Thread: Recent W &B wedge purchase, which way to go??

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So my recent purchase has arrived and now seeing it close up I am torn. The scales are in great shape IMO there is a chip in one but that doesn't bother me. The blade is tight in the scales. But where I am torn is, do I tear it down and really get after it? or do I leave it together clean it up a bit and enjoy it? I know it is user preference but I don't want to ruin any value the razor may have because I tore it down. I also have a question with the blade, there are some rough marks on the blade are those factory grind marks? I was also wondering is this a true wedge or a microtome? I just want to hear what you gents opinions are. For now I am holding off since I can not really seem to decide what I want to do with it. At first I really wanted to polish the snot out of it and now I am not so sure....

It is commonly referred to as a wedge, in order to be a true wedge it would have to be a perfect V but it is somewhat hollowed but not to any extreme. We still call it a wedge. It is i nice shape and could be on the line shaving with little work. once you remove metal or alter the surface you cannot put it back. So go lightly if you are not sure. Get some 0000 steel wool and WD-40 and go to town cleaning. Then hit it with some Mothers Polish. You will be surprised as to how much that changes the appearance. Then soak everything in a bit of neatsfoot oil for a few days, wipe it down and then consider if you want to resurface the blade by hand sanding or hone and shave.

So then are those rough grind marks supposed to be on the blade? If they are supposed to be there I don't want to sand them out then I will just clean her up and call it a day Just out of curiosity can I use the wd40 on the scales as well? I imagine 0000 steel wool would not hurt any thing on the scales.

There is no rite or wrong.
Personally I'd like to see that razor like a mirror with new scales ...

Originally Posted by JOB15

There is no rite or wrong.
Personally I'd like to see that razor like a mirror with new scales ...

And there is a part of me that wants that as well JOB15 but then there is a part of me that is like, man that looks pretty nice the way it is I should leave it alone. I like posting questions like this because usually you get a lot of answers all different and it gets me to thinking and sometimes takes me in a different direction than I had planned. Thank you for the input

The answer to your question depends on how much you value aesthetics of the razor. There is significant hone wear which is reflected in the uneven bevel - this cannot be undone, but you could send it for a re-grind which will even up the whole blade. On the other hand, if you're happy with the appearance as it is, simply cleaning as suggested earlier will improve things. I suggest that you tape the spine before any further honing.

Yes I plan on taping the spine when I hone this one. I am no expert UKRob just asking from what I think I remember reading awhile back. But I thought I read a post that talked about honing a wedge to correct poor/improper honing that would then give you even bevels and such.

Why not use it , as is for a while, then inthe future do it up..
Concerning that fat bevel near the toe end, I would just add an extra centimeter of tape to the corresponding spine area when honing....

It's a little hard for me to see in the pictures but I suspect the scratches you see where left by the grinding wheel of the maker. It was called a glazed finish and IMHO the most common finish found on the old blades. The mirror finish was called a crocus finish. Here is a picture of the two finished for a side by side comparison. Are you capable of doing either finish by hand? Probably not. Removing the hone wear present on your blade by hand would be a long and tedious process. Most folks who hand sand work from heel to toe so the scratch patterns run that way. You razor was ground from the blade back to the bevel. There are a few folks here that have mastered the glaze finish by hand and finish with the scratch pattern running in the correct back to bevel direction. I think GSSIXGUN posted a how to here somewhere. Also Wolpack34 does a wonderful job with the hand done glaze finish.
Your comment about 0000 steel wool on the scales. That will leave a hazy finish. Follow with a polish like Mothers or MAAS to bring back the shine.
My suggestion to you to start would be to disassemble the scales saving the collars for reuse. Clean up the scales, hand polish the blade with Mothers polish and maybe some 0000 steel wool. The 0000 will scratch the blade so don't lean on it too heavy. Reassemble, add a couple layers of tape to the spine and hone. I'm sure it will be a great shaver and a good looking minimalist restore.

I think for now what I'm going to do is clean, hone and enjoy and maybe this winter when time is more abundant take it down. I like all the suggestions and support from you guys. I like the factory/ stock look especially for this razor. Just seems like the right way to go. Just keep it like it was back how ever long ago she was made. I appreciate everyone's input very much as always.

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