Wester Bros idenity and my first straight! **PICS**

Hey Gents,

You guys have a mighty fine site here! There is sure a lot of info I will be looking up here over the next month.

This is my first time posting here and I've recently gotten real curious about straights. This afternoon I went to a local antique shop where I had seen straights before. I bought a Wester Bros. straight for $18. Im not sure if I over paid but what the hell. Overall it seems to be in good condition, it just needs a little TLC.

http://home.earthlink.net/~jlopez75/.../straight1.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~jlopez75/.../straight2.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~jlopez75/.../straight3.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~jlopez75/.../straight4.jpg

http://home.earthlink.net/~jlopez75/.../straight5.jpg

Can you tell what kind of blade this is? Any thoughts on what I purchased?

Thanks,

Johnnie

Wester Bros. are great razors - one of my favorites.
I have a Wester Anchor Brand and a Wester Fraternity - both give as good a shave as anything out there IMO if properly sharpened.

I paid about $40 from Lynn for each, but that was shave ready and excellent condition.

Bob

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Bob Cross

Wester Bros. are great razors - one of my favorites.
I have a Wester Anchor Brand and a Wester Fraternity - both give as good a shave as anything out there IMO if properly sharpened.

I paid about $40 from Lynn for each, but that was shave ready and excellent condition.

Bob

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Thanks for the info.

So the Anchor Brand is a series that Wester Bros. makes?

johnnie

That is correct, Johnnie. Wester does make the Anchor Brand.

Randy

updated with pics

johnnie

Johnnie -
If you are interested in shaving with a straight, click on the users gallery and check out Lynn's razors for sale. The Westers that I got from Lynn were in a lot better shape than what you are showing, and they were shave ready. There is virtually no chance that a razor you pick up from an antique shop, and one in the condition you have, will be useable as a shaver. Trying to shave with something like that is going to turn you off straight razors right off the bat.

Bob

What is it exactly that makes it "in bad condition?" Of course it needs to be honed and Lynn has already offered to do it for me. I also plan on cleaning it before I use it.

Why is it "in bad condition?"

Johnnie

It is in "bad" condition if you try to shave with it because the cutting edge has had time to oxidize and thus become dull. It needs to be cleaned first and then honed. Cleaned first because the process of cleaning invariably dulls the edge. Try using a metal polish, such as MAAS, to clean up the blade. A Dremel on a low setting with a flet wheel pasted with the MAAS metal polish works well.

Hope this helps,