Thread: Wade & Butcher "For Barbers Only"

Originally Posted by yohannrjm

That's a nice find. It may never be a show piece, but as a user it should be fine.
Both mine are also not pretty. I don't like mirror finishes on older blades like these. They're old! They should look it. I also wonder if the original finish was mirror-like ----- probably not.

Anyway, congrats on the find. I hope you enjoy using it.

What I've found with the blades I've restored to a mirror finish is that the finish is fleeting. Within a year of them having been polished age starts to reclaim them, they start to take on a patina and get some real character, minus all the crud that has built up from years of neglect.

Originally Posted by Orville

No clue . . . seller had nothing on the tag with respect to year. Not learned enough to know for sure. In post #10 Phrank mentions 150 years, so I will happily use that as a starting point to narrow it down.

I'd say your particular razor, same stamping as mine, around 1850 as an average, maybe a bit earlier or a bit later....range for those I'd read, always with a grain of salt of course, was 1840-1860....

Originally Posted by puketui41

What I've found with the blades I've restored to a mirror finish is that the finish is fleeting. Within a year of them having been polished age starts to reclaim them, they start to take on a patina and get some real character, minus all the crud that has built up from years of neglect.

God, I hope that happens with the one Val is restoring for me, to say nothing of my other vintage blades. Love the patina, hate the crud.

So . . . I sent it off for restoration, and look at how she is coming home.

AS you can see from the last picture, a LOT of work went into getting this blade back to the point where even a schlub like me will be able to maintain the edge (THREE layers of tape). I am also picking up my Medium Hollow Ground W&B, but that will be getting it's own thread later.

Originally Posted by Orville

AS you can see from the last picture, a LOT of work went into getting this blade back to the point where even a schlub like me will be able to maintain the edge (THREE layers of tape). I am also picking up my Medium Hollow Ground W&B, but that will be getting it's own thread later.

Turned out beautifully - can't even tell it's the same razor - will be looking for a great SOTD pic and report and how it shaved! Congrats!

Almost forgot to mention what ELSE I am picking up . . .

It looks beautiful! Isn't it amazing what a simple restore will do???? Great score!

Second one was just a honing, but that first one took more than a few hours, I am told. LOTS of work.

Put my FBO into action tonight. Review follows . . .

Talk about a completely different feel . . . even from the other near wedge blades that I own. The size and weight of this razor was quite an adjustment. It was fun, but it was definitely a shave that made me think. This blade is taller than my PRC, but it's also just as thick. Some of the spots that have been routine required a fair bit more care, and some of the delicate places on my neck were reduced to small little (1/4") strokes for the entire pass.
The edge was beautiful, moving through my stubble like a plow clearing snow. The Taconic soap provided an invigorating lather very reminiscent of Vicks Vaporub in aroma, but with a touch more mint. Very nice stimulation to the senses before blade even touched skin. The lather was very durable, too. I managed three passes and touch while only reloading once, after the second pass. usually I reload the brush after each pass, but my head shave last night led me to try and stretch things out. It worked, just not as well as hoped. Still, I am pleased with this soap and look forward to trying the Lime scented one later this week.
Overall, the shave was successful in the usual areas but somewhat less so in the spots I am still figuring out. I put this down to the awkwardness I felt with such a heavy blade in my hand. My FBU is a hollow ground razor as opposed to this wedge, and it felt much lighter in my hands. I also think that my neck benefits more from using a smiling blade in certain areas, as it seems to allow for a more even coverage across a wider pass. This last could be my imagination, but I will keep an eye on it. Might come in handy for when I need/want a closer performance than usual.

Takeaway: I can see why some people get so enamored of the "Barber's Use Only" blades. When it was working well for me the feel was almost one of total effortless shaving. A more experienced shaver, having better technique than I, would quickly find nirvana with blades like these.