Neil's Pair: W&B's 'Crown VR' circa 1830's-40's

I was finishing these up this past weekend after learning of Neil Miller's passing and I couldn't stop thinking about all the times he made me laugh and made me think. I'll miss his quick wit and wealth of knowledge. So, although I restored these for Andrew, I will always remember them as "Neil's Pair". I think he would have liked them.



Wade and Butcher set with Crown and VR stamp from sometime around the late 1830's to early 1840's....Original scales and Rosette washers:


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They look quite nice. Those rosette collars remind me of Neil busting Darl's chops about picking up collars in an old thread. Was funnier than hell. Wot's with the nutsy-boltsys? ;)

..................clunk! :dropjaw:

I can't believe those are the same razors...Spectacular save and restore Mike!

Thank-you, I couldn't agree more, been thinking about Neil for the last while as well, a nice tribute to Neil - I'm glad you think he'd like these razors. :)

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

They look quite nice. Those rosette collars remind me of Neil busting Darl's chops about picking up collars in an old thread. Was funnier than hell. Wot's with the nutsy-boltsys? ;)

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Yeah...they still need to get pinned up after they're honed. Couldn't quite get that done today but I decided to post the pics anyway. BUT...just so it doesn't drive you crazy TOM, I'll update tomorrow with a couple of pics with the pins pinned.

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Originally Posted by Phrank

..................clunk! :dropjaw:

I can't believe those are the same razors...Spectacular save and restore Mike!

Thank-you, I couldn't agree more, been thinking about Neil for the last while as well, a nice tribute to Neil - I'm glad you think he'd like these razors. :)

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Thanks Andrew...I think you'll like 'em. The one is honed and shaves like the dickens. The other gets honed tomorrow and tested and then pinned up. They were fun to work on...

Beautiful, and with meaning. Thanks for posting, I'm sure Neil would have loved them.

That would be nice, to see them pinned. I am already crazy, so no since in intensifying it! :D

So are these an actual pair from the factory, or were you lucky enough to find 2 alike?
Not that it would matter to someone like me! :roflmao Real beauties, Indeed!

Wow! I mean WOW
Those look brand new. Great work, and clearly beautiful shaves ahead.

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

That would be nice, to see them pinned. I am already crazy, so no since in intensifying it! :D

So are these an actual pair from the factory, or were you lucky enough to find 2 alike?
Not that it would matter to someone like me! :roflmao Real beauties, Indeed!

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Andrew can answer that one Tom. I believe he picked them up as a pair from France some time ago. They're the same razor and the same scales and collars, BUT as to when they were paired up in the distant past...Who Can Say? :shrug: Like you say though...really doesn't matter. They match!

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Originally Posted by MikeB52

Wow! I mean WOW
Those look brand new. Great work, and clearly beautiful shaves ahead.

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Thanks Mike! I appreciate it...

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

That would be nice, to see them pinned. I am already crazy, so no since in intensifying it! :D

So are these an actual pair from the factory, or were you lucky enough to find 2 alike?
Not that it would matter to someone like me! :roflmao Real beauties, Indeed!

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Yes - they were a matched pair sold together.

They came in a double coffin box, but Wolfpack said that it is not the original coffin box, maybe he can further explain. I thought one part of the coffin box had the W&B Arrow on it, but alas, I defer to Wolfpacks far superior knowledge on those issues.

But they are identical blades as you can see....

I am very glad now I sent them to Wolfpack, as it was clear I was doing a dumb-a$$ job on them, and clearly they deserved better! Hopefully his shop didn't stink of neatsfoot oil for to long...as IIRC I basically soaked the things in them for two weeks...;)

Mike can save some cool old wedges to shavers, makes them look nice as well. Getting them going, What matters! ;)

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Originally Posted by Phrank

Yes - they were a matched pair sold together.

They came in a double coffin box, but Wolfpack said that it is not the original coffin box, maybe he can further explain. I thought one part of the coffin box had the W&B Arrow on it, but alas, I defer to Wolfpacks far superior knowledge on those issues.

But they are identical blades as you can see....

