Thread: Wade & Butcher Comeback

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Arguing on the internet is like wrestling a pig...you get dirty and the pig likes it.

Let me say back in my Army days my jeep spent more time in the Motor pool then in the field and I was happy as a clam when we were issued Hum Vees. Where am I going with this dumb story no where but Im hoping the New Wade and Butcher is going to make a metaphorical damn good Humm Vee. I applaud your enthusiasm and await the lovely instruments you intend to build. Good Luck I mean that.

I don't really see what is the problem.

A guy wants to make/sell razors. Lots of competition, hard to distinguish oneself, even harder if one hasn't made/sold razors before to establish a name recognition.
However, he knows a brand with underutilized name recognition in the marketing of new razors. The brand has not been in production for decades, but the surviving old production has a cult-like following.
Seems like a good solution to the problem.

The guy tracks down the present owner of the brand, makes a deal with him and now can use that brand to market the razors he is going to make/sell. Instant recognition worldwide to probably 90% of the potential market. Developing a completely new brand to such reach would probably cost at least millions (just think of new razor brands and how they try to get there).

It is a clever marketing strategy, and anybody else could've used it if they wanted to go that way.

Ultimately the new razors will survive or fail based on their own quality and the brand will either get yet another iteration in its life or go dormant again.

For example, neither the new Puma nor the new Grelot razors have the following of their old namesakes. May be that's how the new W&B will end up, or may be it'll end up differently, only time will tell.
Perhaps some/many people will buy it for the sake of sentimentality - then this marketing strategy would've worked, but after things settle down that's no longer going to be the case.

At the end of the day the prices of custom razors have a fairly big 'intangible' component. And so do the prices of vintage W&B razors. In this sense the new match is not out of place at all.

This isn't at all the worst thing to happen to the W&B brand even if one dislikes it. As somebody already said the brand could've been stamped on gold dollars, zeep-pk, the cnc-machined productions, etc. Instead, the plan is to market luxury products of good quality.

MichaelC appears to be quite open about his views, arrangements, and plans and this is important because that allows each person to make their own decision based on the correct information without being misled.
Nobody is forcing anybody to buy or not to buy anything. And as far as sentimentality about the old iterations of W&B, may be there is something problematic with such level of attachment given the historical facts some of which Zak eloquently shared.

OK I waited a few hours. Show us a prototype!

Good luck with this venture Michael and make the Brothers proud!

Originally Posted by Wirm

Producing a fine custom razor that looks like a Wade & Butcher is certainly possible. But if they stray into production razors ?? Can you imagine the nightmare of flooding the market with a inferior blade with the appearance of a FBU . Hopefully any modern blades will be readily distinguishable from the originals.

Well they will be considerably newer ☺

Originally Posted by gugi

I don't really see what is the problem.

A guy wants to make/sell razors. Lots of competition, hard to distinguish oneself, even harder if one hasn't made/sold razors before to establish a name recognition.
However, he knows a brand with underutilized name recognition in the marketing of new razors. The brand has not been in production for decades, but the surviving old production has a cult-like following.
Seems like a good solution to the problem.

The guy tracks down the present owner of the brand, makes a deal with him and now can use that brand to market the razors he is going to make/sell. Instant recognition worldwide to probably 90% of the potential market. Developing a completely new brand to such reach would probably cost at least millions (just think of new razor brands and how they try to get there).

It is a clever marketing strategy, and anybody else could've used it if they wanted to go that way.

Ultimately the new razors will survive or fail based on their own quality and the brand will either get yet another iteration in its life or go dormant again.

For example, neither the new Puma nor the new Grelot razors have the following of their old namesakes. May be that's how the new W&B will end up, or may be it'll end up differently, only time will tell.
Perhaps some/many people will buy it for the sake of sentimentality - then this marketing strategy would've worked, but after things settle down that's no longer going to be the case.

At the end of the day the prices of custom razors have a fairly big 'intangible' component. And so do the prices of vintage W&B razors. In this sense the new match is not out of place at all.

