Thread: George Wolstenholm Celebrated

Picked up this razor today. I have two other GW's, and they are excellent shavers. Got a good deal on this one.

A couple of questions:

1. I'm not familiar with the kind of grind on this razor. With the prominent spine like this one. What is this kind of razor called?

2. I used WD 40 and 0000 steel wool to remove the light rust and patina. I also used MAAS to polish and remove some grime. Still not 100% satisfied with the end result. I'm wondering what other cleaners/compounds I can use other than MAAS to remove the grime etc on a razor?

3. The razor took a great edge. King 1k then Norton 4k/8k and strop. Haven't tried any CROX yet. If I were to purchase some CROX, should I notice a marked difference in my edge? Assume I am getting comfortable shaves currently, though ATG can sometimes be a bit uncomfortable depending on my beard growth and location on my face...

Cant wait to test shave it tomorrow or Thursday. Having so much fun with SR shaving, its amazing...!

Thanks for your responses in advance.

It is a rattler grind. That etch will disappear quite easily so be careful around it. 0000 steel wool can get a lot of grim off and leave a nice shine, but it does require quite a bit of elbow grease. It looks like it is in pretty nice condition. A deal is always nice to find, and a deal on a razor is awesome.

I have one very similar. Smooth shaver, challanging to hone for a newbie. Mine has smile and the heel kicks my butt.
Beautiful though. ;-)

Rattler grind one of my favorite razors and grinds... It seems to be the lesser popular Sheffield razor from my experience but it's one of my favorites because of all the different etching you can find...

I second Rez dog it is very easy to remove the etching.. I've had polishing compounds remove etching before... So it's easy to do, trust me I've had a few projects I've thought "just a little more" only to go too far... It's always your choice in the end and if ur like me ur going to try hahaha... But just be very careful and cautious...

Shhhhh about the Wosty being so good , they are still the deal of the century. And stick with your hone routine for at least a year or until you just can't stand it anymore. The best way to become a great honer is learn the basics until they become natural. You throw to much into the mix and you will be skipping steps and then posting about how you can't get your 28k Arctic Smoochy to give you that special fuzzy warm feel :<0)

Nice blade. I have my first G.W blade in the post and I cant wait.

If I was you I'd consider a finishing stone..

Originally Posted by Clayglen

I have one very similar. Smooth shaver, challanging to hone for a newbie. Mine has smile and the heel kicks my butt.
Beautiful though. ;-)

It wasn't too terribly bad to hone, and I consider myself a newbie. Though I agree, the tip of the heel, and the tip of the toe were difficult. The razor passes the HHT in all spots except the heel and toe tip. I'll see how she shaves...

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Shhhhh about the Wosty being so good , they are still the deal of the century. And stick with your hone routine for at least a year or until you just can't stand it anymore. The best way to become a great honer is learn the basics until they become natural. You throw to much into the mix and you will be skipping steps and then posting about how you can't get your 28k Arctic Smoochy to give you that special fuzzy warm feel :<0)

I'm on the hunt for even more GW's! haha. My hone routine though...I don't know that it is ever the exact same. I usually start with one or two straight even pull and push strokes, and then look at the razor under the scope. Just let the scratch pattern tell me what is going on. I'm also a huge fan now of using perm marker on the edge to really tell me what I need to do with my push and pull strokes. Sometimes I need to push the toe if I'm not getting coverage, sometimes push the heel. Sometimes an X stroke, sometimes a rolling X. It really doesn't take me long now to figure out what kind of a honing technique to use.

I'd rather not remove the etching. I can live with it I guess.

That is my all time favourite blade style! love the rattler hump back, I have 2 .

Enjoy it, it looks like it is in great shape.

the scales have a crack at the wedge pin going to the tip of the scale. Currently it doesn't seem to affect the stability of the scales. They are still tight. Other than that the razor is in good condition. The crack in the scale gave me pause, but I like GW's so much I got it anyway. I can always replace the scales if I want...