A few Sheffields coming off the Restore bench !!

**GsSixgun** · 08-25-2009, 01:34 PM

One of the members here sent a few razors out to the wilds of Idaho to be restored, this first 6/8 W&B is an heirloom blade, so I took a little extra care in doing this one...

He wanted some before during and after pics, so this thread will keep going for awhile...

We decided on almost matching scales, for all three restores, this is Red Lava Acrylic that I used, he wanted the two W&B's to have matching wedges in red and the Wostenholm to have a blue wedge....

The two W&B's needed a bit of polishing as you can see, I used 80-600 greaseless then Emory through SS they are very shiny satin, not quite mirror as there are still some very very faint pitting marks on the smaller one too deep to pull out...

The Wostie didn't need much polishing...

I cut all the acrylic to match, then started on the shaping of the first set on the 6/8 W&B....

After everything was shaped as I wanted, I mocked the razor up using a fake tang for sizing, and then fit the wedge to size... The lucky #7 also tells me where and how the wedge fits in the scales

... (note the use of the microfastener bolts)

After the razor was fit, I polished it all out, and pinned it using all brass hardware and stacked washers... here are all the pics, and the first one that is finished, I'll post the other two when they come off the bench....

On the 6/8 W&B the pitting by the spine was pretty bad and most of the etch was already gone, so I was told to go after it and try and get as much out as possible, so pitting first, and etch second... The W&B marks are still faintly there in person....

Hayward I hope you like the first one.....

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**withoutink** · 08-25-2009, 01:38 PM

Nice stuff, I wish I had the talent that you do.

**GsSixgun** · 08-25-2009, 01:39 PM

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**GsSixgun** · 08-25-2009, 01:47 PM

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**Tolduonce** · 08-25-2009, 03:26 PM

Glen, that's just sick work. At least that's what I'd say if I were 30 years younger, maybe 35. I'm always amazed by the photos of your work on others' razors, but when I see the progression on a razor that's been in the family for who knows how long, I get feelings of pride. Before discovering B&B I likely would've used that blade to slice apples. Knowing it will be used for its proper purpose over the course of 3 generations would make my grandfather very happy. Sick man, just sick!!

**mdunn** · 08-25-2009, 06:23 PM

zoinks!

So, which one are you going to give me?

**alexo** · 08-26-2009, 03:05 AM

Looks like jewelry. If Patek-Philippe was into razor making, this is how it would look.

**GsSixgun** · 08-26-2009, 09:48 PM

The 5/8 Wade & Butcher Barbers Notch:

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**GsSixgun** · 08-26-2009, 09:56 PM

The 5/8 and the 6/8 W&B's together, they are almost identical, other than some very, very, slight differences so they both still balance at the tang....

**Austin** · 08-26-2009, 09:58 PM

Very nice work indeed. It makes me want to try straight shaving again.

**ambrose** · 08-26-2009, 10:28 PM

beautiful !!

**Tolduonce** · 08-27-2009, 08:06 AM

Speechless, and not in the bad way. The words may come eventually.

**jkh** · 08-27-2009, 08:15 AM

Impressive work!

**GsSixgun** · 08-30-2009, 08:18 PM

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**Antique Hoosier** · 08-30-2009, 08:28 PM

Glen, the blades are so classic of course and the Sheffield makers certainly must have known that their work was indeed timeless...your scales and spacer work is really impressive and doesn't overpower the beauty of the blades themselves....rather it appears to be a wonderful, tasteful, and elegant matching!

**Tolduonce** · 08-30-2009, 09:01 PM

Oh man! They look incredible Glen. I absolutely had no idea. Excellent call on the red acrylic. Those bad boys stand out, but not in a gaudy way. If only I had your skills.... Artistic, yet functional at the same time. It's not often a person can say that.

**Tolduonce** · 09-05-2009, 07:53 PM

Glen, I picked them up at the post office today and all I can say is: WOW! The photos don't do the actual razors justice at all. But I'm not talking just about the scales and the polishing, both of which are pristine. The honing also is amazing. I thought of myself as a half-way decent honer until I checked out your work. Such even edges on some very old razors! Thought I'd give them the arm hair shave test. Took the first blade and accidentally touched it to a single arm hair. Ping! And the same thing happened with each blade. I'm not talking your run of the mill tree-topping here. I've seen that before. I'm talking about singling out one individual hair, one random point on the blad and deliberately popping that hair with just a slight touch of the razor.
I also appreciated your insert that talked about how the razors are honed, stropped, the stones and strops used and the recommendations for after-shave stropping. Lastly, the packaging in a sturdy box and air-mail delivery speaks to the pride you take in your work and your concern for their safe arrival.
Haven't shaved with any of them yet. I have a nice 6 day facial hair growth to experiment with. I'll update you.
One last thing.
I showed my 88 year old mom her father's razor after I got it. She immediately started talking about when she was five years old, watching her father use it and how she would sneak and imitate the way he would strop it on his palm before using it. It was an amazing moment of clarity from a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago.

Thanks.

**GsSixgun** · 09-05-2009, 09:03 PM

Originally Posted by Tolduonce

Glen, I picked them up at the post office today and all I can say is: WOW! The photos don't do the actual razors justice at all. But I'm not talking just about the scales and the polishing, both of which are pristine. The honing also is amazing. I thought of myself as a half-way decent honer until I checked out your work. Such even edges on some very old razors! Thought I'd give them the arm hair shave test. Took the first blade and accidentally touched it to a single arm hair. Ping! And the same thing happened with each blade. I'm not talking your run of the mill tree-topping here. I've seen that before. I'm talking about singling out one individual hair, one random point on the blad and deliberately popping that hair with just a slight touch of the razor.
I also appreciated your insert that talked about how the razors are honed, stropped, the stones and strops used and the recommendations for after-shave stropping. Lastly, the packaging in a sturdy box and air-mail delivery speaks to the pride you take in your work and your concern for their safe arrival.
Haven't shaved with any of them yet. I have a nice 6 day facial hair growth to experiment with. I'll update you.
One last thing.
I showed my 88 year old mom her father's razor after I got it. She immediately started talking about when she was five years old, watching her father use it and how she would sneak and imitate the way he would strop it on his palm before using it. It was an amazing moment of clarity from a woman diagnosed with Alzheimer's eight years ago.
Thanks.

I truly apprecaite all the rest that you wrote, honestly I do, but that last part I will never forget... Thank you for sharing...

**Tolduonce** · 09-11-2009, 07:29 PM

Well, I've used the two W&Bs. The 6/8 twice and the 5/8 once, and they shave through my coarse hair like a hot knife through buttah. First time using wedge type blades and I have to say that the lack of any auditory feedback had me thinking that they were gliding over the hair and not cutting....until I wiped the blades and saw all the stubble. To think I used to enjoy the noise that came from my hollow razors at one time. The silence that comes with a wedge shave is amazing. What was I thinking?