Thread: Wade and Butcher For Barbers Use WR - a rare one

This is the first one of these I have seen. I know Zak has an even earlier For Barbers Use (Barber John Barber), but this is the earliest explicit one that I have, coming from 1830-37. Stamped "Magnetic Razor"; indeed a magnet does stick to it, but so too to a number of other razors, so I'll assume for now it was just a gimmick. It's hard to tell from the pictures but obvious once in hand, that this razor has actually been reground; the job was fantastic and just left a little wave in the finish on both sides, but it is not quite the original undisturbed finish that I was hoping for. Well, I still can't say that I'm not 100% satisfied with this one though. An amazing piece.

If it was reground, it surely must have been on the lower half. The etch seems perfect! Nice!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

If it was reground, it surely must have been on the lower half. The etch seems perfect! Nice!

Nope, it was the whole blade face. It's hard to tell from the pics but you can see a very faint line vertical from the heel. And of course when I say 'regrind', it was likely more just a touchup on a high grit wheel to reset the razor, but still enough to slightly disturb the original finish.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Nope, it was the whole blade face. It's hard to tell from the pics but you can see a very faint line vertical from the heel. And of course when I say 'regrind', it was likely more just a touchup on a high grit wheel to reset the razor, but still enough to slightly disturb the original finish.

Was the original finish crocus or glaze?

Either way it is a beautiful piece.

Originally Posted by Wullie

Was the original finish crocus or glaze?

Either way it is a beautiful piece.

Crocus on the face (and extension into the bottom of the tang), and hard to say on the tang itself but I think glaze. I have a Greaves Sheaf Works pressed horn that has a very similar grind and polish.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Crocus on the face (and extension into the bottom of the tang), and hard to say on the tang itself but I think glaze. I have a Greaves Sheaf Works pressed horn that has a very similar grind and polish.

OK, I understand where you're coming from now. I was having difficulty visualizing any regrinding due to the stamp on the blade being so pristine.

IF it still offends you, I'll be glad to give a home. I'll let it send a selfie and postcard every now and then to let you know how it's getting along in Tejas.

I like it. It's a neat piece of history. Good catch.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

This is the first one of these I have seen. I know Zak has an even earlier For Barbers Use (Barber John Barber), but this is the earliest explicit one that I have, coming from 1830-37. Stamped "Magnetic Razor"; indeed a magnet does stick to it, but so too to a number of other razors, so I'll assume for now it was just a gimmick. It's hard to tell from the pictures but obvious once in hand, that this razor has actually been reground; the job was fantastic and just left a little wave in the finish on both sides, but it is not quite the original undisturbed finish that I was hoping for. Well, I still can't say that I'm not 100% satisfied with this one though. An amazing piece.

ScienceGuy, very nice piece & very interesting, I like it a lot!

That would only work until I got my hands on it. But... HELL YEAH... har har.