Thread: Original Washers?

I don't think so but I figured I ask the group that has more knowledge than me.
I drilled out the pivot pin on this Marsh Brothers razor as it had some rust in the pivot area I couldn't get to very well. Here are the washers from the peening. They had a filler washer inside to keep them from flattening too. They look like pressed washers to me. But maybe that's how they did it back then?

So, Originals from 1850 thru 1890?

The wood scales are suspect on being original too as all the pics I find of these razors in this dating don't look like wood.

I've seen them on Wade&Butchers from late 1800's, but I'm no expert on this.

I do not doubt that the washers could be original but I have not seen much for wood scales on old razors. Most of the ones I have seen look pretty home made. They recycle a lot of the washers too. I suspect pre Google a lot of this stuff was hard to find unless you had the inside track.

Thanks for the reply Rez and SRDJAN. I'm thinking the scales are made by someone who restored it before. I kept the washers and scales after a little clean up of the rust. Good enough for me. Shows its age!

I have a follow-up question on concave/convex washers. Is the convex face normally oriented towards the scale, making for a smaller diameter circle of contact there, with the concave face being oriented towards the shank, making for a larger diameter circle of contact there?

Too big of words for me. Ha. But if it was solid, The flat side against the scale. Then the raised, smaller part goes up away from the scale. These are not solid so they are hollow but then a very tiny washer is put inside of the fancy one as a space filler. the way they are sitting in the picture is the way they would sit on the scale.
Hope that helps.

Originally Posted by Gasman

the way they are sitting in the picture is the way they would sit on the scale.

That helps. Thanks. I have a set of washers that are not flat, but convex or concave depending on the orientation. I've always wondered what the right orientation is. I've gone by trial and error, looking for the least movement of the razor in the scales. Just checked a recent restoration, and sure enough, it is concave facing the scale (larger diameter of contact) and convex facing the shank (smaller diameter of contact).

Originally Posted by Brontosaurus

That helps. Thanks. I have a set of washers that are not flat, but convex or concave depending on the orientation. I've always wondered what the right orientation is. I've gone by trial and error, looking for the least movement of the razor in the scales. Just checked a recent restoration, and sure enough, it is concave facing the scale (larger diameter of contact) and convex facing the shank (smaller diameter of contact).

It sounds like you are talking about the Inside Bearing washers

If so, Yes you have it correct

Washers normally have a domed side and a flat side

simply put

The Flat side always touches the Scales, inside or outside for looks and for function...

Originally Posted by gssixgun

It sounds like you are talking about the Inside Bearing washers

If so, Yes you have it correct

Washers normally have a domed side and a flat side

simply put

The Flat side always touches the Scales, inside or outside for looks and for function...

Thanks. They are not flat, but I follow what you are saying. The "outside for looks" comment is very helpful. Same goes inside. Glad to know that I arrived at it by trial and error on my own, but I've been curious about what the consensus was.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I don't think so but I figured I ask the group that has more knowledge than me.
I drilled out the pivot pin on this Marsh Brothers razor as it had some rust in the pivot area I couldn't get to very well. Here are the washers from the peening. They had a filler washer inside to keep them from flattening too. They look like pressed washers to me. But maybe that's how they did it back then?

So, Originals from 1850 thru 1890?

The wood scales are suspect on being original too as all the pics I find of these razors in this dating don't look like wood.

Those are definitely mid-1800's Sheffield washers. Whether they were original to the scales or not is a lot harder to say. I've seen a lot of old repairs using all sorts of materials that were reassembled with the original washers. Usually pretty badly done -- the washers get flattened or the inner washer is lost or bent, etc. But there's no reason to think it wasn't possible for someone to do a good job of it.

As for the scales being wood, can you get a picture of them? Rarely, wood was used for scales, but it's extraordinarily uncommon in old razors. However, when sufficiently abused, horn can look an awful lot like wood!