Thread: Wostenholm or bomb shard?

Here we have another eBay find. At first glance it more or less typifies the experience of eBay for me. The razor looks pretty objectively awful. I grabbed it because it cost me almost nothing and I knew it'd be good for the experience of polishing and, failing that, I could probably save the scales to use on another razor (in my experience, black horn is the unstoppable teenage slasher villain of scale materials; it just keeps coming back).

I assumed this was yet another late model razor that had been kept in a submarine or something.



There is absolutely no sign of a blade etch, as most of the Wostenholm razors I've found have.

Even once I got it in the mail I was still pretty sure it was 1880's, though those collars on the pins were a bit suspicious. But hey, I don't really know how long ones like that were in use. The blade is light. It seems pretty hollow. Except that looking point-on doesn't support that. It's very wedgy, but thin.



But that stamp really doesn't look very modern. And as it turns out, the tail is quite short. As short as the tail on my GR stamped W&B.

So I did what I always do. Hit the googles.

I couldn't turn up any blades that are a match for this one in terms of size/shape/stamps. I did turn up this neat little history of Wostenholm as a brand, however.

Based on my reading of that page and the other info I've found, I'm guessing this razor was made between 1823 and 1840, putting it solidly with my pack of old-guys. The brevity of the markings makes me think it's on the earlier side of that range, but it feels so light, unlike any of the 1820's-30's razors I have.

Despite an ugly bevel and an uglier blade, it gives a good, close shave! Not the most comfortable, but I wouldn't have even thought something that looks like this would work.

Ugly? Fancy calling a venerable old gentleman like that ugly - shame on you!

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Ugly? Fancy calling a venerable old gentleman like that ugly - shame on you!

Oh man! And I call myself a writer...

The proper term is DISTINGUISHED!

(slaps forehead)

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Oh man! And I call myself a writer...

The proper term is DISTINGUISHED!

(slaps forehead)

Quite so. That lets you off ten Hail Mary's, but you still have one Our Father to do...

Regards,
Neil

Restore that thing, I like it. I think it would be kewl.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Quite so. That lets you off ten Hail Mary's, but you still have one Our Father to do...

Whew! That I can do. Those Mary Hailings though... Ouch!

Seriously though, do you have any thoughts on the age of the thing? I figure if anyone's gonna have seen one like it...

Originally Posted by 1971Wedge

Restore that thing, I like it. I think it would be kewl.

Oh yeah, that is well and truly in my plans! I just need to track down a source for those fancy pin collars... Or find a reliable way of drilling the pins out without killing the rest. It's on my mind, 'cause I've got several razors I'd really like to get restoring (including an EARLY Sheafworks Greaves with near-mint scales, but some blade pitting and rust).

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Oh yeah, that is well and truly in my plans! I just need to track down a source for those fancy pin collars... Or find a reliable way of drilling the pins out without killing the rest. It's on my mind, 'cause I've got several razors I'd really like to get restoring (including an EARLY Sheafworks Greaves with near-mint scales, but some blade pitting and rust).

__________________________________________________ ___

PM Glen for his thoughts on repinning - this is also well documented in the WIKI. Good luck on your repin job.

Jerry

that thing is BEAUTIFUL! By no means ugly the way it is right now!

I've started doing a light restore on it now.



I soaked the whole thing in neatsfoot oil for a couple days, drilled out the brass pins, wiped down the blade with some micromesh to get the surface grunge off (especially around the pivot where there was a bit of active rust), then I polished the hell out the scales and I'm almost done sealing them with CA glue.

I wanted to preserve as much as possible the appearance of age while making it less unpleasant to touch. As it was, it just felt bad in hand due to the condition of the horn. The scales are going to end up a lot prettier, but that's why I love horn as a material...

... and they'll still be warped, which is why other people hate horn as a material.

Restore Aways! Bring it back from the dead I say!

I am growing a fondness and appreciation for Zombie Razors!