Thread: Re-etched Wade and Butcher Celebrated FBUs

I just saw this today, and Zak may have seen one some time ago. Just thought everyone should be made aware that these are floating out there.

It's a Wade and Butcher Celebrated For Barbers Use, with what is clearly a reground blade that has had a modern etching put on it. I'm 99% sure this is a real Wade and Butcher, and 90% sure that this razor was at one point actually a legitimate Celebrated FBU, but the etching is NOT original. That is a very modern typeface, and the proportions are all wrong, as well as the fact that it does not look like the type of etching which would have been used in the period.

Good spot I saw a western style Iwasaki also etched with the his signature being offered up for sale by a well known Swedish seller of Japanese razors, I did the right thing and sent him a PM pointing this out I'm not sure he did anything about this as he did not respond.

These sorts need to be treated like lepers in the community and called out under the spotlight... They rip off new collectors and depending on whether they ever get better than horrible at faking these, potentially devalue our investments

Originally Posted by kcb5150

These sorts need to be treated like lepers in the community and called out under the spotlight... They rip off new collectors and depending on whether they ever get better than horrible at faking these, potentially devalue our investments

You have to be careful because, like anything fake in a collecting community, the item for sale is not always faked by the seller. It's important not to start witch hunts. But the information should be out there clear for detecting them.

Well, you can always politely inform them.. If someone sold me something as x and it is a facsimile of x I would be grateful to know

If someone is a known restorer and doing it I say fair game... Doing it and NOT admitting it... Or using extremely vague language.

The area where ppl will have to more more on guard are masonic wedges I would think.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

I just saw this today, and Zak may have seen one some time ago. Just thought everyone should be made aware that these are floating out there.

That is a very modern typeface, and the proportions are all wrong, as well as the fact that it does not look like the type of etching which would have been used in the period.

Not the clearest photo, but here is an original example for comparison ;


Attachment 236318

Thank you for posting this! I like to think of myself as fairly knowledgeable but that would have fooled me. I guess I have much to learn still...

The original FBU has the text etched in the steel, the example in the OP looks like laser engraved or acid etched stamp. Very different outcome to the two processes. The fonts are indeed way out of proportion and in the wrong position because of that.