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Stopped at an antique store today and picked up two razors. The one that really caught my eye was this Packwood razor. The blade is in good shape- virtually no rust, and no chips in the blade edge, but the scales have seen better days. I just liked the look of it, and could tell it was old. Looks like it's gonna be a pain to hone. Not too much info available on this brand of razor, but seems like it's from the early 1800s just thought I'd share the pics.
Wow dude!!! Now that is a hell of a find in the wild!! Beautiful spine work and very clean. Congrats.
Very nice example of a Packwood. I never saw one with a spine like that. I have seen one or two with the bolster on it but never one with a spine like that so i don't know if it was made that way or if someone aded that to it but if so, they did a good job of it however, it might be original!
Great score!
Can you post some more pictures of the scales? The wedge end looks pretty nice. They don't look too bad, try keep them if possible. More pictures of the blades itself wouldn't be bad either :)
Nice razor, looks like it may have been re-ground at some point.
Ought to clean up and shave nicely. Great scales on it.
Good snag.
Packwood's are quite old.
Mine has a lovely blade and a pair of tortoise scales that are just wrecked.
Yours has seen some wear, but the condition of those scales and detail on the bolsters are really lovely. Don't let some hotheaded acrylic fan talk you into re-scaling that blade!
Agree. Keep them! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by BKratchmer
No doubt I will keep everything original. I was thinking of rubbing some MAAS polish in the blade to remove the gunk and get a good look at the blade. Is that recommended or advised?
Yes, from the pictures provided it looks like all it needs is cleaning, perhaps some sanding, i would do as much as possible without taking it apart for sure, post pics of your progress, very interesting razor. Some good information on Packwood on this link: http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...wood-stub.htmlQuote:
Originally Posted by relli1130
Holy $#!T...!!!
Amazing looking razor [emoji15]
Definitely in better shape than mine, but their goooood shavers
Haha thanks! Getting quite a few compliments on this razor. Didn't really know they were so admired...thinking of having it professionally restored by a member here...Keeping existing scales, pins, etc. Just bring back the luster and of course a good shave ready edge. Only problem is I found there are a few small, hairline cracks running vertically on the blade. But none of them appear to approach the edge. At least for now. We'll see once I remove the gunk.Quote:
Originally Posted by outback
Thanks everyone. More pics as requested of the Packwood to follow.
I wouldn't advise the use of any power tools on a razor that still has the scales on it.
That old razor will clean up very nicely with nothing more than elbow grease I'd think.
Here are a few more pics of this razor for those who asked. I used the MAAS to remove some of the gunk, but it really needs much more work. The hairline cracks are much more visible, and I hope won't affect the ability for it to take an edge, though I'm sure it affects the value. The caps (actual term...?) on the scales are pretty unique, and the hinge pin appears to be authentic. The majority of the damage to the scales are on the top, but there is a small chunk missing on the bottom as well.Attachment 222949Attachment 222950Attachment 222951Attachment 222952Attachment 222954
Ive cleaned up quite a few, that were still pinned.
And yes... Caution is in dear order.
I prefer to tape off the scales to pevent damage from the dremmel, and tape the collet on the dremmel as well.
Learned that one from a member here. (Engine46)
It saved me , more than once.
Please keep the scales, they are a wonderful find. They may be a little beat up, but chances are you won't see anything that unique again
Matt
I don't think the hairline cracks are anything to worry about. There is an article on here somewhere that explains it but I just can't find it right now.
No worries, I will most certainly keep the scales. I appreciate history, and wouldn't think of replacing these with a modern set. Holding this razor, I got to thinking about where it's been, who were the previous owners, what did they do for a living etc. might be kinda corny I guess...but I can't help it when I know I'm looking at something with age behind it.Quote:
Originally Posted by MattCB
Matt[/QUOTE]
Looks great! Hone it and shave with it!
That bit of honest patina that is left keeps the real character of the razor in my opinion. As for the bug bites on the scales? I don't see a problem. The scales pins and collars look to be original to the razor and I'd leave it that way and enjoy it.
I too wonder about what kind of lives previous owners of my blades led.
Rock on!
Great catch. Very lucky
finished doing a small restoration on this razor. Just hit it with a bunch of MAAS, and elbow grease. I left some of the patina on the blade. Got the scales looking decent again, and the decorative pins look pretty nice. So far I've honed about vintage 12 razors to shaving condition. I took a gamble, and decided to try honing this one on my own as well. I watched multiple videos on honing a smiling razor. My experience with the George Wolstenholm and Sons Razor (previous thread) was a great learning experience, and I applied what I learned to this razor too. It came away very sharp, and shaved quite nicely. However, seeing that I have a neatly trimmed beard, I found this razor a bit difficult to maintain my beard lines on account of the curve on the blade.
Nonetheless, I am happy to have this in my collection, and feel good about the progress I'm making. Attachment 225962
Very nice razor, love the scales.Quote:
Originally Posted by relli1130
Wished mine had scales like yours though
Looks good! Congrats on getting a smiling blade in to shave ready condition, that is not an easy task!
Very nice! Glad the scales were saved and they look great. Enjoy