I am very glad now I sent them to Wolfpack, as it was clear I was doing a dumb-a$$ job on them, and clearly they deserved better! Hopefully his shop didn't stink of neatsfoot oil for to long...as IIRC I basically soaked the things in them for two weeks...;)

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The double coffin they came in is of German origin...a very nice and solid one BTW...BUT, it's difficult to make out with my tired old eyes exactly what it says on the box. I can make out the words ' Slcherheils Rasirmesser'. There is also a trademark of a Bulls-eye with an Arrow through it very similar to W&B's.

Oh...and the neetsfoot smell is long gone now! :rofl2:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Mike can save some cool old wedges to shavers, makes them look nice as well. Getting them going, What matters! ;)

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Thank you Tom... :chapeau

Very nice buddy. Wow is all I can say. What a great way to also keep someone's memory alive.

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Originally Posted by RoyalCake

Very nice buddy. Wow is all I can say. What a great way to also keep someone's memory alive.

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Thanks Shane! How the heck are you these days? We have to plan a time to get together soon...

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Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

Thanks Shane! How the heck are you these days? We have to plan a time to get together soon...

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Doing good! Just super busy. About halfway done with the construction. But I could use a break so I'm up for a meet!
I can't believe how nice those razors came out...

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Originally Posted by RoyalCake

Doing good! Just super busy. About halfway done with the construction. But I could use a break so I'm up for a meet!
I can't believe how nice those razors came out...

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Yeah...we'll have to see if we can get together. Let me know when it will work for you and we'll set it up. It will be good to see you...

Beautiful razors. Beautiful work.

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

They look quite nice. Those rosette collars remind me of Neil busting Darl's chops about picking up collars in an old thread. Was funnier than hell. Wot's with the nutsy-boltsys? ;)

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I'm a little late to the party. First the razors are amazing as is everything I have seen from the hands of Wolfpack34.
Now for me this underscored an experience I had this weekend. I saw a razor on the bay that I thought looked pretty nice. It wasn't for me because I just jumped on a razor from the same vendor (an antique and junk dealer that laid out a ruler to show you how long the razor was). So I sent the link to Darl. He got out the yardstick and schooled me with all the things that were wrong with the razor which included, 'the guy did not know how to hone, it looks like it was honed in three separate sections....' I had to go back and look at the pic again. Of course Darl was right. The dude has an eye that only comes with experience. Now to the razors above. I looked at them and admired them, like every sane person. Then I read your post and had to go back and look at them again....whoa, why didn't I see that on the first look? I guess I was blinded by the superb restore, those beautiful scales with rosettes....the light coming through the scales and so on.
As mentioned above, I was sure I was done buying razors! Then I saw this T.F. Bastet for a reasonably low fixed price. Now I am nervous, what didn't I see?

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Originally Posted by WW243

As mentioned above, I was sure I was done buying razors! Then I saw this T.F. Bastet for a reasonably low fixed price. Now I am nervous, what didn't I see?

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I was going to say 'Plenty of pitting, including on the bevel, so you will lose at least 1/16" there.' Seems like someone got it anyhow.

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Originally Posted by Pithor

I was going to say 'Plenty of pitting, including on the bevel, so you will lose at least 1/16" there.' Seems like someone got it anyhow.

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Yep, I saw the black and red but I shave with some razors that have pitting and it doesn't bother me too much. Of course I'd rather have NOS. It was the configuration of the razor and the somewhat rare example from this maker. There are some pics of the same razor on the forum here: http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...azors-age.html
Yikes, hope I don't lose a 16th...

The guy with the neon ruler has stored his, celluloid and all, in the same plastic bag. I have seen not one I would consider.
AND that Bastet was one of the better ones, I think. JMHO

They look fantastic with a fitting tribute to Neil.

Somehow i miss this thread, it is indeed a very nice tribute to Neil, Great work Mike!

I had not seen this thread before but it brought a few tears to my eyes. Neil is, and will remain, missed.

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Somehow i miss this thread, it is indeed a very nice tribute to Neil, Great work Mike!

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Originally Posted by Utopian

I had not seen this thread before but it brought a few tears to my eyes. Neil is, and will remain, missed.

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I think about him often as well. More than a few times I'll be reading a thread and find myself wondering what Neil would say or more often than not just how he would say it in such a way that always would bring a smile to me face. SRP was surely diminished a bit when Neil left us...