Thread: I think I'll call it "RADzilla"

Originally Posted by epd

I'd like to know where your finding these online! Please share your links here or in the other threads if you can as my searches have come up pretty empty.
The 2 I have and the one that Joed has all have identical horn scales with pointed tops. The others I have seen online (only 2) one was rescaled in some fancy wood and the other has some celluloid scales.
Eric

This one appears to be close to what I have.

I've completed work on this guy. I didn't want to go all out and completely restore it. Instead, I wanted to make it nice but still as original as possible. I was able to keep the original scales and I just oiled them a bit to freshen them up. I tried to get away with just a light polish on the blade. However, the other side of the blade was too far gone with deep rust. So, out came the pin and I started sanding starting at 60 grit all the way up to 2000 grit and chromium oxide on a wheel. I was able to salvage the washers too. So, the only part I had to replace was the pivot pin. I like the "clean old look" of this job. How about you?

Excellent job with the refininsh, looks very good.

That looks great!

Clean and huge! Are you gonna give it a shave now?

Originally Posted by maddafinga

Clean and huge! Are you gonna give it a shave now?

Once I hone it up, yes. I'm still awaiting delivery on my Norton stones and my coti. Once I have those in hand, I'll be getting this thing shave ready. Interestingly, once I started getting into the thousand grits, I unwittingly started to set a bevel on this guy & drew blood. She's a fighter, I can tell already.

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but as you are a novice honer and wedges/near wedges can be notoriously difficult to keep an even bevel on, have you considered getting it honed by someone with experience? I mention this because just this week I've been trying to get a shave ready edge on a couple of old wedges and have ended up with completely uneven bevels and an edge that is nowhere near shave ready. I should add that I regularly hone my other razors without any problems.

I would hate to see you end up with something similar but it's so easy to do.

Originally Posted by UKRob

I don't want to dampen your enthusiasm, but as you are a novice honer and wedges/near wedges can be notoriously difficult to keep an even bevel on, have you considered getting it honed by someone with experience? I mention this because just this week I've been trying to get a shave ready edge on a couple of old wedges and have ended up with completely uneven bevels and an edge that is nowhere near shave ready. I should add that I regularly hone my other razors without any problems.

I would hate to see you end up with something similar but it's so easy to do.

Oh believe me... I have no intention of starting out with this monster. I've got plenty of other straights to practice on before I even think about taking on this thing. For the time being, I'm content for it to look pretty on my shelf.

Wow, that came out incredible! After the first progress picture I thought it was going to be a pretty rough looking blade. But nope, came out just dandy!! With the scales that came with it too? Its one mean looking chopper! Send it to me! I'll shave with it!

That's an amazing razor. Bigger may not always be better, but it's usually at least cooler.

There was a similiar E. L. & Co Manufactured for the United States on ebay (this one evidently was exposed to less radiation) that ended recently. I mention this because it included what appeared to be the original box which read:

"Edward Leon & Co"

Given that the razor is an 8/8 and the initials match, I feel safe in the assumption that the box is original.

Anyway, the earliest mention of them as a company that I could find is from an 1836 New York directory which places them at 7 Platt.

From 1840:


Also, they were involved in a court case around 1839, it seems the gov thought they were lying about the purchase price of their imports:


Anyway, by 1859 Edward had brought on several relatives: Abram, Heyman, and Theodore, and were operating out of 28 Dey h 51 London ter. At this time they were operating under the name Leon E. & H. & co. Though they may have continued to use their prior company name. However, if that was not the case, then that suggests that the "Manufactured for the United States" mark does not mean it was produced for use by Union troops.

See here for the 1859 Directory:
Imageshack - 1859.png

Abram is not listed at that residence in 1860.

It may also be worth pointing out this thread, especially posts 4 & 8:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...sheffield.html

This is pure conjecture, but this Edward may be the same as person as the Edward of E. L. & Co. I haven't found any solid evidence to prove that the Edward Leon who lived at 28 Dey was the same person who later lived with at No. 17 Endcliffe Vale. But I did find passport applications from 1859 belonging to an Edward Leon, who was born in Mecklenburg in 1816, who was married to an Emma Leon who was born in Hanover. As well as the passport app (1853) of a Heyman Leon who was born in Mecklenburg in 1820.

Unfortunately it's all circumstantial. Suffice to say that in the 1850's in New York there was a group of Leons importing english cutlery, as well as a group of Leons whose birth places and dates and names match that of an English cutlerer and some of his kin. I didn't go digging through English documents, only American ones. So perhaps someone may shed further light on this issue.