Thread: Frameback W&B

I just got this one in the mail and am wondering just how much work I should do to it. Its in remarkable shape! Scales are tight, intact and straight, blade doesn't have any patina save a small area in the barbers notch. There is quite a bit of tool/grinding marks on the blade, back it tight, and this thing has no corrosion.

Any of you knowledgeable types able to narrow down a ball park age on this one?

If this were mine i would clean everything up and pretty much leave as is, the condition looks very nice, as far as putting an age on it, i would say 1870-1880 reason being of the revival of the frameback around those years, and the lack of country of origins make it before 1891. Interesting to see what you will do with it.

+1 to Martin's advice - don't overdo anything! Are those horn scales? If so I'd give it a soak in neatsfoot oil. Other than that though, I don't think it looks like it needs anything else done to it at all.

Congrats - that's a nice find!

I'd use a tiny bit of high grit wet and dry around the tang to remove that mark, rejuvenate the scales as suggested and leave it at that. Can you remove the frame? I have a J A Hellberg that has a frame that either has a gold coloured surface which is partially removed. I always wondered if I should take the frame off and get it gold plated. I always thought that would look very striking and interesting on a frameback. I haven't seen any framebacks with a gold plated frame before...

No "England" on the tang, pre 1891. Robert Doyle's book says framebacks "made their debut in 1850" and they "became very popular in the 1860s. No mention of how long they were made. The three I have are all pre 1891.

It is not often we find a razor that old in such nice condition. Razors that are that old which have been 'restored' are quite common. I'd leave it as is.

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I'd use a tiny bit of high grit wet and dry around the tang to remove that mark, rejuvenate the scales as suggested and leave it at that. Can you remove the frame? I have a J A Hellberg that has a frame that either has a gold coloured surface which is partially removed. I always wondered if I should take the frame off and get it gold plated. I always thought that would look very striking and interesting on a frameback. I haven't seen any framebacks with a gold plated frame before...

I've always wondered whether the frame on this little Engstrom has been plated. I honestly don't know enough about gold, gold plating, etc. to tell for sure whether the 'gold' really is gold.



Thought I'd throw that up there in case anyone's wondering what a gold frame might look like. If, that is, it is actually gold plated...

Originally Posted by Cangooner

+1 to Martin's advice - don't overdo anything! Are those horn scales? If so I'd give it a soak in neatsfoot oil. Other than that though, I don't think it looks like it needs anything else done to it at all.

Congrats - that's a nice find!

Yes, the scales look like horn. Interesting, that there are no washers under the peened pin heads, almost looks like they were pressed. The grain of the horn is showing, will neetsfoot oil "swell" the grain and smooth it out? Would a light sanding and buff of the scales be overdoing it?

Originally Posted by carlmaloschneider

I'd use a tiny bit of high grit wet and dry around the tang to remove that mark, rejuvenate the scales as suggested and leave it at that. Can you remove the frame? I have a J A Hellberg that has a frame that either has a gold coloured surface which is partially removed. I always wondered if I should take the frame off and get it gold plated. I always thought that would look very striking and interesting on a frameback. I haven't seen any framebacks with a gold plated frame before...

The frame it quite sound, without a hammer/brass drift, I don't think they will be moving. Would they have been soldered/brazed back in the day or just a press fit?

I will put up a couple cleaner pics tomorrow, it really is a nice piece!

Originally Posted by PierreR

Yes, the scales look like horn. Interesting, that there are no washers under the peened pin heads, almost looks like they were pressed. The grain of the horn is showing, will neetsfoot oil "swell" the grain and smooth it out? Would a light sanding and buff of the scales be overdoing it?

Hard to say. If nothing else though it will revitalize the horn and give a clearer indication of what should be sanded away. Check out this one, for example:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...rket-find.html

It's also a W&B that I found at a fleamarket. It had interesting scales, but they had dried out, were partly delaminating, etc. I soaked them in neatsfoot and then used micromesh (equivalent to very, very fine sandpaper) to smooth out any bits that were still a problem.

But I have to say that looking at your pics, unless there is damage we can't see, I don't think you'll have to do much of anything to them apart from the oil bath. Fingers crossed!

That's a nice score there Pierre! I have one quite similar and they are a great shaver when honed up