Early Harwood & Co.

The owner was looking for an early blade to add to his everyday rotation. The blade had lots of active rust to remove and removing the surface rust revealed some significant pitting on both blade faces and the spine. It was decided to restore the blade to its original crocus finish. The scales were broken at the wedge end through the pin with pieces missing. Honey horn seemed an appropriate replacement. These are copies. I managed to save the original steel collar which were also corroded. I had to make a jig to hold them while I cleaned them up. They were very thin and fragile. The razor is pinned with brass as the original. Although I find these early blades a little awkward to hold on to this 6/8 wedge blade provided a comfortable shaving experience.
I have no information on Harwood & Co. and I'm hoping Scienceguy will chime in with some information.
The honey horn is nice and clear and anything that looks like delamination are just reflections from my poor photography.
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Well done.

Great looking stub tail

Saw that one on the bay and wondered what it would look like after restoring. Great looking resto, thanks for posting.

Bob

It's a good looking razor. Excellent restore job. :tu

Karlej,

It is amazing that you were able to take that razor from its original state into a like new condition.

Very nicely done!

I was able to find the below text online, which you may have seen already, but figured I would post it just in case. It is a small poriton of a document on the origins of Safety Razors. I have included the link to the original article below the text:

"Razor Guards and Guard Razors

According to research by Thorsten Sjölin, in July of 1799 a friedlische Rasiermesser (peaceful or pacific razor) was illustrated in a German trade journal and said to be a new idea from England. The razor was manufactured by Harwood & Co. in England and sold by Johann Christoph Roder in Leipzig, Germany. It was offered in a green-velvet-lined box together with a pair of leather strops, one black and one red, with the box fitted into a red leather case."

Link to document: From Perret to Kampfe: Origins of the Safety Razor

It doesn't really provide much info other than to illustrate that Harwood & Co. was likely an English manufacturer making razors as early as July 1799.

I'll say it again. Very nicely done!!!

And thanks for sharing

Really looks choice, Karl! :bow

The Universal British Directory (long name The Universal British directory of trade, commerce, and manufacture comprehending lists of the inhabitants of London, Westminster, and borough of Southwark), Vol. 4, published between 1795-8, lists Harwood & Co. as Sheffield cutlers.

The Universal British directory of trade, commerce, and manufacture comprehending lists of the inhabitants of London, Westminster, and borough of Southwark - Europeana

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Very nice job.
Great save.

I'm going to go against the grain on this. I believe you did a great job but I don't think these early razors should be restored in this way. I've done it myself on one razor and I regretted it. The original scales could have been repaired and I think it's important to keep as much intact as possible. A 200 year old razor is usually going to show some signs of age and that's the fascinating part, signs of it's history. By buffing away the well earned patina, the history has been erased.

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Originally Posted by mattluthier

I'm going to go against the grain on this. I believe you did a great job but I don't think these early razors should be restored in this way. I've done it myself on one razor and I regretted it. The original scales could have been repaired and I think it's important to keep as much intact as possible. A 200 year old razor is usually going to show some signs of age and that's the fascinating part, signs of it's history. By buffing away the well earned patina, the history has been erased.

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You are not against the grain at all. I'm sure there a many collectors that feel the same way. Scienceguy probably raised an eyebrow. There are certainly fewer of these old razors out there than the say 1850+ blades. The razor was wanted as an everyday shaver and leaving it as is was not an option for that purpose. A minimal restore would have left a blade with many deep pits and at that point not original anymore. Some folks like to shave with razors like that because they have left some character on the blade and some do not like that. All serious considerations when restoring any of the 19th century blades. Each must decide for themselves.
I new it would be controversial to post it. The conversation frequently comes up when restoring the old blades. How much is too much? Well some would say any.

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Originally Posted by karlej

You are not against the grain at all. I'm sure there a many collectors that feel the same way. Scienceguy probably raised an eyebrow. There are certainly fewer of these old razors out there than the say 1850+ blades. The razor was wanted as an everyday shaver and leaving it as is was not an option for that purpose. A minimal restore would have left a blade with many deep pits and at that point not original anymore. Some folks like to shave with razors like that because they have left some character on the blade and some do not like that. All serious considerations when restoring any of the 19th century blades. Each must decide for themselves.
I new it would be controversial to post it. The conversation frequently comes up when restoring the old blades. How much is too much? Well some would say any.

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Actually I'm on the fence. In fact I'm having an 1810s blade fully reground as we speak. Sometimes it is indeed really cool to see how these blades would have looked when made - this one especially is right on the edge of both worlds because it was in generally good condition when it started. (The scales were beautiful but would have required some serious effort at the wedge end). What I hate is when a blade full of pits is just buffed leading to the liquid metal appearance, or in general when careful attention is not paid to make the razor look like it once would have. This was a very tactful restore.

I'm gonna stay with the grain here Karl...I think you really did a responsible and beautiful restoration. Lovely work...

In keeping with the original look, I like it. Well done.

I think it's a fabulous restoration. The argument that says the razor should be left as found falls down when you consider that some razors would not survive if left that way. When the razor was made it did not have the pits evident when restoration began, ergo it was restored to original condition. There's a difference between patina and rust.

Great job nicely done. It's what the customer wanted.:chapeau

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Originally Posted by karlej

The razor was wanted as an everyday shaver and leaving it as is was not an option for that purpose. A minimal restore would have left a blade with many deep pits and at that point not original anymore. Some folks like to shave with razors like that because they have left some character on the blade and some do not like that.

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It all comes down to personal preference. I have everyday razors in my collection that I use that are in far worse condition than what that Harwood started as, pits and all. I respectfully disagree with stating it wasn't an option, the razor would shave just as well without the buffing. I think the option comes down to aesthetics, not function. As long as it's not pitted on the edge, why worry about pits elsewhere? Leaving the pits keeps the razor as close to original as possible without removing an unnecessary amount of steel and changing the original profile.

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Originally Posted by UKRob

The argument that says the razor should be left as found falls down when you consider that some razors would not survive if left that way. When the razor was made it did not have the pits evident when restoration began, ergo it was restored to original condition. There's a difference between patina and rust.

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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.

That's my Harwood and what a magnificent job Karl did restoring it. Let me ask you guys....which of these would you want in your garage:

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I think I know which one you'd take. I know this is stretching it but you know what I mean. I do the same type of restoration whether it be a vintage Dunhill briar pipe from the 1920's or a Winchester rifle from the 1800's. I restore to as close to new condition as I can. The key word here is 'new' and not original. I don't collect just to collect and have it sit in a glass case in my den. I collect to use regardless of age. It doesn't matter to me if it degrades the cash value....I don't collect for future profit. Bringing these old straights to new condition (albeit with new scales and pins) as they looked 200 years ago is a marvel to behold. And Karl...you're the guy that can do it.

Ray

'If dogs don't go to Heaven then I want to go where they go.'

Ray, I do understand where you are coming from and the important thing is that you are happy with your razor. Karl did a fine job, I'm not arguing that. I'm just expressing my thoughts on restoring vintage razors.

I like the reference to old guns. Restore or refinish? I much prefer the look of this razor in the after state. I hope to own a stub tail one day and will definitely have it refinished similar to this one.

I have some old wood furniture that was refinished by my Mom and like the clean look much better than if the same pieces were in their original finish with patina. I know the antique dealers will say they would be worth more in their original condition. I'm enjoying them, not looking to sell them. Same with my razors.

Sent from my SM-T700 using Tapatalk

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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.

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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.