Wade & Butcher for $64?

I saw a W&B st8 at an antique mall that was very large and looked pretty serious. The price seemed steep at $64, with no discounts. The scales were a dark horn and the blade, though tarnished, look great and would likely polish up well. Still I think it is overpriced, right?

The razor looked similar to these completed auctions (for less):
http://cgi.ebay.com/VINTAGE-WADE-BUTCHER-SHEFFIELD-RAZOR-W-ORIG-CASE_W0QQitemZ400036349820
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-STRAIGHT-RAZOR-WADE-BUTCHER-3-3-OZ-96-GRAMS_W0QQitemZ260378594757

You damned right it is.

You can get a restored one from me for $40 more. Maybe more...haven't finished it yet.

Glad I didn't buy it! Though I did pick up a ball tip NEW and a late Super Adjustable both in excellent shape. $16 for the two combined.

Uhh, Where did you see this?

Not that I want to go buy it or anything..........

VR6ofpain said:

I did pick up a ball tip NEW and a late Super Adjustable both in excellent shape. $16 for the two combined.

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Nice find! Sounds like you got a great price on those.
I have found that most vendors at antique places have no idea what they have when it comes to a straight. Sometimes this is good when they undervalue one but oftentimes it can be bad when they have a razor you want and they have it seriously overvalued. You just have to walk away.
I had a lady try to convince me that a straight that she had was worth $200 and it was seriously stained, had rust in the pivot area, and scales were in bad shape. I offered her twenty and she was terribly offended. I told her to have a great day and walked on.

Fnord5 said:

Uhh, Where did you see this?

Not that I want to go buy it or anything..........

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The antique mall in Cordelia. They also had a "manganese steel" Arbor straight (German brand). This one was $42 with a mismatched Pacific Straight Razor Co. (SF, CA) box. I think there was a discount on that one, but it didn't look that special.

Hmn, thats a bit too far to get there after class.

Oh well, I'll just have to keep searching closer to home.

Did it have squared off scales like the second razor you posted or rounded scales like the first?

The really large W&B's (8/8+) tend to be in the squared off scales, and they tend to be worth significantly more. If it was 8/8+, the original scales and pins were in good shape, and it was only lightly tarnished, I'd pay $64 any day.

Thats true, people are willing to pay much more for a 8/8. However, value is in the eye of the potential buyer. Theres very few of the 8/8s around so, the value is imparted by whomever is willing to pay the most for it. Its all subjective anyway. In the end, its worth what you think its worth.

The scales were rounded like the first.

Did it look like this one?



grrrr, my lazy picture taking.......
Bottom left.

Ya, anything special about it? The one there had some markings on the blade face though. W&B and some other words.

Nope. Its just big. And wedgy and full of choppy goodness. Also has a chipped blade so its not going to end up all that big.... grrrrr Plus its dirty and needs new scales. Oh well, 7/8" and fully polished with new scales and she'll be very nice. Maybe I'll write a blog about it like I did with the ducks here. Who knows.

Well, if it says "The Celebrated" and its in pretty good condition, it might be worth $65 to someone.

If this one isn't worth $64, why is this one worth $400. Is there something special, or just the really good condition and box to go with it?

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=84686

VR6ofpain said:

If this one isn't worth $64, why is this one worth $400. Is there something special, or just the really good condition and box to go with it?

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=84686

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And the price I was just about to list mine for shoots up $150!

1. Its in original horn scales in perfect condition. I mean perfect. Can't get any better than that.
2. Original pins. Polished and gleaming
3. Very little hone wear
4. Shave ready
5. Mirror finish
6. Its "The Celebrated" man!!!!
7. 8/8
8. Rare just by itself, impossible to find in that condition.
9. Is it a fair price? Probably not. He's asking for a lot, but collectors will jump all over that. So...its the price the market supports. What can we do? I'll just go undercut him by $75. Yup.

leighton said:

8. Rare just by itself, impossible to find in that condition.
9. Is it a fair price? Probably not. He's asking for a lot, but collectors will jump all over that. So...its the price the market supports. What can we do? I'll just go undercut him by $75. Yup.

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leighton-
Thank you for putting this into perspective. I thought there was something different about the razor, but as you point out this one's value is its "collectors piece" aspects, i.e. everything is original and in excellent shape.

Hopefully you can sell yours for $325!! That would help to boost your RAD funds!

Check this auction out to see what people pay for the same razor in non-original hardware.

http://cgi.ebay.com/Wade-Butcher-Me....m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65:16|39:1|240:1318