Estate sale score

So this morning I received an email from my father in law titled simply check out the last photo. The last photo had 3 shoe boxes full of Straights....Needless to say I popped right out of bed and got the wife and kiddo up to check out the sale. When I got there my heart fell a bit. Most of the razors were toast :(
Wade and Butchers so abused by hone wear they were crying to be put out of their misery... An Ator that should have been a crown jewel, but instead sat there black with a frowning crumbling edge... 2 Cattaraugus that well I just dont want to talk about...the list went on...Eventually I found a Genco that's blade had been covered in grease and was very well preserved ($14), a $5 basket case early pipe razor and a Joseph Rodgers masquerading as a Depews ($25)????

after a little 400grit wet dry I am digging the patina left on the JR and the GW Pipe :)

Anyone have any info on the JR? I have never seen one like this. I thought it was a Depews until I sanded a little!! lol


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I like the Long monkey tail

They're really cool. Love the patina too. Why is the Pipe a basket case? I've seen a few Joseph Rodgers razors that look like a De Pews. My De Pews has way more of a hump on top of the tang, a curved top surface to the spine and a very pronounced French point. Have you seen the original Patent and drawing for the De Pews? It's very interesting, I've posted a cropped picture of the .pdf file.

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ahh it was a basket case when I saw it because it was covered in active rust and it was in their basket case pile of $5 razors!

That diagram is pretty cool. How does your De pews shave?

Joseph Rodgers did make those long monkey tail De Pews like razors. I don't know which of them originated the design but I've seen both around. More of the De Pews than the Rodgers. Either manah or Neil Miller might be able to shed some light on who was first. Nice razors you got BTW.

How does my De Pews shave? Like shit, to be honest. I'm still honing it, really. I hone it, use it for a while, then hone it again. It's not what I'd call shave ready, really, but I keep trying. It's a very nice razor; but needs some work. It's also hard to strop. I love the look of it though, and the look of a thing is more than half the thing.

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Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

How does my De Pews shave? Like shit, to be honest. I'm still honing it, really. I hone it, use it for a while, then hone it again. It's not what I'd call shave ready, really, but I keep trying. It's a very nice razor; but needs some work. It's also hard to strop. I love the look of it though, and the look of a thing is more than half the thing.

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I think they shave like wedges, even though they are hollow.. Once you dial it iin anyway... I do like the nimblness of the blade, i am just not fond of a wedge shave.. I like the feedback of a hollow.

Love that pipe razor.

The Pipe razor is very cool. I have one with a lot of hone wear, so the bevel is bigger than I am used to. I was ready to give up on it when I was setting that bevel, but it finally came around, and it is now a fine shaver. Yours will look much nicer than mine. I also like that J. Rogers. Very nice and unique. Great finds.

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Originally Posted by Wintchase

I think they shave like wedges, even though they are hollow.. Once you dial it iin anyway... I do like the nimblness of the blade, i am just not fond of a wedge shave.. I like the feedback of a hollow.

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Sorry to be going a little off topic. My De Pews is quite wedgy; not a true wedge but getting there. I don't think I've seen a lot of true wedges. That Joseph Rogers is definitely a larger blade.

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as you can see mine is 1/4 hollow at best.....and I do mean at best lol

Quote:

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Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

How does my De Pews shave? Like shit, to be honest. I'm still honing it, really. I hone it, use it for a while, then hone it again. It's not what I'd call shave ready, really, but I keep trying. It's a very nice razor; but needs some work. It's also hard to strop. I love the look of it though, and the look of a thing is more than half the thing.

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Almost a shame to hear that...mine shaves like a dream. I do have to agree though that it does take a bit to get used to stropping the little devil.
As for the OP, congrats on a fine score and of course I love the DePews like Joseph Rodgers :)

Oh, it's more to do with my lack of honing prowess, I'm sure, but I want to hone it all by myself. I think if I can get this to take a really nice edge I get to go to the next level or something.

Alb, the profile to yours IS very similar to the De Pews. I found a thread somewhere; I think on another forum, about the Joseph Rogers with monkey tail and the De Pews. I'll have to look around; I'm interested now. 400 wet and dry? I would have thought that was almost too harsh; the result is excellent though. I'm really glad you left the patina on them; I think that was a wise move.

400 wet dry is my normal active rust starting grit. I haven't found it too aggressive on any of my blades so far. I am really beginning to like patina on my razors more and more. I Think Sheffields look best with patina for sure :)