I'm a little disappointed in this one.

I received the Joseph Wostenholm I bought on eBay recently:

Attachment 205470

To me it looked like a nice 3/4" blade. There where no dimensions given in the auction, and what I got was a 9/16" x 2 3/4" blade. Here it is pictured with two other razors, one with a similar 2 3/4" cutting edge and another with a 3" edge:

Attachment 205471

The short blade isn't that unusual but the scales are. While they are well fitted to the height of the blade, the length is off:

Attachment 205472

About 1/4" too long.
Of course my first thought was of it having been shortened some time in it's life but if it has been it was early on as the patina on the tip is identical to the patina on the tail:

Attachment 205473Attachment 205474

I also wondered if the small height was do to a regrind but the finish, buff and grind marks, are identical from toe to tail.

So is this just an oddball razor?

Looks like it was reworked at the factory to me Hart. Unless put into different scales maybe? Again probably early on.
Good smile for what looks like so little spine wear too.
Interesting..

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Originally Posted by MikeB52

Looks like it was reworked at the factory to me Hart. Unless put into different scales maybe? Again probably early on.
Good smile for what looks like so little spine wear too.
Interesting..

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Ugh, that's it, I'm so busy looking at the blade I don't notice that the pivot pinning differs from the wedge end. Pivot has silver pin with brass washer and is larger and rougher looking, while wedge has silver on silver.
Thanks.

Attachment 205477Attachment 205478

It doesn't have much hone wear at all, I guess I should be happier about it, just the slight shock at the size scale I wasn't expecting. Need to be far more observant and ask a few questions about missing details. Anyway, I'm not buying any more razors for a while :cry:, would have preferred to go out on a better purchase. (A few months at least) :hmmm:

Not to imply this purchase has put me off buying, it's a decision I made just after winning the razor. I need to bring the RAD under control :)

Hart,

You aren't alone with getting a razor that looked like what you wanted but turned out to be something else.

I recently purchased a Friodur and the description said that there were chips in the blade and the razor was bent. After looking at the pictures I presumed that it must be warped. I bought it and found that the tip of the blade was actually bent! How the hell it didn't just break is beyond me.

Long story made shorter. The razor is now a round point with a shaving edge of 2.25" and it's a really nice shaver! I thought about shortening the scales but with the Friodur wording on the scales it just wouldn't look right. With that said, I'm still looking at working on the scales at the pivot. :hmmm:

I do hope this is of some condolences to you. :shrug:

Disappointments will put me off as well, Hart. All is not lost, however! It looks like unpinning it, sawing off the top of the scales at the pin-hole, reshaping and drilling a new pivot hole will bring it back to scale.
Should be a good-shaving smiling wedge! :)

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

It looks like unpinning it, sawing off the top of the scales at the pin-hole, reshaping and drilling a new pivot hole will bring it back to scale.

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I concur, however Please take the time to make many, many measurements before doing any cutting!!! You can always make a second, third or etc cut. You can't put the pieces back in.

Well maybe Glen could!?!? :hmmm: :shrug: :rofl2:

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Originally Posted by cudarunner

I concur, however Please take the time to make many, many measurements before doing any cutting!!! You can always make a second, third or etc cut. You can't put the pieces back in.

Well maybe Glen could!?!? :hmmm: :shrug: :rofl2:

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Certainly true. The pin hole dictates the maximum, however. But remember, the lead wedge can be trimmed if you need a tiny bit of room.
Don't ask me how I know.......;)

If I were to cut it back to the pivot, there wouldn't be enough space left for another hole and clearing the wedge. I do have another idea though that modifying the scales brought to mind:

Attachment 205488

These are more than large enough to accommodate the needed changes, and are much nicer too :)

Well, get it on! We need results! :)

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Certainly true. The pin hole dictates the maximum, however. But remember, the lead wedge can be trimmed if you need a tiny bit of room.
Don't ask me how I know.......;)

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:w

Tom I've had to do the same for a friend. He sent me a bunch of FleaBay razors and I needed to do some serious Scale Swapping! Grinding down the wedges on about three to 'make' the blades fit. :banghead:

He was very pleased with the end result. :y

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Well, get it on! We need results! :)

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It will have to wait, I've got a few others on the go at the moment.

