W&B in Horn - From Total Trash to Treasure

I recently picked up a 40 straight lot on eBay of which I kept about half and resold the others in a lot that were either too small for my preference or required too much restoration work.

You might ask then, why'd I keep this one?

I wanted to see if I could take something that I probably wouldn't even pay $5 for in an antique store and turn it into something special. This W&B was in that lot and met my requirements for being rusted completely over with sever pitting everywhere and a large enough grind that I could remove a lot of metal and that pitting.

After 15 minutes on 80 greaseless I almost just gave up, but pressed on (wish I would have taken a picture at this point when the rust was off to show how much pitting there was). Anyway, I spent a good 1.5 hours on 80 greaseless and overall about 3 hours on the blade to bring it up to a mirror. No pitting remains anywhere except for a small portion on the tang. I think I only lost about 1/16" also as it went from a 7/8 to a 13/16 at the widest point. I was also as careful as possible to try to keep the tang stamp intact and only lost part of the "Wade", but kept most of the "Manufactured", "Butcher" and "Sheffield"

I was shocked at the transformation and decided to give it a new set of black horn scales with a brass lined black micarta wedge.

I honed this up last night and finished it on my newest HAD addition - a frankonian hone for olivia seife. The shave was one of my best. Not sure if it was the W&B steel or the Frankonian, but I was impressed. This sucker is definitely staying in my shave den for a long time.

Feels good to take something that could be relegated to the trash and turn it into one of my most impressive shavers.

Anyway, here are the pics.

Before:
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SAM_2210.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SAM_2211.jpg

After:
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SAM_2219.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SAM_2222.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SAM_2224.jpg
http://i163.photobucket.com/albums/t...s/SAM_2226.jpg

Man! You took that one all the way from "ow" :eek: to "WOW!" :dropjaw:

Nicely done! :tu Enjoy those shaves.

Nice transformation!

Very nice restore. I love reading about old blades that are saved from the scrap heap.

Great save. Should make a fine shaver.
I've cleaned up a few old sheffields like that and always amazed at how well a nice wedged blade can clean up (most of the time)

Again great job.

That one must have taken some serious sanding time before it got to the buffer. Both blade and scales are outstanding.

The sense of accomplishment when you take a junk blade into a fantastic razor is amazing, isn't it? After a number of years you can trash the scales and make new ones and you have a whole new razor but the pride of that blade lives on.
Congrats on a great job!

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Originally Posted by HNSB

Nice transformation!

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Thanks!

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Originally Posted by johnmrson

Very nice restore. I love reading about old blades that are saved from the scrap heap.

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Thanks John! Like the old saying goes - "One mans junk is another mans treasure"

Sad thing is before this I would have thought this blade junk and now it is my treasure.

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Originally Posted by MileMarker60

Great save. Should make a fine shaver.
I've cleaned up a few old sheffields like that and always amazed at how well a nice wedged blade can clean up (most of the time)

Again great job.

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Yeah, this was a learning experience that is sure. I've generally shied away from sheffield razors for personal use as I've always found french or swedish razors to be better for my face.

After honing this sucker up and shaving though I'm thinking that I need to have another look at sheffield steel.

Thanks for the compliments.

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Originally Posted by Stropper

That one must have taken some serious sanding time before it got to the buffer. Both blade and scales are outstanding.

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I did it all on the buffer, just spent a long, long time using 80 grit greaseless compound.

Thanks for the compliments. This is my third set of horn scales and I think they are my best so far. Really love the way it turned out.

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Originally Posted by Zomax

The sense of accomplishment when you take a junk blade into a fantastic razor is amazing, isn't it? After a number of years you can trash the scales and make new ones and you have a whole new razor but the pride of that blade lives on.
Congrats on a great job!

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The sense of accomplishment indeed!

To be honest I was just going to see if I could clean this up reasonably, slap it in some old scales I had around and throw it on eBay.

Once started and seeing that I could remove most the pitting and after being completely done with the blade I said no way. This sucker is getting a brand new set of horn scales and going to the grave with me.

Thanks for the compliments!

Wowwwww Joe :dropjaw:...I can't believe the before and after...Nice rescue :tu

Looks outstanding and +1 on the before and after photos. The contrast really brings home what a great job you did. :tu

That is simply amazing, makes me want to go to the local antique store and talk them out of some "trash"!

Cheers,
Brock

Fantastic work you did there! Great save and very elgant looking scales for it too.

DUDE!! Thats what I like to see. Great save.:y

Excellent work, well done.

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Looks outstanding and +1 on the before and after photos. The contrast really brings home what a great job you did. :tu

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Originally Posted by Cwoodkiter

That is simply amazing, makes me want to go to the local antique store and talk them out of some "trash"!

Cheers,
Brock

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Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

Fantastic work you did there! Great save and very elgant looking scales for it too.

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Originally Posted by baldy

DUDE!! Thats what I like to see. Great save.:y

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Originally Posted by eTom

Excellent work, well done.

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Thanks a bunch guys! Places like this keep me at it!

that is just an absolutely amazing transformation. Congratulations, and kudos to your perseverance when others may have walked away. That's definitely a keeper, and if you ever decide to let it go, I just happen to know somebody who likes W and B's!! :) :)

That is a very elegant restoration. I am sure it didn't look that good when it was new so I am not sure restoration is even the right word. It is a transformation.

I would have called that a lost cause... damn fine job right there. it is definitely inspiring to me

Superb work! I love it when a well made but totally neglected blade gets new life breathed into her. Very nice.

Wonderful work!!!

You did yourself, and that blade proud.

Probably much of the 100+ years of that blade was of neglect and rusting away. Seeing it brought back to life, for its single designed purpose, is just plain good.

Thanks for the effort and sharing the pics

Very nicely done