Thread: Unique Find

Have not bought this yet, dunno if this is an actual straight or something used for bloodletting. It's a J.R. Torrey with translucent scales, some pearl type overlay on the tang and and the point is a shape I don't think I've ever seen. The spine and tip taper back to a point, almost like a dull edge, dunno how else to describe that. The shop keep let me snap a few photos with my camera phone...

Any thoughts???

I'd buy that in a NY minute .... and that is a pair of seconds. I believe that is a French point ? One way or the other I would jump on that.

Edit; if the rust near the edge wasn't too bad ... i.e. pitted.

That would be a French point and the covered tang could be a MOP or Ivory or it may just be celluliod? Either way if the price is right it could be cleaned up and be a very nice razor.

it's only $25, so yea the price is right but the rust near the edge is heavy, gonna go back tomorrow with my loupe and see what I can discover.

and the picture of the tang is deceiving, it's clearly not ivory when you see it up close, looks iridescent like pearl but dunno if it's fake or not

I'd be slightly worried about cell rot on that blade -- the translucent celluloid is the most common type associated with cell rot -- and the location of rust on the blade seems to suggest that might be the case...of course this is all judging by a cell phone picture, so, who knows.

Here is an example of cellrot -- if it looks like this, pass on it



Definitely return and check it out!

considering the rust patterns there's probably a very good chance that is cel rot. honestly the scales are very pretty but don't match the tang overlay as well as they could IMO. If I buy it I would certainly want to try and restore the scales but if it looks too much like cel rot I'd probably just replace em.

snap it up man! Then rescale the heck out of it. I'm dying to see some more of your inlay work!! I know you could find something to really set off the tang sheathing.

There seem to be a lot of rust on the edge, you would have to cut away much of the rusting steel from the edge to get to clean steel.

The scales are nice, and you may want to move them to another blade, but if the scales caused the current blade to tarnish, then chances are any other blade you put them on will start tarnishing as well (cell rot?).

Conclusion: If the blade has much tarnish at a the edge, then walk away from that one.

+1 on your inlay work, I liked that drop style inlay.

Go back, check it out and offer him 20 dollars and quote 'not a penny more.'

I reckon thats a MOP tang, I have seen similar cladding on Torreys before. It should make one hell of a shaver from what Ive read about them, although Ive never experienced American steel myself yet.

That spine looks to be an arris or diamond type from what you described. Get a sectional photo of it to confirm. And thats definately a French point, although a very sharp looking one!

I went back today not even thinking that most antique stores are closed Sunday. I was planning on offering $20 for it and risking there being a bad edge as there is a lot of rust on the edge. Could be superficial or could be deep.

I already have an idea for rescale and yes it does include inlay work but we'll have to wait and see if I get it.

**EDIT**

I've been inspecting the pictures and if you look, the heavier rust follows the transparent orange color.

If I manage to get this blade I will rescale, clean the old scales and put em in a box with a piece of random polished steel and see if it rusts. If I see rust they go in the trash, if I don't they will be held for a future restore. Or perhaps I will cut out the piece that does not appear to be causing rust and use that as inlay material. We'll see.