Thread: A 5/8" George Johnson with Black Horn Scales, 1/4 hollow

Hi,

In my new member introduction I promised to supply some photos and info about my first razor, so here they are.

I picked up this George Johnson razor on ebay for cheap. I'm thinking this was a made later in the company's history (1815-1904?) due to the hollow grind, longer tail, and the curved scales. Any ideas on a date? There are what seem like usual cosmetic issues including a crack in one of the scales, staining on the blade, obvious pitting in two places (not on the edge) and some micro-pitting in others. Even with the issues I'm really excited to have this razor and looking forward to getting it shave ready.

Ultimately I would like to restore the razor, preserving the etching on the blade that says "Special Hollow Ground" and fixing the original scales, which I think is possible. At the moment I'm leaning towards just having it honed up, keeping it oiled, and shaving with it to see how I like it.

I hope you enjoy!

This razor seems honed to death, it's a "go for restauration" razor : doesn't risk anything from an unexprienced retsore work ! This one must be around 1880/1890...

I don't think it looks honed to death. It may take a little work to polish it, and you'll definitely be left with a patina if you want to save the etching, but it looks perfectly servicable from the pictures given.

The heel looks good, the spine is not too wide, it looks like someone was trying to round a french point a little, but otherwise, it should hone up very well and make an excellent shaver(Unless it's lost it's temper) . Send it to one of the big guys in the classifieds! Good luck to you!