My Great-Grandpappy's Razor!
I dunno if any of you read my mention of this on the beginners forum, but when I told my dad I had started using a straight razor he dug this out & said I could have it. I remember seeing the razor once about 20 years ago, but I just stopped by my parents' house & picked it up. I couldn't be more excited, holding my great-grandfather's razor in my hands & seeing how good the condition is!
Please excuse the image quality, that's my cellphone at work again....
http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/IMG_4460.jpg
http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/IMG_7956.jpg
http://i381.photobucket.com/albums/o...s/IMG_7314.jpg
My wife did some Internet searching & apparently W. H. Morley & Sons was known for using exceptionally hard steel in their razors, making them difficult to hone but good at holding an edge for a long time. Backlighting the blade there are no visible nicks, just a slight smile at the ends. It really looks like it just went from being a daily shaver one day into storage.
Now to get it honed, can't wait till it's ready for a strop & a shave!