Thread: Some interesting razors from the bay

Putting up some pics of some cool razors I recently picked up for cheap. First up is a "chinese" marked Wade and Butcher, stamped manufactured for Gordon & Wellington, Boston. The collars are really cool - diamond brass plate that's set into the horn.



Second is a Greaves and Sons I took a risk on because of really awful pictures. Turns out it's got some cool etching on the spine. Anyone have more examples of spine etching like this?

Very cool razors. I havent seen spine work like that before.

Those are sweet

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Putting up some pics of some cool razors I recently picked up for cheap. First up is a "chinese" marked Wade and Butcher, stamped manufactured for Gordon & Wellington, Boston. The collars are really cool - diamond brass plate that's set into the horn.



Second is a Greaves and Sons I took a risk on because of really awful pictures. Turns out it's got some cool etching on the spine. Anyone have more examples of spine etching like this?

Both are superb! I love the decorations on the W&B's scales. I haven't had a chance to look around for any information on the Boston vendor, but I'd bet they're very findable.

I've only seen etching like that on the spine of one other razor. Undream has (or had, his pictures are down now) it. The blade was etched with a fishing scene and the spine had very similar decorations except the middle area which looks kind of scalloped on yours on his had the name Wm. Allen. Also, it looks like that's got tortoise scales.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Also, it looks like that's got tortoise scales.

Looking at the scales, they've got very regular striping. It looks like the black / yellow / orange translucent striped horn. I'll look into it though.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Looking at the scales, they've got very regular striping. It looks like the black / yellow / orange translucent striped horn. I'll look into it though.

The second picture makes it look like the mottling has depth within the material, but it's extremely perilous trying to diagnose turtle from stills.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

The second picture makes it look like the mottling has depth within the material, but it's extremely perilous trying to diagnose turtle from stills.

Hmm the color does go all the way into the bulk of the material. It's definitely not dyed horn, but I've worked with striped horn that looked a lot like this. It's not blotchy or mottled like a lot of tortoise is.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Hmm the color does go all the way into the bulk of the material. It's definitely not dyed horn, but I've worked with striped horn that looked a lot like this. It's not blotchy or mottled like a lot of tortoise is.

Genuine tortoise items were regularly composites made from many shells, heated up and pressed together. I would bet it was possible to torsion the material while it was plastic in order to get striations instead of mottles.