Thread: AW Wadersworth?

I am still new to this whole thing ans I know absolutely nothing about straight razors but I have wanted to get one for a few years now and I finaly bought one today. I found it at a antique shop and Im pretty sure it has a decent blade on it but like I said Im still new to this so I will post pics of it tomorrow when I get my camera out. But here is my question, the razor I bought is a says AW Wadsworth & son's on one side of it and BOSS on the other side. I tried searching in here for any info on it but I couldnt come up with anything. I got it for $10 but Im not sure if this thing is even worth a dime but I figured if its a piece of crap i could at least learn to hone with it.



Edit: I also bought a Col Conk hone and am curious as to what the grit of ot is and if it is really fine enough to put a finish edge on a razor.

Check out this site for manufacturers of straight razors:
http://www.uniclectica.com/misc/manuf.html
Posting pics is a great idea.
I don't know anything about the col. conk hone, but the best hone money can buy is the 3" Norton combo waterstone 4000/8000. It's not as inexpensive as the conk hone, but it is a seriously good investment if you're interested in sharpening and maintaining your own straight razors.

If I stick with using a straight I will eventually buy a norton, but As of right now I already have over $100 invested in everything else I will need just to get started so I didnt want to spend another $70-$80 on a stone that is to fine to use on anything else.

I checked that site and they didnt have wadsworth listed.

I understand the col. Conk stone to be a coarse or at best medium hone. While good for heavier jobs (and yours might be one) you will need a fine or ultra fine finishing stone to polish the edge for use. Perhaps Tilly can help you at http://www.redtrader99.com/ .

Sounds like a razor made by Boss in Germany for the Wadsworth Company. There are many like this floating around that were made for companies over here by German manufacturers. Look forward to seeing the picture. You will find many generic manufacturers from Germany that can be difficult to locate. Sometimes you get luck on a web search. John West is another great resource on some of these. [email protected]. Lynn

Ok I took some pics this morning.

Welcome to the group!

The razor you purchased will serve you just fine. Do any clean upo work first before you hone the razor. Cleaning has a nasty habit of dulling the edge.

The Col Conk hone is a 1200 grit hone. Its only use is to hone out nicks and establish a bevel on a razor. It is considered a coarse stone. You will need a medium and a fine stone to complete the honing. Many of us use a Norton 4000/8000 combination hone. It is the easiest to clean and keep flat, fastest cutting, and easiest to use of any hone out there. It is also expensive.

The other options are classic barber hones. Tilly at www.redtrader99.com,
ebay seller redtrader99, has these for sale. Tell here you need a medium and a fine hone. see if she has some combination hones available. These work but they are small and cut slowly. However, they are way cool!

The other option is the Spyderco ceramic hones in the fine and ultrafine grit. These are also expensive and have some shortcomings.

Your last option is to have someone hone your razor for you. Several of the people here will do so. Just ask. It is customary to pay for return freight and include something for the effort.

Hope this helps,