This isn't at all the worst thing to happen to the W&B brand even if one dislikes it. As somebody already said the brand could've been stamped on gold dollars, zeep-pk, the cnc-machined productions, etc. Instead, the plan is to market luxury products of good quality.

MichaelC appears to be quite open about his views, arrangements, and plans and this is important because that allows each person to make their own decision based on the correct information without being misled.
Nobody is forcing anybody to buy or not to buy anything. And as far as sentimentality about the old iterations of W&B, may be there is something problematic with such level of attachment given the historical facts some of which Zak eloquently shared.

This is a very thoughtful post, and brings up points, at first blush I had not considered... And, after thinking about the whole question a bit, perhaps I'm softening somewhat and ready to give this venture a chance.
I still do not think I'll be buying one, but I've learned long ago never to say never. I too will take a "wait and see" attitude, It won't be an old W&B, but it will be what it is.

Originally Posted by Marshal

Well, a lot of folks think that "Jeep" ceased to be when Chrysler bought out AMC. In my humble opinion, Jeep ceased to be when Chrysler made the decision to discontinue the iconic inline 6 back in 2006, and replaced it with a minivan V-6. Fortunately it only took them 4 years to correct that error, time will tell if their new Pentastar V6 will live up to it's predecessor. But if they were going to screw with perfection, they could've at least dropped a truck engine into it. Or a V-8.

But, that is the nature of things. They change. Regardless of what Chrysler does with new Jeeps the changes to the new lineup will not diminish or alter my enjoyment of my AMC Jeep CJ7 and it's 258 Inline 6. I'm curious to see what the new Wade & Butcher will bring to the table. Regardless of what changes are made, it ought not diminish or alter anyone's enjoyment of their vintage blades. If some of those iconic patterns and grinds make a return so much the better.

And now you can buy a Renegade Jeep made in Brazil, by FIAT, under the Chrysler brand.

Jimmyhad: I am getting very curious about the seriousness of the topic. I just bought 2 vintage straight ER's today at an antique dealer. One was $30 the other $15. Now when I started using a straight razor it was about 1976. It was a Wade & Butcher that I paid one dollar to the vendor for it at an antique fair. At the time Wade and Butcher didn't mean squat to me. The W&B was in rough shape, but for a dollar what can you expect. I guess the razor was once owned by a barber because the spine edge is really ground down. It took me a couple of weeks to hone it and started shaving. My skills of sharpening at the time were minimal. Well now, that old W&B was put in its casket and has lain silent for a bunch of years. I knew nothing about brands at the time and still don't. All I care about is can I get it sharp and shave with it, that's all that matters. Who made it, where it came from, where it's at now and etc. has no truck. I figure there is no extra special pedestal any blade should set on. The important proposition between you, and the blade is will it sharpen, and will it perform as it was designed to do.
One I bought today has a ivory handle and apparently just German Cutlery--that's the stamp ID. Paid $30 for it and it is now the most expensive vintage razor I own. The next one I paid $15 for is a King Cutter by H Boker Co. The Boker has a nice ting to it when the edge is ticked with the finger nail. The other Boker I have has a dead nothing when ticked, same for the German Cutlery. I guess what I am trying to say is that they are tools. If they perform as they are intended then the goal was achieved. I am going to venture a guess that the majority of men who use a straight razor probably know nothing special about their blade except that it cost them $389, or a dollar. Me, I will never be able to afford most of the blades I see. I stay with vintage razors from antique dealers because they are the ones I can afford, For several years now I have been running 7 blades with a backup 8th in the event I am lazy at stropping
Now. If Mike buys the W&B name he has purchased the right to own the name and process the blades with the name. I guess I can't see the problem. Before I stop please note that I am not attempting to be a troll, or kick up dust. I am merely sharing my beliefs. It is hard to post on these sites without someone becoming offended and it is not my intention to offend you but to say I am puzzled about the eagerness over a tool. I guess I must be a dud because I have never been able to afford what I really wanted and always seemed to be broke, so I have always had to do with second or third best and sometimes less.
I think I am having brain diarrhea and blathering like an idiot. I don't even know if I really made a point at all. My apologies if I haven't performed as I should have.