Thread: Early Harwood & Co.

Originally Posted by mattluthier

Only with razors that are severely rusted, the razor in this thread was not. I don't think all razors should be left as found. It's good to clean off any active rust, which is possible to do without using sandpaper and buffing wheels. A light hand polish and oil keeps it in good order. IMHO "restoring to original condition" is oxymoronic because the method used to do so alters the razor, leaving it further from original than before the restoration.

I think we have to agree to disagree on this Matt. I certainly don't see an oxymoron is restoration to original condition - I think Jabomano's photographs illustrate the point very well.

Also I don't see how post restoration can be further from original than before - take a look at the pits in the before picture - I'd take odds they were not present when the razor was made originally.

I'm a huge fan of both restoration to new and Karl's work. I love the way Karl restores to original instead of bright neon scales and non-traditional shapes; however, the older pieces I also prefer a light restoration, if any, to keep an antique look. That being said this isn't my piece so GREAT WORK KARL! As always.

I like both. I have both and can see both sides of the fence. I don't have the skills to do this kind of restore, but have bought one or two like this. I usually like the light restore that I can do myself and look for razors that will fit that criteria.

I like this one very nicely done. The only thing missing for me is the original medallion from the old scales. Is that something that can't be removed saved and inlaid to the new scales or was that just by choice?

For the most part, I prefer my old razors to be in usable condition. Same with my guns. The warts and wear don't bother me as long they don't interfere with function.

That being said, I am VERY impressed with Karlej's work on that razor. He did a magnificent job of taking the steel down and maintaining the original lines and edges. A lot of the so called "restoration" guy's work that I've seen is not much more than a shine job. They buff with soft wheel and break down the edges and give the steel a wavy uneven, yet SHINY finish. I'm not pointing a finger at any of the craftsmen in this forum, but I see work like I mentioned above all over ebay, especially on pocket knives. Those clowns have opted to use the phrase, "cleaned to near mint", when they should say poorly buffed to a crappy shine.

Karlej did a Hell of a job on that razor. His craftsmanship is top notch.