Thread: A Wade & Butcher, Colonial Revival style

I was watching both of those too. Not to bid on, but to see how much they'd go for. Glad to see they went to someone who would apprciate their history. Congratulations!! I'd like to hear a full report on how these gents shave.

I was also bidding on this two, but didn't win, I'm happy that a "connaisseur" had put together this pair again ! I hope the restauration will keep these old beauty with there aged marks, that bring some glamourous charm (I'm clearly not for the "shiny side of old razors")

Originally Posted by charlie48horlogerie

I was also bidding on this two, but didn't win, I'm happy that a "connaisseur" had put together this pair again ! I hope the restauration will keep these old beauty with there aged marks, that bring some glamourous charm (I'm clearly not for the "shiny side of old razors")

After doing a light cleaning pass on the second one, I suspect they had a patina coming from the factory. It looked like much of the blade on it had been blued to make it look older. At least I hope that's what I was seeing and not heat damage. I suppose I'll find out once I hone them.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Two is my limit, all the rest are yours!

Awww, man... I can't stay mad at you!

I've bids on almost everyone right now.

Marcos

Originally Posted by Snake

Awww, man... I can't stay mad at you!

I've bids on almost everyone right now.

Awesome!

Wait. You found more of them? Where at!? I WON'T BID, HONEST!


Seriously though, I've now shaved with the 7/8. It was a pretty good shave, but I think I can get a better edge on it. It was good enough that I'm no longer afraid the temper had been wrecked (there was some discoloration on it, but I think that's because both of these were originally blued).

I've also been doing more digging, as I always do, and I turned up this interesting tidbit:

From Peninsula Enterprise, August 16, 1890:

-- Sydney Nixon, of Mt. Holly, N.C. has a razor one hundred and fifteen years old. It was manufactured by Gilbert Brothers, Sheffield, England, and has this inscription: "The Celebrated Old Army razor." Under the inscription is the date, 1775. The razor was carried through the war of 1812 by Major Conner, of Beatties Ford."

This is the closest thing I can find to a reference to 'Celebrated Old Army Razor'. The thing is, I can't find any references to the Gilbert Brothers going back that far. They show up in an 1857 Sheffield directory, and in an 1851 World Trade Expo, but I can't find any earlier references.

Also, so far, the names on both razors have been complete dead-ends. I may try and contact the Woodstown Historical Society and see if they can help, since the name isn't fully legible on that blade. John? Johnathan? something Holly? Hold? Hall? Holdy? Haldy? Hally? It could be any of those or something else entirely.

Maybe time to darken the etch and see if I can enhance the readability any.

Uh... no, wait, I was wrong. There's none left. In the whole world, not one to be had. Honest.

I've now honed up both of these and I have some observations.

The larger of the two (I'll call it Woodstown, after the etch on the back), took an edge easier. It had less patina on it, so, quite simply, had cleaner steel at the edge.

The smaller (Danville, after it's town) still needs a little work, but I just got a really good shave off it. It's going to need the most work in restoration (and my aim is not pristine-clean, but structurally sound).

The design of the blade, with that extra-wide, jimped tang is a pleasure to strop. These two razors are just a breeze to turn because you can use your thumb as a lever to switch sides. The heavy, rounded toe I was skeptical of, but turns out to be a nice way of getting around mustache and goatee. Not quite as nice as the late 1830's tapered blades (which are my favorite shape to shave with), but definitely better than a simple square or round-point blade.

I should also note that the Woodstown blade is in my top 5 shavers, and I expect that with a little more work, the Danville will be as well.

A minor update on these.

I think I got the date wrong on them.

With a bit of tender loving acid and some scouring 2k grit I managed to make the ruined etch more legible. It is emphatically Woodstock, not Woodstown. And it's almost certainly Woodstock, OH. Which means both razors originated in the same state.

Having a town for the second razor has gotten me a little further along in figuring them out.

I've got R. Wilson of Danville, OH and John<something> Hall of Woodstock, OH. Looking for both names I turned up the rolls of the Grand Army of the Republic, an unofficial veterans group of civil war soldiers in the Union army. There's a Lt. R. Wilson and John L. Hall. While neither is listed at the town on the blade with their name, both are listed in towns very nearby to the towns on the razors.

So now I guess I get in touch with some Civil War buffs while I consider making a trip to the National Archives in Riverside.

Edited to add.

Lummus lists a Fenney in an identical style as 1845, and Fenney was out of the biz by 1852 (feet first). So my revised guess on the age of these two Wade & Butchers is 1850 tops, which may blow up my GAR theory too.

Also noteworthy, I've seen another W&B similar go through eBay, though it was much worse for the wear. However it had the iconic Wade & Butcher (B)>>----->+ logo which neither of mine do.

And as an extra amusing footnote, I've got about six billion W&B razors spanning almost their entire history and until today I didn't have a single one with their logo on it.

Great discovery, its awesome to be able to attach some provenance to a razor occasionally.

BTW six billion is far too many for one man, help a brother out!

It only occurred to me today that I just don't really think about the previous owners of my razors, but then I don't have any chance of knowing anything about most of them. The one razor I know a previous owner of isn't honed (my WWI service razor, which I traced via service number).

I'm currently planning on building a razor army to take over the world. I figure I'll need one razor for every man, woman and child on the planet.