Gold Bug ~ Friodur ~ Engström ~ Greaves ~ W&B > finally done :-)

I have to admit this was a very intense project. Not only did I have to work on some of the highest ranked razors ever made but a few had their own little problems such as a twisted tang which gave me hours of headache. I think that is every restoration guru's nightmare.

But there's always light at the end of the tunnel. (or so we pray)

The greaves, Engström and W&B (which I already finished and posted last week) needed a blade restoration and polish. The Gold Bug came just perfect with most of the gold tang still intact. The Friodur had no issues except a chip in the edge.

I did get specific directions as to what scale materials to use and preferences as to third pin, wedges and adjustables.

The greaves got blessed with faux tortoise, the Engström with blue paua/acrylic, the Friodur G10 Jade Ghost, the Gold bug butterscotch micarta and the W&B blue/black G10. Off course all got a matching/contrasting tapered wedge and our choice of nickel silver/brass hardware.

All razors are going back (am I sad) to Georgia.

But I know they will be cherished, loved and well taken care off.

Enjoy.

***********************

Ain't eye candy a bootiful ting!!!!!

:):):):):)

Lynn

An artist and his work... Stellar work Max. I can just see their owner dancing in the streets after seeing them. Who know what will happen when they arrive at the door. :) :tu :tu

:bow:bow Wow..I like the black/gray W&B.

All beautiful,,,,,but that Swede razor...WOW!

I have never wanted to have a razor with micarta until now. That Gold Bug is gorgeous. I love that razor. Amazing. Looks like it should have been made that way.

One word: WOW!

The Jade Ghost is still your friend as well it should be....did I mention I love that stuff :o. That Gold Bug........:dropjaw: so simple and clean but so.......wow! Max, please don't ever stop doing what you do and thank you so much for always sharing with us.

That Greaves takes the cake for me, perfect as per usual Max... He is a wizard I tell you

If this isn't an example of a craftsman at the top of his game, then I can't wait to see the masterworks!
This is an elegant and breathtaking display of your talent Max, and shows why you are one of the leaders in the field.
Thank you for sharing it with us.

Stellar stuff, as always, Max!

Regards,
Robin

P.S. That poor Engström... ;)

I can't help but keep coming back to look at that Gold Bug. That butterscotch micarta is going to get used again soon. The new standard for a gold wash blade. Looks so retro. Love the texture. I wonder if the owner would be willing to sell it...:D

More beautiful work Max, i have to say the scales on the Greaves are my personal favourite, very cool.
G.

:dropjaw: Those are absolutely gorgeous, Max!

Loving the way the colours on the Friodur and Greaves set off the shape of the blades.

You able to post step-by-steps on any of these? They just look so perfect now, it would be very interesting to see how they got there.

Amazing craftsmanship.

All that's more pretty than any one man deserves.:tu

May we please see pictures of the W&B too? :rock:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

May we please see pictures of the W&B too? :rock:

---

Here you go Lee

I don't think the owner is willing to part with his Gold Bug :) That razor is just amazing. A full hollow singing blade. I love that sound when I strop. Haven't seen many like that one either....

They all look excellent, Max!

Really nice! Scales match blades to a tee! Scales on the Gold Bug really stand out for me. Might be a match for a DD?

Ronnie

Holy smokes, those are beautiful. I can't wait until it's my turn to send a blade in!! Very nice work, Max!

Stunning as usual Max.

Not only do you never dissappoint - I always, always, ALWAYS look forward to seeing more of both your craftsmanship and your photography. Both your gorgeous restorations and your amazing SOD shots never fail to make me drool.

OOOOooooo those is Pur-de Mad Max...


Now I understand, Shutterbug's comment today on one of my threads.... hehehe it all makes sense now becasue you and I just have to follow each other along :) If one of us does 5 razors the other has too also....

The Gold Bug is "D one", and damn can they shave... love the Look !!

Great work again Max.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by olafurson

All that's more pretty than any one man deserves.:tu

---

That is a fact! But I am so proud of Max's artistry, I'm happy to confess that those Fab Five are mine. I just couldn't be happier how they turned out. Thank you Max.

To truly appreciate these, you have to see pics of what I actually sent Max to work on originally, a truly mixed bag, a few pretty raw. I lack Max's photography skills for the "before" pics, but you'll get the idea of what Max is capable of doing. :bow

All but one were eBay or flea market finds. The excellent Greaves I bought off the SRP classifieds from Holli4pirating, and it was one of the best shavers I'd ever put to my face until I dropped it and broke the scales clean off it. Heartbreak. Max took these raw materials, and created what you see in the original post. Refer back HERE to the first post for the "After" pics. I almost can't believe the transformations.

