Hurricane katrina survivor rescued after nine years

On this the 9[SUP]th[/SUP] anniversary of Hurricane Katrina’s devastating and near total destruction of the city of New Orleans I find it incumbent upon me to share a shaving related story.

Shortly after the storm I heard all the learned eggheads declare that New Orleans was destined to become a ghost town and would never be rebuilt. I am happy to report that those pundits grossly underestimated the sympathy, generosity and sheer determination of the rest of the U.S. and the world in their unparalleled aid to our citizens. And today, in less than ten years, one visiting here is hard pressed to observe any trace of what the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has termed the most destructive storm to hit the United States in it’s history.

There are innumerable “Katrina Stories” and this recounting is one of mine.



THE KATRINA RAZOR



For those of you who have been following member Captain Murphy’s excellent thread http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-Fatboy-Cleanup-Before-and-after-w-commentary You will be familiar with "The Katrina Razor." For others I will explain.
Some months ago I noticed Captain Murphy’s thread and generous offer to repair and service any and all Fatboys. I paid close attention and followed this thread because I myself had a model 195 which I considered unsalvageable. I never expected to be able to use it and kept it only as a sad memento of a major event in my life and the lives of all my fellow New Orleanians.

Languishing at the bottom of my cabinet in a ziplock bag was my 1960 F2 Fatboy which, unfortunately, found itself for several weeks immersed in Katrina’s flood waters ( I use the term water here in the broadest sense as the vile concoction engulfing the Crescent City contained everything from acid of submerged vehicle batteries to tons of raw sewerage and the contents of every damaged chemical container and rail car in Katrina’s path). Consequently, it was in the most deplorable condition. It looked like something Jacques Cousteau might have scraped from his boot after a dive into the sewers of ancient Atlantis. After watching the incredible work Captain Murphy did on several other Fatboy razors I posted a picture of my dilapidated example on his thread expecting to be told it was hopeless. But the dauntless Captain viewed it as a challenge and off it went on the first leg of it’s journey.

Immediately he tackled the job with zest and enthusiasm documenting every step of it’s disassembly and service. Once satisfied that it was now in working condition he sent it to fellow member nocutsnonicksnoweepers AKA Chris at RazorPlate.com for a new factory finish. Chris also saw this poor bedraggled relic of a razor as a challenge and applied his considerable skill to return it to as near it’s former appearance as possible also documenting each step in the process. It was then returned to Captain Murphy for painting, reassembly, and final adjustments before being returned to it’s very eager custodian, me.

Needless to say I was astonished and extremely pleased at the transformation! Witness below the before and after comparison of The Katrina Razor:


Suffering the full effects of the storm


In the capable hands of Captain Murphy after having the barnacles scraped
View attachment 488789 View attachment 488790 View attachment 488791

Well, that razor certainly has a story to tell.

Disassembled:

View attachment 488827 View attachment 488831 View attachment 488842 View attachment 488831 View attachment 488835

Cleaned:

View attachment 488844 View attachment 488845 View attachment 488846 View attachment 488847View attachment 488848

And off to the plater:

Into the stripping bath:

Polishing pre plate:




Dry acid bath before plating


Racked for plating.

In nickel plating tank:

Back to Captain Murphy for reassembly and paint:

Reassembled!

Superb job by Cap and Chris. Can't wait to see the final reassembled and painted Katrina razor. Great job everyone. Posted too soon. There it is in all it's glory. Before and after is amazing.

And back to your humble narrator:











I am very pleased to be reunited with my old pal and you can rest assured that the next time the Governor declares a mandatory evacuation The Katrina Razor will be inside my Dopp kit. As you might imagine I am a bit sentimental about it. For me, it exists as a token representing the entire city which, due entirely to the selfless efforts of the finest of humanity, has arisen phoenix like, from it’s own ashes to once again be called our home.

If you have a “Katrina Story” of your own, anything from writing a check to the Red Cross to serving as a soldier who pulled little old ladies from their attics into waiting helicopters, please feel free to share it. We are very grateful.


It is with my sincerest thanks and highest regards for Chris and Cap who have completed this incredible act of prestidigitation and returned The Katrina Razor looking and functioning better than it did before the storm that I post their photo documentation and details of the many technical steps involved to effect this wonder which I am sure you will all find both instructive and fascinating.

For a side by side comparison of The Katrina Razor to an excellent original visit this thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...-and-after-w-commentary?p=6588621#post6588621

Just WOW Skeezixx! What an excellent picture story. And such awesome support from all involved.
Thank you for sharing.

Ah, finally the thread is up. Glad to read the remaining part.

Amazing!!! I've been following Cap's thread from the beginning and when I saw this Fatboy come up I thought it was hopeless. But now I see just how wrong I was! Incredible job guys!! Thanks for sharing your story Skeezixx! And to think this might not have been possible if B&B didn't exist! We have some amazing dudes here and I'm so stoaked to be a part of a community who comes together and shares all their skills and knowledge to keep DE shaving going strong! So sick!

Aye, the ensign out front is already at half mast, kept company by the light, symbolizing hope. Well done on the write-up, Ken. It has been a remarkable journey and a pleasure working with you gentlemen.

Incredible story and photos. I am so glad to hear that the restoration was a success. It makes me stop and think about what kind of story each vintage razor might have, as they are bought and sold so frequently on the B/S/T.

Skeezixx said:

If you have a “Katrina Story” of your own, anything from writing a check to the Red Cross to serving as a soldier who pulled little old ladies from their attics into waiting helicopters, please feel free to share it. We are very grateful.

Click to expand...

Having traveled to New Orleans some 6-8 times a year over the course of the past 25 years, I've come to call the city my second home. In all my travels (and I've been around the block a few times over), there is simply no other city on the planet like New Orleans. The people, the food, the music, the history and culture. When Katrina struck, I was devastated beyond what I had even thought possible. For I knew so many people in the city; friends, business associates. I couldn't help but feel their pain and suffering.

I, along with a buddy of mine, loaded up a U-Haul truck filled with consumables and made our way down I-10 shortly after Katrina struck. We didn't know if what we had in tow would make a difference to anyone or even if we would be able to gain entry into the city past Kenner. All we knew is that we had to try and do something.

A photographer by hobby, this is a shot taken during that trip. Yes, that is Canal Street. For those unfamiliar with Canal Street (or New Orleans for that matter), imagine your main downtown thoroughfare (Congress Avenue in Austin for example) under water. May God Bless the citizens of New Orleans. For they went through hell and back, kept their heads held high, and showed more collective resolve as a community than anything or anyone I've ever bore witness to in my lifetime.

Thanks Cap. For everything!