...and was happy to find these:
An 8" (!) Swaty in great shape!
A Savigny Warranted (I like the tang)
A Hilger & Sons. I like the etch and scales (they're badly warped, but don't interfere with the blade)
[All photos from eBay]
Printable View
...and was happy to find these:
An 8" (!) Swaty in great shape!
A Savigny Warranted (I like the tang)
A Hilger & Sons. I like the etch and scales (they're badly warped, but don't interfere with the blade)
[All photos from eBay]
Very nice, the big swaty that is, and to some extent the savigny (I don't much like regrinds), but for the last razor I think I've seen those scales fairly often, so you may have been better off waiting for non-wrapped ones. You can still probably straighten them up though.
What are you gonna do with the swaty? You know the regular ones recommend only 5-6 laps, on this one you'll be done before you start :p
Nice.
Bet you can't wait to lap and re-condition that hone! That is a HUGE barber hone. I wonder if it will make palm honing awkward.
Yeah, I knew about the Hilger's scales being warped up front, and almost didn't bid on it. But the combination of them and the blade etch overcame my hesitation. And for for less than $20 (before shipping), what the hell? If I can't straighten the scales, maybe I'll find a better set. But they don't impact function at all.
So the Savigny is a regrind?!? Oh well...but again not a problem...I'm not buying them for resale value! Where can I find info on Savignys; I haven't found anything here to tell me how this one ironically looked?
"Rainy days and Regrinds always get me down"...One razor I regret buying because it was a regrind...( an awesome one at that) was a LARGE Wm. Stenton...couldn't pull the trigger. Zak is your man for research on your find...Member voidmonster
Man! My swaty is miniature compared to that one
Ok so Im curious. I am still fairy new to restore an straights in general. How can you tell that its a regrind? I just see a pretty cool straight. LOL :shrug:
Warranted blades were from a certain era when blades were originally made closer to a wedge than a full hollow. I say that so you don't guess that we all have superXraypixelvision from looking at razors all day :<0)
Can you get a better picture of the Savigny's tang? My guess is it's most likely 1830's. Definitely a regrind, and while I agree with the others that I'd rather have a razor in its original grind, a lot of period regrinds are amazing shavers.
Savigny was a London outfit. They primarily made surgical equipment and had a really cushy government contract or two. They were also one of the first companies whose razors were advertized by name in the states.
http://theshiveringbeggar.com/wp-con...4/05/Image.png
February 3rd, 1801 - City Gazette, Charleston, SC
The company was probably founded around 1720. Despite the name, the family is quite British, and the company still exists. They were a major deal with London's Worshipful Company of Cutlers.
There's all kinds of skullduggery about steel formulas and alternate founders and whatnot, but by the time your razor was made it was all pretty straight forward. They were a company producing cutlery in London.
They also made this brand for army deserters.
http://theshiveringbeggar.com/wp-con...terBrand01.jpg
http://theshiveringbeggar.com/wp-con...terBrand04.jpg
http://theshiveringbeggar.com/wp-con...terBrand02.jpg
(The screw in the end is blue because it still has ink on it -- branding in this case was a tattooed capital letter D, with serifs)
You can read more about the tool here.
William Stenton is the kernel of what's likely to be my first non-fiction book. His story starts with a job in a grocery warehouse circa 1790, and ends with his granddaughter's murder at the hands of a serial-killing lawyer on the grounds of a run-down mansion that may have been loaded with river-pirate treasure.Quote:
Originally Posted by AntiqueHoosier
Really.
Now I know who beat me on the swaty awesome 8" isn't itQuote:
Originally Posted by Dzanda
Mea culpa!
:o
And yes, it is!
Quote:
Originally Posted by Substance
Zak...that BRAND reminds me of the "device" John Weiss invented to insure his certain death... I dug up the info when I owned the London Bridge Set by Weiss as well as one other Gentlemen's set...
From John Weiss Wiki entry:
John Weiss had a morbid fear of being buried alive, and to guard against this eventuality fashioned an instrument to penetrate his heart when the coffin was closed. Detailed instructions to this end were left in his will. John Weiss died on 26 December 1843 and was buried in the churchyard of St Nicholas' Church, Brighton with his surgeon Benjamin Vallance in attendance to carry out his wishes
Quote:
Originally Posted by Voidmonster
Here you go, there's nothing on the tang's backside; I tossed in a view that demonstrates the grind:Quote:
Originally Posted by Voidmonster
I'm hopeful that this will turn out to be a good shave...despite some uneven hone wear, the bevel and edge are in surprisingly good shape (there's a tiny bit of a frown toward heel), though my arm hair has nothing to fear from it for now. My biggest concern is that the horn scales are really bug eaten, and there are some areas that are pretty darned thin and fragile appearing.
I think you're right! I just compared it to my Velvet Edge barber's hone:Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
It's a good thing that I have big hands! :w
I bet it hones up and shaves great.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dzanda
If you feel like fixing the scales, I suggest grinding up a broken piece of horn scale until it's a powder. Pack that powder down into the cavities, then very carefully drip thin cyanoacrylate glue onto it. It'll wick down in incredibly fast and harden almost instantly to a consistency that's a good deal tougher than horn or CA glue by itself. Than you can sand that down and dye it (I use India ink, but I've been told RIT dye works even better).
Once you've done the process a few times, it's pretty easy. If you need some practice pieces and donor horn, gimme a shout and I can send you some.