First, the original Gold Bug. Amazing razor, but the factory scales were a flimsy, misaligned bad dream that didn't do the paper-thin blade justice:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2...ugAdjusted.jpg


Next, the Greaves & Sons Sheaf Works. All I sent was a blade:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2.../Greaves01.jpg


Next, the Engstrom. Good basic steel, but rotted horn scales that couldn't hold the blade:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2...Engstrom02.jpg


Next, the Friodur. An eBay special, good raw material, but the he scales were "mystery wood" with a finish that flaked off every shave. I had also chipped the edge, and the original honing was nothing to write home about :(:


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2...odurWood03.jpg


I've hit my picture-per-post limit, so I will save the W&B for the next post, showing before and after in one post.

Finally, the before and after of the big W&B. A $15 eBay special before I cracked the scales trying to tighten them, and got so mad I just pulled the scales off and put it in a drawer. Here's what Max did with it: the straight razor equivalent of a fully restored '60s muscle car:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2.../WBBlade02.jpg


http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2.../tim_wb_02.jpg

Just love 'em. The lines, the flow. It's music for the eyes :tu:tu

Thou shalt not covet, but dang it I'm jealous.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Maximilian

Here you go Lee

I don't think the owner is willing to part with his Gold Bug :) That razor is just amazing. A full hollow singing blade. I love that sound when I strop. Haven't seen many like that one either....

---

Hehe... I think it is probably better that way:confused:. I promised SWMBO that the Engels I picked up from you was the last "major" razor purchase I would make. Of course, that was last year... end of last year.... but last year nonetheless.

I can't believe how many times I have come back to look at that Gold Bug today. Got any pics showing the wedge?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Shangers

I can't believe how many times I have come back to look at that Gold Bug today. Got any pics showing the wedge?

---

Thank you! :beer1:
Max has already shipped the razors, and the only remaining pre-Max pictures I have on hand of the Gold Bug are pretty awful. But, a poorly-taken picture is way better than none at all, I say. I love this razor.

This shot is the closest I have to the blade wedge in profile. I will post a clear dead-on blade profile close-up when the re-scaled razor arrives. This shot was taken several months ago when I was trying to learn how to take light box pictures and learn white settings, against a black background. The color and exposure are honestly screwed, but at least I got the focus correct.

The razor width is either 13/16ths or 7/8ths, and is the most paper-thin profile of any wide blade I've ever used. The spine isn't much over 1/8 inch, the bevel is so narrow it's almost invisible. As Max said, it makes a very prominent (and pleasant) metallic singing sound when being stropped. The razor originally arrived to me via eBay dead mint, never even honed, for around $65.

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2...PreRescale.jpg

I've got some stuff that I'd trade for that Gold Bug... WHOA!

Beautiful work, Max (as usual)!

here's another one I found on my CF.

Those are gorgeous!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by FatboySlim

Thank you! :beer1:
The razor originally arrived to me via eBay dead mint, never even honed, for around $65.

---

You got a great price then, but after Max's work, I doubt we will find even a mediocre Gold Bug on the 'Bay for that price for a long time. Anyone ever notice how after Brad, Max or Glen post some great restore, the maker they restored starts going for higher dollar...:(. C' est la vie, I guess.

The razors arrived over the weekend, here is requested close-up of the blade profile of the Max-ized Gold Bug:

http://i76.photobucket.com/albums/j2...gProfile02.jpg

Having had a few days to really look over Max's finished work very closely, I have to say I'm even more impressed than the pictures he posted. If you've seen Max's finished restore pictures and wondered if they are just idealized representations done with clever lighting, they are not. In hand, they are at least as impressive. I couldn't be happier with the fit and finish work.

The thing the picture doesn't easily convey is that this Gold Bug must have been a challenge to rescale because the blade of the razor itself is so thin and light. With the blade being both light and wide (13/16ths), finding a scale material that would fit and be much better than the stock scales, yet would still balance, had to have been difficult. Even with the added 3rd pin, the micarta Max used here is featherweight, yet very rigid and snug. The fully-opened razor actually balances along it's length on my fingertip at the pivot pin, like a scale. Very cool.

One last thanks, Max. :beer1: