Wade & Butcher restore by Mark Yundt (picture heavy !)

**Khay** · 07-09-2012, 03:29 PM

Hi everyone,

I think all W&B lovers are going to enjoy this set of photos.

Some years ago I picked this Wade & Butcher from a vendor. It was covered in patina, a little rust on the hinge, and the scales were broken and cracked :

About 2 months ago, after having read many of your posts I contacted Mark Yundt and a few emails exchanged later, I sent the above blade for restoration and rescaling. This is what I got back in the mail a day ago

:

I would like to thank Mark (member mycarver) for his work and care in making sure that even though a shiny blade was wanted, that the original engraving/stamping of the blade would be kept. Great work !!!

I would also like to thank everyone in this forum - if it wasn't for all of you and Badger & Blade, all of this wouldn't have been possible.

Regards,

PD

**professorchaos** · 07-09-2012, 05:08 PM

A job well done - nice balance between restoration and preservation.

**Legion** · 07-09-2012, 07:15 PM

Originally Posted by professorchaos

A job well done - nice balance between restoration and preservation.

+1

Mark does great work.

**Xiomaro** · 07-09-2012, 08:24 PM

gorgeous, i hope the one i'm working on comes out just as well

**otto76** · 07-09-2012, 09:10 PM

Very nice, quite a change.

**honed** · 07-09-2012, 11:56 PM

Originally Posted by professorchaos

A job well done - nice balance between restoration and preservation.

Exactly!

Superb work, as always!

**Hammertime1** · 07-10-2012, 12:04 AM

beautiful. W&B is one of my favorite razors for looks

**Doc226** · 07-10-2012, 02:26 AM

Very nice, love the contrasting wedge.

**Captain Pre-Capsize** · 07-10-2012, 05:33 AM

Mark's results are stunning and always predictable. He has a real gift there and did me well too:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...er-Masterpiece

**brothers** · 07-10-2012, 05:39 AM

Looks nice! Do you shave with it and maintain your own edges? I'm just wondering how well it accepts and holds an edge over time with only maintenance stropping. I have one similar to this one. Mine has some pitting unfortunately, but I'm thinking about honing it up and using it.

**Khay** · 07-10-2012, 05:44 AM

Would any of you gentlemen that are familiar to the history of Wade & Butcher help me date this particular blade ?

I read somewhere that if the tang is stamped "Sheffield England", then it's manufactured post 1890 - if it's stamped "Sheffield" without the "England", then it's pre 1890. In my razor the tang is marked :

Manufactured by

Wade & Butcher

Sheffield

(B) >---> +

Can anyone confirm if the above is true ? or at least add some information regarding how old this blade is - thank you in advance !!!

**Khay** · 07-10-2012, 05:55 AM

I'm a beginner to straight shaving sharpening/honing/restoring - this is why, in this particular W&B, even though I had got it some years ago with the intention of restoring it, I ended up preferring to put it in the hands of someone who really knows what they are doing.

I plan to shave with this one every now and then. It just wouldn't be right not to use it :)

I'm guessing that, from what I've read, with the leather strop I got from a member here, and a balsa strop with CrOx that I plan to build, it should take a while until it needs resharpening.

Originally Posted by brothers

Looks nice! Do you shave with it and maintain your own edges? I'm just wondering how well it accepts and hold an edge over time with only maintenance stropping. I have one similar to this one. Mine has some pitting unfortunately, but I'm thinking about honing it up and using it.

**ridnovir** · 07-10-2012, 06:41 AM

Nice. Enjoy it.

**Captain Pre-Capsize** · 07-10-2012, 07:17 AM

Originally Posted by Khay

Would any of you gentlemen that are familiar to the history of Wade & Butcher help me date this particular blade ?

I read somewhere that if the tang is stamped "Sheffield England", then it's manufactured post 1890 - if it's stamped "Sheffield" without the "England", then it's pre 1890. In my razor the tang is marked :

Manufactured by

Wade & Butcher

Sheffield

(B) >---> +

Can anyone confirm if the above is true ? or at least add some information regarding how old this blade is - thank you in advance !!!

Yep, it was made prior to 1890 if it only says "Sheffield." In 1890 a law was passed requiring that the name of the country be stamped, not just the city. Beyond that we need Graybeard to weigh in. I do know that the shorter the finger tail the older it is. Also, the ability of them to hollow grind a blade was not available prior to about 1830 or so. That is why all the real old ones are wedges, they simply couldn't hollow out the blade. That is my understanding, not to be taken as scripture but I have read it elsewhere. So if hollow ground and it says "Sheffield" on it you are looking between 1830 - 1890. Hope that helps.

**Khay** · 07-10-2012, 02:16 PM

Originally Posted by Captain Pre-Capsize

Yep, it was made prior to 1890 if it only says "Sheffield." In 1890 a law was passed requiring that the name of the country be stamped, not just the city. Beyond that we need Graybeard to weigh in. I do know that the shorter the finger tail the older it is. Also, the ability of them to hollow grind a blade was not available prior to about 1830 or so. That is why all the real old ones are wedges, they simply couldn't hollow out the blade. That is my understanding, not to be taken as scripture but I have read it elsewhere. So if hollow ground and it says "Sheffield" on it you are looking between 1830 - 1890. Hope that helps.

This one is hollow ground for sure, so it would've been made between 1830-1890 - that makes it around 122-182 years old (!) - thanks for the help Captain :)