W&B FBU, What would you do?

Wife picked this now 6/8 W&B FBU up at the antique mall today for next to nothing. God bless her for keeping an eye for my addiction.

Washed it down and looked it over well. Noticed a crack in the toe once I got the junk off it. The scales where pretty much roached. I did keep the original lead wedge.

So would you make it a shorty and rescale it in black horn with bullseye collars like it was back in the day with the original lead wedge Or junk it? Trying to make look original just shorter or go in a completely different direction with the scales? It's going to lose a good 1/2 inch to get rid of the crack.

Usually if Im looking for something I have a plan in mind for the end product. This one was just sprung on me today and Ive not thought it through. So I'm looking for opinions on where and what to do with it. I have a shorty or two already and they are very nimble to move around the face. I like them as much if not more than a full sized razor.



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Shorten it. If you don;t think it is worth the effort there are a whole bunch on here that would be happy to do it. It is going to take quite a bit of work to hone that one properly as the edge in no way match the curve of the spine and it does not appear to have a wonky spine to match. I'm pretty sure it will also look great in dark horn and stacked or beehive washers.

If your looking to make it look original you will have to get rid of the straight blade and put it back to follow the spine...
Got to get that SWOOP back in it...

If your looking to make a shorty then I think you have a pretty good candidate.

Aah, I see... yeah a shortie would work

I can't hone yet but I have a Wolfpack that can pull it off...

So shorten it, keep a square point and go for the original look in black horn, with lead wedge and stacked collars...

What would I do .............. :cry: ............ :banghead:

Shorty it is and shorty it shall be forever...

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Quick trim off the top and a light hit with Mothers to see the flaws that I need to go after.

Plus it looks like there's some goop in the pin hole...

Nice job Tim! It actually looks very balanced by the pics...I'm sure it will hone up just fine.

Yup looks good.

I vote for faux Tortoise, white wedge, nickel pins with small stainless domed collars, just to be different or blond streaked horn with triple stacked collars and lead wedge.

I’d make it smile to match the spine, it would be a looker.

What do you think about camel bone scales in the same shape as the original with the original lead wedge, beehive brass collars like the ones that were originally on it?

It would look like the original just shorter and in faux ivory scales.

Making the tip a round point with barbers notch might help keep the length
And bone would be nice, can't say I've ever seen an original FBU in bone only horn

If I was going to do bone, I would tint it to look more like old ivory and use a collarless pinning. That would look good.

Yes make the scales like the originals only shorter.

Fun project.

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

If I was going to do bone, I would tint it to look more like old ivory and use a collarless pinning. That would look good.

Yes make the scales like the originals only shorter.

Fun project.

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I started playing with it. I used the old scales as a template so they are the exact same outline as the original scales. Same nose and pivot end. I simply shortened it while tracing it out.

I did take a different twist on the over design though. I haves some super thin ivory scales and Im constantly afraid to use them out fear of breaking them because they are so thin. So I made it look more like the TI's shape and thickness but with the W&B profile. Looks pretty bad a$$ right now. Need to do some more sanding then off to pinning. I do think Im going to go collarless this time. I laid some solid brass beehive collars on it and it just looks huge and honky with them. I was really hoping to pull them off but it just doesn't look right to me for some reason. It looks like one of the old monster trucks from the 80's setting there. You know how some things look better in your mind until you see them in person. Thats it...

Beehive collars or no collars?

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Wife said beehive collars since its not commonly done with bone/ivory and would be totally different but sticking more to the original W&B theme.

I like the subtle shape of the bottom scale but maybe with the no collar. It seems like it would be really clean and the bone is amazing.

The "no collar" design looks very clean and neat IMO. Stacked washers seem to detract from the beauty of the bone.

Finished it but not completely happy.

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Why not happy?

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Originally Posted by nun2sharp

Why not happy?

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While I was thinning the bone it kept bowing more and more in the wrong direction. So I stopped while I was ahead of the game. What would be considered the inside of the bone where the marrow is had a lot of larger crevasses compared to the smoother outer side. So I was forced to sand on the inside to thin it and to get rid of the crevasses. If it wasn't for that I should sanded more on the outer side to possibly combat the bowing effect.

I also tried to use the original wedge but because of the bow I couldn't. The blade wouldn't fit in the scales. I had to go with more of a spacer. It closes on center but because of the bow it fits in tight. And I just noticed that I spit the peen on the spacer pin.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Substance

Making the tip a round point with barbers notch might help keep the length
And bone would be nice, can't say I've ever seen an original FBU in bone only horn

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I thought about a round point to keep the length going by the direction of the crack but I never saw an FBU roundpoint. I think it would look better as a square point, but it will make a nice shorty & like Mike said, it will be well balanced.