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“Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett Co”
So here is my newest straight.
I purchased it back in October of 2020, on eBay.
The seller didn’t really know what they had, and even advertised it incorrectly...which is why there were no other bidders, and I got it for something like $10.50 shipped to my door.
During the shipping process it was lost, and I was totally bummed.
I was looking for this exact brand, shape, and grind.
The seller got her money back, and I was refunded as well.
Done.
Nope!
Suddenly, last week sometime (4 months later), it appeared in my mailbox.
So it was essentially a freebie.
Yesssssssss!
Below is how it arrived...broken scale and all.
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So the first step was to take it apart and clean it up.
I didn’t want it super perfect. Just really clean and wicked sharp.
It came out clean.
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I decided to clothe it with a set of horn scales with an inlaid pearl spade. It came from a Herder straight razor kit that I will complete another day...now with different scales. 😂
The scales were too large, so I had to slightly modify them for a perfect fit. (I hate ghetto, sloppy, work).
So notice below where they were going to be cut down, and notice how I was accounting for the size and shape of the wedge.
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After the scales were completed, I had to tackle the pivot hole of the blade.
It was overly large, and almost identical to a Wade & Butcher straight razor which I restored a few months back.
I’m not completely sure about this one, but I heard that the pivot holes on the Wade & Butcher were punched, and not drilled. Which is why they were large and almost oval-shaped. Maybe the same process was used in this one as well.
Regardless, if I used a 1/16” inch pin, it would be sloppy. So I used the same trick I used on the Wade & Butcher, on this blade.
I used a 3/32 x .014 brass tube, and cut it to fit perfectly in the pivot hole. Then I placed a 1/16” inch rod through it, and “Wa-La”...no sloppiness.
See the photos below to make sense of my psycho-babble.
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Then it was just a simple fact of making a wedge, and putting it all together.
I chose to use steel washers in the outside, with brass pins.
After it was all done, I took it to the stones to reset the bevel, and give it an atom-splitting edge. (1k, 5k, 8k, and finished on a Naniwa 12k).
I have to say, I was REALLY surprised how sharp it was.
It was a super soft and effortless shave, even going against the grain under my chin, which is the densest part of my facial hair.
Effortless.
It is my first straight without a shoulder. And the grind is super unique.
It’s narrower than what I usually like (it’s a 6/8” inch), but I’ll still keep it.
My newest baby.
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I’m pretty happy with this one.
Thanks for letting me share this with y’all.