W&B Black Horn straight up resto

This blade came in sans scales. It was in nice shape so it didn't take much to get it looking good.
I happen to have some original FBU style scales in my collection so I used them to duplicate a set of scales in Black Horn matching the varying thickness over their length, the overall shape as well as the radius of the surface.
Next was the beloved W&B triple stack washers and pins. I did what I could to duplicate these as well not wanting to settle on the typical stack some washers and call it done routine. I tend to think they came out pretty close. I have sets of originals on hand and you can see the comparison in the photos.
I also had an original wedge to use so in it went.
Hey, I'm happy with the reflection of my lamp in the scales as it shows little distortion. Doesn't take much to make my day.

Absolutely gorgeous. Love the scales - such beautiful work!

Awesome very clean and original looking and I love the washers they came out spot on I think
How did you go about making the washers?

Looks factory new. Great work.

Slap it on ebay as $1200 seams to be the going rate for awesome looking cleavers

Beautiful work on a classic.

Always enjoy seeing your restores, very nice.

Bob

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Originally Posted by Substance

Slap it on ebay as $1200 seams to be the going rate for awesome looking cleavers

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I couldn't believe the price that went for! I figure, well done to the seller and buyer, both got something fantastic. Was in beautiful condition though. I guess its all relative to one's disposable income and what they already have in their collection. I guess, plenty of people have paid that sort of money for a Livi, and a W&B like that in basically NOS condition is probably far harder to acquire. I've spent more than that in the last couple of months, but have a couple of dozen nice razors for the $.

Thanks guys. As always you are generous with your comments!

I am very impressed with the collars. What was your process for making them? Are they machined or stamped?

Beautiful work, that is a treasure! Thanks for sharing it.

Stunning! Absolutely classic! It still amazes and fascinates me that these 100+ year old blades are in our hands and part of our daily lives. Great work!

Great work. Sent you an email for some possible work.

This is truly magnificent. Your attention to detail is commendable. Bravo!

Thanks again guys. It's nice to know I didn't drive myself crazy for nothing ! Glad to know it's appreciated.
As to making the collars I simply used flat stock, drilled some holes ( these pins are oversize as the orig.are) cut them out and shaped them to the proper diameters. Then flattened them to the respective thicknesses.
Gee , reading it sounds simple and quick. Why did it actually take so long when I was making them?

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Originally Posted by mycarver

Thanks again guys. It's nice to know I didn't drive myself crazy for nothing ! Glad to know it's appreciated.
As to making the collars I simply used flat stock, drilled some holes ( these pins are oversize as the orig.are) cut them out and shaped them to the proper diameters. Then flattened them to the respective thicknesses.
Gee , reading it sounds simple and quick. Why did it actually take so long when I was making them?

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Care to add your knowledge to the ongoing thread about triple stack collars? http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-school-6.html

Wow! Didn't realize there was a thread on this topic. Very cool. I have been thinking along those lines and have some alternative ideas I want to try. When I have time that is. My regular schedule is hectic and as such haven't posted in some time.

I know the orig.are stamped and backed up but I'm always concerned about flattening them when peening. Same fear when I make domes even though they are backed as well.

I want the same look but have them be solid pieces that won't be affected by peening or a buffing that might cause them to lose detail.
Anyway I'll peruse that avenue and in this case didn't have the time so I went in another direction that now I should be able to reproduce reasonably well and more quickly.

As to me adding anything to that thread it seems quite well thought out and the results are stunning!! I fear there is little I could add that would be of any benefit.
You guys make me look like a monkey slinging you know what !

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Originally Posted by mycarver

Wow! Didn't realize there was a thread on this topic. Very cool. I have been thinking along those lines and have some alternative ideas I want to try. When I have time that is. My regular schedule is hectic and as such haven't posted in some time.

I know the orig.are stamped and backed up but I'm always concerned about flattening them when peening. Same fear when I make domes even though they are backed as well.

