Any Special Collector Status?

I have this Wade and Butcher straight that I recently honed up and enjoy shaving with. I noticed, though, that the Wade & Butcher mark is off-center, almost off the razor!

Often such "defects" make an older item more "collectible."

I'm NOT asking about appraisal, money-value, or the like. I'm just asking whether this razor, with this unusual mis-stamp, should be perhaps cared for a little more closely as a rarity or more collectible razor. I like "using history" but when I know I have something a little rare, i like to devote just a bit more care to it. On the other hand, if this is nothing special, that's fine too!

here's a pic:

Defective, I'll give you two dollars for it if you pay the shipping. ";"

Edit; Just goes to show you the practicality of people back in those days. A glitch such as that mis-stamp didn't stop them from marketing the razor.

If they had accidentally stamped "Filarmonica" on it, then you'd really have something. ;)

Applies to coins and stamps but not razors. If anything it is worth less.

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Originally Posted by Hawkeye5

Applies to coins and stamps but not razors. If anything it is worth less.

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Agree. Additionally, in looking for just the right W&B over the past few months, I've noticed that a pretty significant number have been poorly centered or poorly angled to different degrees.

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Originally Posted by Tuxedo7

Agree. Additionally, in looking for just the right W&B over the past few months, I've noticed that a pretty significant number have been poorly centered or poorly angled to different degrees.

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Case Bros pocket knives are notorious for sloppy tang stamps IME. Those folks back then could have never imagined that people would be collecting this stuff and speculating on the nuances of grinds, shapes, scales and nomenclature. :)

my vote is for "regrind" I bet that used to be a fat 'ol wedge before it was turned into a hollow.

I've seen this on a lot of W&B. My guess is that they made a LOT of blanks for one design, then re-tooled them to make smaller razors-- leaving the stamp ****eyed or barely on the tang. Enough W&Bs are perfectly centered to lead me to believe this is "intentional" historicity rather than a QA problem at the Butcher Works.

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Originally Posted by Magpie

my vote is for "regrind" I bet that used to be a fat 'ol wedge before it was turned into a hollow.

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That makes a lot of sense because that stamp is waaay off.

Lawson,

I think you should just send it to me. It's obviously defective and you probably shouldn't put the blade to your face;)

interesting speculation but because this razor is so old it also pre dates liecenceing laws so the chap who was stamping the tangs had probably been down the pub for a liquid breakfast before going to work in the morning hence the badly aligned stamp. And seeing as most of these razors were being shipped to the US any complaints would not be heard from across the pond this may explain why it happend, QA in those days was a new thing and if people were not dying then not much was done. The good ones would have been made when the boss was walking around the factory.

Alcohol licenceing laws controling the opening hours and sale of alcohol were introduced into the UK to prevent munition workers from turning up to work drunk and blowing them selfs up these rules are still mostly in place today.

Just my 2p worth.

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Originally Posted by LinacMan

Lawson,

I think you should just send it to me. It's obviously defective and you probably shouldn't put the blade to your face;)

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I like the way your mind works, but I also...know that mindset :)

I've actually got it nicely honed up...once again, the old razors just seem to love the hones...and it shaves very well indeed. One for the rotation...which now takes about 4 weeks to "shave through."