Thread: Newbie Question.....It this worth biding on?

I can see the chip on the edge of the blade, but I don't know how easy it would be to have that fixed? Let me know what you think. I'm looking for a W & B (< $40 with S&H) that I can use to practice restoration techniques (hand sanding) and be able to use after professional honing.

Thanks,
Tim

Not for 40 bux.JMO has some wonky spinewear.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Not for 40 bux.JMO has some wonky spinewear.

Thanks! I was going to cap my bid at $25 on this one....my budget for a restoration W & B razor is $40. The markings on this razor seem nice and deep, and from what I've been reading should clean up well. I'm just not sure if the nick on the edge the blade is a deal breaker or not....

.....no.....

FWIW-I'd pay $9 or less if I saw that in the 'tique store and that would be with decent scales. By decent, I meant usable scales that would fall apart the first time I opened the blade.

Originally Posted by Siguy

FWIW-I'd pay $9 or less if I saw that in the 'tique store and that would be with decent scales. By decent, I meant usable scales that would fall apart the first time I opened the blade.

Guess I need to search out antique stores in my area! Are W&B straight razors that common to find in antique stores? Do you just call antique stores and ask if they have straight razors or do you go from store to store hoping to find some? FYI...did't bid on that razor. Thanks for the info all....

I got a list of local 'tique stores and started calling them all asking them how many they had and how much. I didn't waste time on store hopping. I wasn't interested in sight seeing.

I hope you find some awesome pieces. I found a couple.

Originally Posted by Gehring9006

I can see the chip on the edge of the blade, but I don't know how easy it would be to have that fixed? Let me know what you think. I'm looking for a W & B (< $40 with S&H) that I can use to practice restoration techniques (hand sanding) and be able to use after professional honing.

Thanks,
Tim

FWIW I would NOT practice on a W&B.
I would get something along the cheaper line to practice on and then get a W&B once I got all the mess ups out of the way... :P

Good point...especially since no matter what condition W&B razors seem to go for more than I'm willing to pay on eBay.

Check out your local antique stores! One near me had 3 W&B's (2 of which I bought) and they shave incredibly! One was a 1/4 hollow and I just did some light sanding and polished it up and left it in the scales it came in. The other was a W&B Elite for under $20 (didn't know what I had until later) glad I picked it up! Either way it goes, I think you will be satisfied with a Wade! Now it just depends on what your comfortable spending on a razor to restore. If I could do it all over again, I would still pick up a W&B if the price was right and have waited until I had a few restores under my belt before I restored them. I really want to go back and re-restore the two Wades I do have so they look as brilliant as they shave.

Moral of the story:
1. Its worth whatever you want to spend.
2. W&B's shave great.

As far as how common they are… You never know who is going to bring in what from one week to the next. One week there will be 2 razors in a store and the next there will be 12. Its a hit and miss kind of thing. I enjoy looking through the stores because a lot of the times what is in an antique store isn't for sale on ebay. Also, antique stores only have a fraction the amount of eyes looking at the razors. Compared to online where there are 500+ people who are willing to pay more than you on a given razor. Of course there is more of a selection online, however, that comes at a premium of competing with all of the other collectors/restorers/shavers who want the same W&B Barbers Use as much as the next guy(or gal).