if I told you the steal I got on each of these but in order:

Wade & butcher 8/8 for barbers use notch. Not much work needed but I will do my best to keep the scales. The etching is deeeep so I should be able to get her shining from tip to tail.

A monster Bengall notch (6-7/8) extra hollow. Now, I personally have never even seen one like this. Definitely keeping the nice horn scales.

My creme de la cream... A 1st Gen Filarmonica Doble Temple 13. Blade is untouched! The scales however have rotted away completely. I wonder if I can get the lyre off the side to transplant to a new scale?

Heinr Boker & co. Tree brand Arbolito 5/8. This one throws me a bit because the stamp does not match the newer vintage Gen. I dunno I'll call it last Gen vintage though. Not much needed here, just a bath n polish, new pins, and a rub on the stones.

Time to get ta work!!!

***To top it off I have another ancient beauty that is late to the party. I guess that's just her way of making a dramatic entrance though. I'll save for another post once we've been formally acquainted. 😉

nice score, agree with you about the 13.

but this bengall also holds a ridiculous edge


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