Thread: A Distinguished Gentleman: Wostenholm pipe razor, back from the dead.

Some of you may remember this thread.

I decided to take it as a restoration challenge. How 'nice' could I get the razor while retaining all its character?

The answer:







Everything but the brass rod is original. Well, the brass rod and the brass washers underneath the collars. You can see them at the toe on the face side because that collar disintegrated while polishing. It had originally been one of the pivot collars and had been severely over-tightened, so the metal was way too thin. I thought about fixing it but decided that in keeping with the 'CHARACTER!' nature of the restore, I'd just let it be the way it is.

I would have liked to have gotten the collars on better. I need more practice.

The original horn scales are still warped, so the razor has to be guided in. In the original thread about this razor, I speculated that it was quite old. However Alex has better information on Wostenholm's use of the pipe symbol over here. So 1843 at the absolute earliest.

Even with that slightly ragged edge this razor shaves well!