W/B Razor on ebay shave-able, or just a show piece?

Hey bud, I am with Joel I think that it is a very steep price for what you are actually buying.
If we were talking about a patina'd celebrated with good scales, then I could see a starting price of 135. Well even if that.....

Can somebody tell me what they are looking at for the hone wear? If i didnt ask you guys first, i would have guessed that the spine was fine, to me the corner of spine looks crisp on both sides, and the 'scratched' bit below it to me looks like it would have just happened anyways.. And looking at the branding the letters closest to the shoulder still look easily readable, and that to my inexperienced eyes, not much metal has been taken off.

So if any of you were to see this razor out in the Wild, what would be the maximum price you would pay? I would like to know how to make good life choices! :)

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Originally Posted by Voidmonster

It's always a gamble getting a razor like this. Some hairline cracks can be really difficult to spot, especially in a razor that's been sanded as that one has. It seems very unlikely that this razor has had its temper ruined by buffing or belt-sanding -- those things would leave it with a different surface -- bit it could have been held over a fire and had the discoloration sanded off.

Really though, those two scenarios, while possible, don't seem likely in this case.

It should clean up and hone fine. Old Sheffield razors are fantastic workhorses.

That said, unless there's something that's throwing my sense of scale, there's no way on earth that razor is 7/8. MAYBE it's 6/8, but it looks more like a very generous 5/8 (or, what I suppose some folks would describe as 11/16).

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Funny Zak calls it a workhorse, he took the words right out of my mouth.

That was verbatim what I was gonna say; and that being said its would clean up to be a nice looking work horse at that

EDIT: I didn't look at the price when I looked at the pics.

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Originally Posted by Martin103

My view on this razor seems very different then everybody, its not early 1800's at all, the scales are cracked, bug bitten but more importantly the blade is not 7/8, the spine hone wear is very evident and lots of it, the bevel is huge and very uneven.

For that kind of money, you can get a wedge shave ready in good condition, that doesnt need any restoration whatsoever, please pass......

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BIG +1 to Martin's advice. We don't do valuations in the forum, so I will just say that there is no way I personally would pay anywhere near that much for that particular razor.

Wade & Butchers are fantastic shavers but they are still subject to the same evaluation as any other razor. Could you get this razor to shave? Probably. But be patient. You'll find a better blade for less $$ than that. Keep an eye not only on ebay but also the Classifieds here on SRP. There are usually good deals to be found there.

As for hone wear, that's shown by the largish flat part along the spine. When originally made, that spine would have been rounded, and in this case the round has been honed off and flattened out. Because of this the bevel has also become large and uneven due to the changed geometry of the blade.

It's a worn beast. Pass. Unless you want a challenge, a road which is paved with much difficulty! Go with likely stuff. Easier and more rewarding! :D

Actually, I'm also with Martin. I'd never in a million years spend that much money on that razor.

However, if that's exactly the kind of razor you want, it's probably a passable price for it. Though it could use a significant amount of restoration, it's probably usable as is. You could get a lot of use out of it with nothing but a honing, but that's kind of steep for an ugly duckling.

Of course, I also wouldn't be buying a Wade & Butcher. Not because they're bad, but just because they're what everyone wants. Most anything out of Sheffield from 1810-1870 is going to work pretty much equally well if it's in the same condition.

My thought is if you want a 7/8 and want to restore it there are better projects out there. You might get it a bit cheaper but it would have to be a lot cheaper and is likely to always be a bit of an ugly duckling at my skill level. I would pass.

I must be incredibly optimistic, because other than a scales replacement that blade looks to be in perfectly good condition.

The edge looks even, no frown or extreme smile. The hone wear looks to be well within heavy wedge limits... look at the third to last picture, you can see just how thick of a wedge this blade is. There is no pitting near the bevel (or heavy rust anywhere on the blade).

Is it out of my usual price range? Yes. But if I wasn't worried about spending mones, and had my heart set on a large Sheffield wedge, I wouldn't have any worry about making this into a beauty with minimal restoration.

Im sorry Twistedoak but to me this is not normal hone-wear when it goes all the way to the stamp on the tang. The bevel is very big and very uneven.

Attachment 152304Attachment 152305

I did a bit of rummaging and while I don't have an exact twin of that razor, I do have one that's awfully close. Hopefully this will illustrate what we're talking about. This is a Joseph Rodgers & Sons rather than a Wade & Butcher, of very similar vintage and near identical design to the W&B we're talking about.

First, the razor:

Attachment 152309

Although it has an uneven bevel, it has almost no hone wear on the spine to speak of.

Compare the circled area to the pics on that listing. This is more or less what that area of the blade *should* look like. Note it is not at all flattened along the spine. The flat bit on the other razor that can be seen in the pics is the result of the spine having been worn down either through incorrect honing or simply through many honings. Either way, the geometry of the blade will be changed by that much hone wear meaning that the bevel is unlikely to be set at the ideal angle as intended by the original maker.

Attachment 152310

Looking from the end, you can see how the spine is not at all flattened. The line on the right gives an idea of just how much of the blade has probably been removed. You can visualize for yourself how much thinner the spine would be as the result of such a change. Again, this will alter the bevel angle, etc.

Attachment 152311

So can you get it to shave? Absolutely. Will it shave well? Quite possibly. But ultimately I believe that particular one is way overpriced. Just my $0.02. If it's worth that to you, then by all means buy it. Just be aware that there are issues.