What to do with this W&B

Hello Gents,

Got this W&B in a package deal with a great Puma. As you can see it needs help. It looks like someone tried to sharpen it with a dremel and they did some pretty serious damage. I honed it a little to see if it is worth the work it needs and the edge will come back (not surprising for a W&B). The stains are not rust just gunk that should polish out. There is rust by the pins I need to address.

Pretty sure it says "The India Steel Razor" next to the edge, but that is where bad "honing" is. Looks like someone has also oiled the pins with 80w 90 gear oil or maple syrup or grape jelly, can't tell but it isn't good.

Poor razor, glad I have it now so it won't suffer anymore.

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Thanks,

Clean, hone and use.

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Originally Posted by Wid

Clean, hone and use.

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Kinda what I am thinking. The shave is all i really care about in the end anyway. It is cleaning up pretty good for 30 minutes worth of work.

You really can go a short distance or a long distance with a blade like this. It all depends on what you are looking for. There are quite a few posts where guys have done light regrinds that have been pretty nice. Other gave done a light clean and hone and they look pretty nice too.

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Originally Posted by RezDog

You really can go a short distance or a long distance with a blade like this. It all depends on what you are looking for. There are quite a few posts where guys have done light regrinds that have been pretty nice. Other gave done a light clean and hone and they look pretty nice too.

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That is the question, I am thinking a light cleaning and hone for now. The rust by the pin came off with wd 40 and steel wool. Getting ready to floss by the pin and go back to honing. Just hate to see that someone really didn't know what they had with this razor. A regrind is something I haven't ever had done and there are a few in my collection I would send out before this one. Thanks for the input!

Here it is with only wd 40, steel wool, Q-tips, Mother's and elbow grease. These pics show the damage close to the edge. I think someone used a power tool, to do what I am not sure. It looks like someone put it up against a belt sander at some point.

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I would go with a good clean up on that one as well. Looks like it's ready for honing.

You could probably get rid of the swirls on the blade by lying the blade flush on a cutting board, using some wet/dry 3M wrapped around a cork.

I think you are correct John. One of the things is if you go slow and progress your restore in stages you can always find your happy place. However if you go straight to the far extreme, a light regrind, you can never take any of that back. I have decided what i really like is getting them very clean and rust and corrosion free and the using bluing and bleach to created a false patina so they look old and grey but are good to go for another 100 years. It is all about taste and preferences. If the machine marks are not that deep, sand them out.

I decided to sand out the swirl marks. I have only done one side with 600 grit wet/dry, which I used wet, and then a hand polish with mothers. The other side has the Wade and Butcher logo but it doesn't seem to be etched. Not sure what it is. You can't feel any etching and looking at it through a loupe all I can see is a difference in the reflective properties of the metal. Haven't seen this before, any ideas on how the logo was put on the blade other than an etch?

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Thanks again,

Pretty sure it was etched but been worn down. After your 600 grit I would use some 1000 grit just to smooth it just a little more before using polish. I like the Mothers polish. There are lot's of great metal polishes out there. One I use a lot is Nu Finish car polish. It's the one in the orange bottle costs around eight bucks at Wally World. Great on all things metal including your car. I started using it on my cymbals on my drum set & I won't use anything else on them.
I love Wade & Butcher razors & my go to straight is a Pre 1882 W&B.
Your Razor was probably made in the later 1880's as it has England on the tang.
Slawman

Yes, 600 is great for most cleaning/sanding, the higher you go on the following grits, the smaller the scratch pattern and the better the final shine.

Follow 600 with 1,000 and even go to 1,500 and 2,000. The higher you go in grits the less time you will need sanding, as the scratches get finer. You can get a set of Micro Mesh paper, from most hobby stores, that go to 12K and/or foam 3X4 pads for around $20, that finish, to the naked eye as a polished finish. They do last a long time, then go to your metal polish for a very mirror finish.

We all have our own preferred finish polish, (I have a cabinet full). I use Mothers to polish and build a finish, then do a finale polish with MAAS, (because it is expensive and hard to find locally, though lately, my local Ace Hardware has been carrying it), just using a couple dabs with paper towels and buffing with Micro Fiber.

Personally, unless the etch is pristine, I buff it off. Geezer has a good post in the Workshop on darkening and trying to save an etch.

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Originally Posted by Slawman

Pretty sure it was etched but been worn down. After your 600 grit I would use some 1000 grit just to smooth it just a little more before using polish. I like the Mothers polish. There are lot's of great metal polishes out there. One I use a lot is Nu Finish car polish. It's the one in the orange bottle costs around eight bucks at Wally World. Great on all things metal including your car. I started using it on my cymbals on my drum set & I won't use anything else on them.
I love Wade & Butcher razors & my go to straight is a Pre 1882 W&B.
Your Razor was probably made in the later 1880's as it has England on the tang.
Slawman

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I was hoping a drummer would chime in to this post.

Looks like it needs to be honed