Thread: Wade & Butcher French Point?

Long time lurker, first time poster here. I have been straight shaving for about a year now, but have recently jumped on the W & B bandwagon. I picked up my first Wade & Butcher this last week. Is this blade a French Point? I can't find much about it online other than the stamp suggesting that it is older than 1891?
I'm new to vintage blades, so any help would be much appreciated.

That looks like a lot of hone were at the tip.

But, the experts will chime in for a better answer.

I was wondering that myself. The edge runs even with the spine, but I'm thinking it should have more of a point at the tip.

Welcome to SRP. That is a French point, and to me the blade looks real good, but the photos aren't the best. If it doesn't have 'England', but only Sheffield stamped on the tang, it is before 1891. Someone may have muted the original point over the life of the razor. Save you from those nicks at the ear lobe.

Thank you for the reply. This is the best pic I could get of the tip (terrible lighting and terrible camera). Definitely looks like theres a bit of the tip missing, or muted as you suggested. I do really love how this razor looks though.

Originally Posted by Walrus76

Thank you for the reply. This is the best pic I could get of the tip (terrible lighting and terrible camera). Definitely looks like theres a bit of the tip missing, or muted as you suggested. I do really love how this razor looks though.

It has been common throughout the history of razors for users to take the point to the side of a hone and knock that spike down a bit out of self defense. Here is another W&B with a similar point, also muted, and a Bruno blade, based on an old W&B, that is not muted. I shave with both but I have to pay a lot more attention when I shave with the pointy one.

Yea, looks muted or rounded chipped point.

You can bring a pointed tip back by removing a bit from the tip, making it a sharper 90 degree point. You would only lose about a 1/16 of an inch, none of it from the edge.

Would not take much the metal is thin there, just put it on end, on a diamond plate, or just clean it up and hone it. I like the way it looks now, it has a nice smile, once honed up that tip will shave just fine and be very usable.

There are a couple spots of pitting that you will have to decide if you have to leave or do some serious sanding.

Nice looking razors.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

It has been common throughout the history of razors for users to take the point to the side of a hone and knock that spike down a bit out of self defense. Here is another W&B with a similar point, also muted, and a Bruno blade, based on an old W&B, that is not muted. I shave with both but I have to pay a lot more attention when I shave with the pointy one.

Those are awesome looking blades

Originally Posted by Euclid440

Yea, looks muted or rounded chipped point.

You can bring a pointed tip back by removing a bit from the tip, making it a sharper 90 degree point. You would only lose about a 1/16 of an inch, none of it from the edge.

Would not take much the metal is thin there, just put it on end, on a diamond plate, or just clean it up and hone it. I like the way it looks now, it has a nice smile, once honed up that tip will shave just fine and be very usable.

There are a couple spots of pitting that you will have to decide if you have to leave or do some serious sanding.

Nice looking razors.

I like the way it looks as is too. I'd like to get it cleaned up and honed, but I don't want to shine it up. I like how it looks with the dark spots on it.

Polish it with some 000 steel wool and WD40, it will remove the rust, dirt and some of the tarnish, then polish with some 1k Wet & Dry to get the shine you want.