Thread: In search of bigger blades.

I have concentrated my RAD on Ducks for the most part. I have a big collection of those and have slowed it down to just buying the never before seen or what I think is rare. (okay, that's a lie I tell myself.) I did get a few large blades along the way.
In order from top to bottom,
7/8 Manufactured by Wade and Butcher Sheffield with no other marking but it is very hollow.
7/8 ERN Crown and Sword Extra Hollow as the etch says.
just under 7/8 George Wostenholm & Son's Celebrated IXL razor- Washington Works- Sheffield
Today I polished up the Joseph Elliot's Celebrated with Blue Magic. It starts off 15/16 and tapers to 7/8 before the big radius to the heel.



When I sat there looking at it I got to thinking.**ouch** It cleaned up enough to maybe give it a hone and use it. Then I realized I never share. As I started thinking about why, the other 3 blades I started to work on and never finished came to mind. I haven't shared because I have before pics but no afters. (That's my excuse for lousy pics too by the way.) And God help me I have an 8/8 W&B Barbers use on the way not to mention another W&B that has a barbers notch and that's about all I know. I don't know what my problem is with these big blade razors other than the RAD part. I have no problem bringing the Ducks back to shiny and honing them right up within days of getting them. Maybe that's it. Ducks are supposed to be all shiny and mirror looking. I never see a Duck with pits and patina unless it's a before shot. I have a hard time trying to decide on whether or not to do that to these blades. Even though they look to me like that is all that can be done with them,with the exception of the J.E. But even this one after polished just doesn't look right with shiny pits and scratches. It's my little mental dilemma and I will figure it out. Maybe I just need to go look at some of the other restore pics again. I am trying to resist the temptation of going mirror finish with these but all I can do is stall the work on them. The underlying factor is that shiny sells for more and quicker.

I have a similar problem, i like the shaves from the "modern" hollow grinds, but there is something about a razor that is 150+ years old, shiny or not. It seems to me the old wedges will survive through alot of rust because there is so much metal there, where as the hollow grinds won't. I am no expert, but my favorite restores are the ones that are in keeping with the era, check out Gssixgun and Mycarver's posts for inspiration.