Wow! That's very nice!
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.
Thank you. It feels good when it all comes together doesn't it?Very nice Bob that has turned out Beautiful mate, well worth the time and effort involved
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.
Thank you. It feels good when it all comes together doesn't it?
Did this one last night. Picked this duck up for 50% off at a local antique shop!
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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
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!
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.
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.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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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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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.