Wostenholm or bomb shard?

[Voidmonster]

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.

[Neil Miller]

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

Regards,
Neil

[Voidmonster]

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)

[Neil Miller]

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

[1971Wedge]

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

[Voidmonster]

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...

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).

[mrsell63]

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