I want the same look but have them be solid pieces that won't be affected by peening or a buffing that might cause them to lose detail.
Anyway I'll peruse that avenue and in this case didn't have the time so I went in another direction that now I should be able to reproduce reasonably well and more quickly.

As to me adding anything to that thread it seems quite well thought out and the results are stunning!! I fear there is little I could add that would be of any benefit.
You guys make me look like a monkey slinging you know what !

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The interior locking washer actually does a great job of preserving the shape.

I've tried two different thicknesses of steel locking washer now, too. Even the very thin ones hold their shape really well. If you'd like to play around with them, I'll happily send you some to try out.

Oh I have no doubt they work very well. Ancient razors are a testament to this method. Maybe it's the German in me that compels me to where if I build it I want to over build it to some level that in all probability isn't needed!

I'm the guy you could put in a sandbox with a rubber mallet and a bowling ball and I'll find a way to break the ball.

I see in your sig line you are an artist. Me too. What type of art?

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Originally Posted by mycarver

As to me adding anything to that thread it seems quite well thought out and the results are stunning!! I fear there is little I could add that would be of any benefit.
You guys make me look like a monkey slinging you know what !

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Even still, I personally think yours are superior to mine, and I think it would be beneficial to add your process to the thread.

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Originally Posted by mycarver

Oh I have no doubt they work very well. Ancient razors are a testament to this method. Maybe it's the German in me that compels me to where if I build it I want to over build it to some level that in all probability isn't needed!

I'm the guy you could put in a sandbox with a rubber mallet and a bowling ball and I'll find a way to break the ball.

I see in your sig line you are an artist. Me too. What type of art?

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Hah! Yeah, in most things I'm totally an 'overbuild it until it's silly, then overbuild it some more' kind of guy. Something about razors brings out the otherwise dormant fundamentalist though, so I try to make all my repairs and restorations as much like the original as possible... Some day, I'll be pressing my own scales, I'm sure of it.

I've done basically any kind of commercial art people would pay me for. Most of it's been digital (I've been on that bandwagon since '85 -- yikes), a lot of that was interface design for web pages and boring corporate logos, but I've also done some illustration for books & magazines. The last 3-4 years have been more writing than art though.

I have a really hard time balancing the two impulses, and when I'm deep in an art project, my writer brain gets lost out in the ether and takes a while to come back (but oddly, I can go directly from writing to art with no problem).

very interesting ,thanks!
I know quite well the feeling of getting lost in the ethers!
I too have been leaning heavily towards the fundamentalist approach and bring these razors back to what they once were. Many times that's more of a challenge than buffing them willy -nilly and slapping on something called scales.

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Originally Posted by mycarver

very interesting ,thanks!
I know quite well the feeling of getting lost in the ethers!
I too have been leaning heavily towards the fundamentalist approach and bring these razors back to what they once were. Many times that's more of a challenge than buffing them willy -nilly and slapping on something called scales.

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Sometimes, after really intensive sculpting (digital, in my case), it can take me a couple of hours to remember how to talk. I'd love to figure out how Clive Barker manages to spend hours every day doing both art and writing.

One of the things I like to keep in the back of my mind when I'm doing restoration work is the following statistic from Lloyd's 'The Cutlery Trades'.

In Sheffield, circa 1880, this was the case:

An out working spring knife cutler working with his fourteen year old son made in one week 56 dozen knives. For these he was paid 5s 3d per gross, fourteen dozen being counted to the gross. They worked fully 70 hours per week and sometimes 16 hours a day.

Razor manufacture was about the same, maybe a bit more, and in razors it was common for a dozen to be either 13 or 14. That's in the neighborhood of a 100 articles a day between two people.

There's a film from the mid 70's, showing an old Sheffield guy making a pocket knife. It's amazing to watch him work.

I really cherish all the time I've got to spend preserving the work those folks did.

Ah yes, don't you know it. I cherish the time spent with razors. Although I do love my work as well.
Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life.

Let me echo all of the praise for you work. You are a true craftsman and keeping these old artifacts alive, functional and beautiful is a real gift.