Thread: whats the hype about

I've been searching for a reasonably priced Wade & Butcher wedge for a long while now, & I finally found one on the bay for $9.99. It has cracked scales but thats OK I'm planing on making some out of olive wood for it. I'm looking forwad to finding out what all the hype is about! Are they made from a better grade of steel or somthing? What makes them special?
COLLECTIBLE DECORATIVE ANTIQUE STRAIGHT RAZOR SHEFFIELD | eBay

Regards
Louis.

I don't think it's hype, if by that you mean exaggerated, but undeserved, praise. They're old, made of good steel, very popular, make great shavers, and can be restored, in the proper hands, into something that can be treasured for a lifetime then passed on to the next generation. That's appropriate acclaim, not hype.

Once it's restored and honed properly, you may have a bit more peronal insight. I love my W and B's. They are lovely and consistent shavers, the blades are pleasing to the eye, and they hone fairly easily. They're constantly in my rotation.

I don't know that anyone hypes W&B's but they do seem popular on eBay. I can't imagine why tho as almost any old Sheffield wedge will shave equally well.

I don't know that anyone hypes W&B's but they do seem popular on eBay. I can't imagine why tho as almost any old Sheffield wedge will shave equally well.

This was my assumption but figured I should atleast give a W & B a try to see for myself.

There is an element of 'fashion' in everything material in life. Right now W&B's are popular (in fashion), a lot of people want a big, shiny, chopper W&B. It's kind of the sexy red sports car of straights. I have one W&B in my small collection and like it a lot, but not above any of the others. They bring a relatively high price for a reason, they are good shavers and lots of people want them! Of course there are other razors that will shave as well, but they just don't have the name recognition and appeal to the masses. No one knows why!

I love the Sheffield steel. I too wouldnt say WB is better than other old English brands.

I would say between then being one of the largest manufactures of yesterday, there are a lot of these reliable blades out there making it a well recognized, trusted label. And it doesn't hurt that "Wade and Butcher" is a cool name for a razor.

ps, looks like a handsome blade, but dertails hard to see in the image. It may have the original bullseye washers. If so, try not to damage them during disassembly. I don't know that I would want to use them with olive wood scales, but you may come across a future project you wish to use them with.

I started out four months ago with straight razors. Certain names and brands kept being mentioned on SRP as "really good shavers.". In addition to Wade & Butcher, a few other names were Boker, Geo. Wostenholm, dubl duck, Solingen, Heljestrand, Thiers-Issard, Le Grelot P-Hospital, Dovo, Henckels, Case Red Imp, Hart Steel, Filarmonica, and Torrey.

I have a total of 25 razors, all in rotation. I find all of them give me a good shave and I enjoy using a variety of brands, styles, and sizes. I have yet to capture a Filarmonica because the entry price is just too great for my billfold.

For smoothness and comfort, the best two are a 5/8 Wade & Butcher "The Celebrated" and a 5/8 Wostenholm "Original Pipe Razor." These two razors just feel great on the skin. For me, I would rate these two as superior razors.

I have a Heljestrand No. 6 and - Heljestrand MK 24. Both of these are excellent but provide a totally different feel compared to the Sheffield razors. They seem to have a sharper feeling to the edge as it glides over the face.

What are my current favorite razors? A older 5/8 Le Grelot P-Hospital Medaille d'or Paris, 1931 and a new 6/8 Thiers-Issard Le Grelot, 2011. These provide the best all-around shave of all my razors. They are sharp and fast like a Porsche and smooth and comfortable like a Mercedes E-350. Both of these seem to be a natural extension of my hand. They just feel "right."

I have discovered that, if correctly honed, all of my razors can provide an "A" shave. The choice to love a particular razor is more involved and subjective. I am fickle because I truly love whatever razor is in my hand at the moment.

Only you can decide how much is too much to pay for a given razor. I only buy razors that I plan to use so I stay away from the really high priced "collectors" items. Remember, fads come and go. Don't be afraid to be patient. There will always be another razor.

Happy Shaving.

Patience?! I knew I had forgotten something!

Grats on what appears to be a nice score! I think I have a W&B exactly like that one. Hard to tell from the pics, the photographer seems to have used a light box without any added light Mine is a great shaver, I trust you won't be disappointed.