My restore que just got WAY longer!

I went in to my barber to get my hair cut this morning and thought I would take my rescaled Wade & Butcher Invincible to show him. I have been pestering him for the last 3 months for stories and tips. He was impressed with the work I did on the W&B, so he started digging around his shop for a box that was given to him by an old customer that had no heirs. After 10 minutes of rustling around, he produced an old, horribly musty Almond Joy candy bar box stuffed with straights. After some inspection and discussion, the hair cut resumed and I offered to clean a couple of them up for him. After paying for the hair cut, he suggested that I should be the next custodian of the collection. I gratefully accepted.

First picture includes (from top to bottom):
1. Celleperes Paris Fabricant 42 11/16
2. Buhl Sons' Co. Detroit, MI w/ "Stevenson" etched on the blade 11/16
3. Standard Made in USA 13/16
4. Geneva Cutlery Corp. 6/8
5. W.H. Morley & Sons Clover Brand Germany 5/8



Second Picture includes (from top to bottom):
6. Clauss Freemont, C, USA 5/8
7. word on tang are a little sketchy on this one.... South------Richardson----Works Sheffield 5/8
the scales on this one are horn (I think) with a silver shield inlay
8. Shumate 810 5/8
9. John Bert Cutlery Co. 36, Extra Ground & MFD in Germany w/ "THE HINDOO" etched on blade 11/16
10. Wade & Butcher "King Shaver" 11/16



Third Picture includes (from top to bottom):
11. John Bert Cutlery Co. w/ star and crossed swords on non show side tang 5/8
12. Butcher Brothers Sheffield 5/8
13. The American Products Co. Cincinnati, OH "Hand Made" on show side tang, hammered tang 11/16
14. Extra Hollow Ground Sheffield 7/8
15. The Extra Hollow Ground Pipe Razor Geo. Wostenholm & Son 9/16
16. Waterville Cutlery Co. Conn. too bad this one has chunks missing from the blade, was a very nice blade at one time



I recognize several of the makers, but am unfamiliar with others. I have some pleasant work in front of me now. Some will be restored with original scales, some will get rescaled and a couple will just get cleaned and honed.

I have way more interest than knowledge, so if you have information or comments on any of these, I'm all ears!

Some people. Have all the luck

Nice! Excellent score!
You'll have to tip him very well from here on out.

I need a new barber!

Congrats!!

Thanks, guys. I think I'll start with the Geneva (#4). I need practice removing scales without damage and these are pre-ruined so no biggy if I muck it up. It will get new scales regardless of outcome.

Wow!! Great tips from here on out, for sure. That's a major score. That'll keep you going for quite a while. Congrats.

Thanks, but I am hoping to GET great tips. I am very new to this, so, if something I say sounds like a Tip, take it with a grain of salt.

Dave

Removed the scales using the method in Mycarver's scale removal thread (thanks Mark). I need a new burr and drill bit, but reasonable success. In the process of shining up the blade, I noticed "1903" stamped inside the pyramid symbol of the tang. Is this the date of manufacture?

GolFisHunt said:

Removed the scales using the method in Mycarver's scale removal thread (thanks Mark). I need a new burr and drill bit, but reasonable success. In the process of shining up the blade, I noticed "1903" stamped inside the pyramid symbol of the tang. Is this the date of manufacture?
View attachment 458076
View attachment 458077

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It may represent the date of manufacture, but I think it was also sometimes used for the date of some patents (although I'm not sure what they could've patented on that blade?).

That's tips for the barber, not from you!! I and my two sons have been seeing the same barber for the past 15 years. He's a real craftsman and gives a super, traditional haircut for $14 + tip. I'll have to ask him if he has any old straights or DE's.

That's tips for the barber, not from you!!

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Yeah, that makes way more sense and should have been obvious.

It may represent the date of manufacture, but I think it was also sometimes used for the date of some patents (although I'm not sure what they could've patented on that blade?).

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That was my line of thinking as well. No extra blades, no pivot ball and no lubrication strip that I noticed.

I've posted these first two in the non-hobbyist thread but I thought I should start adding the completed ones here instead.

Here is the completed Geneva Cutlery Corp. with new Curl Leaf Mt. Mahogany scales just before sending it off to Idaho.



This is #15 in the original list, a Wostenholm 9/16" that I kept original. I just soaked the scales in neats foot oil and lightly polished the blade. It was just to cool to mess with. Honing this one was a challenge for me.

#10 is the next to be subjected to my attention. A Wade & Butcher King Shaver 11/16" with one truncated scale. They were plastic, so no big loss. I lost the gold wash on the blade as it looked like someone tried to remove a spot of rust just above the etching with 80 grit sand paper. I'm not quite finished with the CA finish on the Osage Orange scales yet, but you get the idea. I'll have it scaled, honed and shaving in a few days.

Just when I was beginning to make headway on the restore list, these two strays arrived at my door step. A very small Gold Bug from the bay for $10 and a nice Wm. Elliot from a local antique shop.



The Elliot has a nice inlay in the celluloid scale that I would like to keep, but the other side is cracked at the pivot pin. Any suggestions as to how to proceed with this would be greatly appreciated.

Here is the completed #10 Wade & Butcher King Shaver with Osage Orange scales, African Blackwood wedge and brass pins with silver washers.



As you may be able to see in the second pic, the blade did not center well in the scales. I was wondering what I did wrong until I looked down the spine of the blade and noticed that it wasn't very straight. It took a bit of time to set the bevel, but it is ready for a trial run tomorrow morning.

Beautiful scales.. Too bad about the centering problem

Heespharm said:

Beautiful scales.. Too bad about the centering problem

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Thanks. At least the edge doesn't contact the scale.

GolFisHunt said:

Thanks. At least the edge doesn't contact the scale.

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Oh well that's great then!

Up next is #7. I believe this is a Southern & Richardson with horn scales, a lead wedge and a lead shield inlay in the scales. I think the wedge and inlay are lead as they can be marked with a fingernail, but it must be an alloy of some type because it seems a bit too hard for pure lead. At any rate, here it is as I received it and dismantled for restoration.



My plan is to put a high polish on the blade other than in the trade mark area and to pretty up the scales as much as possible. If it weren't for the shield inlay, I would put it in some new horn scales.

There, that's better.


In a couple of weeks my daughter is getting married to a young man named Richardson, so the Southern & Richardson may go to him, or get used on him. We'll see how it goes. I may get his initials engraved on the shield inlay.
But then again, if it shaves well, I may just keep it for myself.