I always say, 'Bring forth the Holy Hacksaw Blade!' . Make em fit! :rofl2:

Great tips on scale tip work above ^^^
Neat ideas goin in the vault.
Thanks gents. And good luck with the new skins Hart.

I dunno, Hart! I see plenty of room! ;)

Besides, I would save those bones for a wider blade. They would be way too wide for that blade.
Unpin it and shove it against the wedge. Only true way to see where the pin hole would lie.
Every bit of the scales under the original pivot hole should be saved.
Plenty room! Proper and right up on the wedge! :D

Always a disappointment when that happens! I have not asked about dimensions and gotten burned twice...I always ask now. Still a nice razor though!

Understandable that you are disappointed when you are expecting something else, but I think it is a great looking razor. I have razors with original scales that stuck out past the point about an inch longer. Alot of times the longer wedge end will help balance out a razor if a metal wedge isn't used, but usually the point isn't more than 3/8 from the wedge.

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

I dunno, Hart! I see plenty of room! ;)

Besides, I would save those bones for a wider blade. They would be way too wide for that blade.
Unpin it and shove it against the wedge. Only true way to see where the pin hole would lie.
Every bit of the scales under the original pivot hole should be saved.
Plenty room! Proper and right up on the wedge! :D

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I'll try what you suggest but I imagine reshaping the bone scales completely, keeping the wedge hole and shortening the pivot end past the current hole and slimming them down to suit the blade. They are made for a bigger blade but unless I find myself with a 7/8" short blade, I still would be left with the damage on the one end, which is why I took them off another razor to begin with. :)

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Originally Posted by JSmith1983

Understandable that you are disappointed when you are expecting something else, but I think it is a great looking razor. I have razors with original scales that stuck out past the point about an inch longer. Alot of times the longer wedge end will help balance out a razor if a metal wedge isn't used, but usually the point isn't more than 3/8 from the wedge.

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Yes, it's a nice little wedge. Once I sort out the scale issue, I'm sure I'll warm up to it :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hart

I'll try what you suggest but I imagine reshaping the bone scales completely, keeping the wedge hole and shortening the pivot end past the current hole and slimming them down to suit the blade. They are made for a bigger blade but unless I find myself with a 7/8" short blade, I still would be left with the damage on the one end, which is why I took them off another razor to begin with. :)

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7/8 short blades are a dream. They come along! Save the bones, IMO.

It is a sweet little blade. If you are too wrought with disappointment I would be happy to pay the postage.

@ HArt: I feel for you, not so long ago I bought two near mint straights on French ebay with scales that are too short.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Disappointments will put me off as well, Hart. All is not lost, however! It looks like unpinning it, sawing off the top of the scales at the pin-hole, reshaping and drilling a new pivot hole will bring it back to scale.
Should be a good-shaving smiling wedge! :)

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I was thinking the exact same thing after looking at it a few minutes. I think the blade has been untouched but it has been rescaled. I agree with Tom, I have had to do this several times & it looks like you barely have enough room to shorten the scales & rein it with matching pins & collars. You also have the option to make new scales for it if you don't like those. It's ok, not a bad looking blame. It's a smiler!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Hart

Ugh, that's it, I'm so busy looking at the blade I don't notice that Need to be far more observant and ask a few questions about missing details. Anyway, I'm not buying any more razors for a while :cry:, would have preferred to go out on a better purchase. (A few months at least) :hmmm:

Not to imply this purchase has put me off buying, it's a decision I made just after winning the razor. I need to bring the RAD under control :)

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Sorry for your disappointment. I've felt the same, both from unscrupulous sellers (filthy pigs!), and from my own RAD induced lack of detail orientation...
I also am having to quit buying for a while, its biting into Florida vacation and my lady is putting some serious pressure on. :( ...