Antique WADE & BUTCHER Straight Razor 13/16" Concave Rattler RESTORED HONED

Description

This Razor: This is a beautiful, heavy large-format pre-tariff 19th century shoulder-less rattler grind cutthroat straight razor manufactured by the renowned Sheffield cutler, Wade & Butcher. The blade has the words, "Celebrated Concave Razor," measuring just under 7/8ths of an inch at 13/16ths" in width. It has a nice etched maker's mark and grippy jimps on the tang and a barber's notch at the toe. The spine matches its gently curved bellied edge. The custom scales are made of gorgeous natural honey colored horn with a medial ridge running up their length, which lends extra strength and catches the light nicely, showing off the color or the horn. It has a lead wedge spacer and simple understated brass pin covers and brass pins. Wade & Butcher was one of the truly legendary Sheffield razor manufacturers and the enduring quality of their blades even now remains highly desirable.
The Work: I refurbished this blade by unpinning it, removing all rust, polishing it to a nice sheen. I made custom scales from top quality water buffalo horn, pinning it together with hand-machined pin-covers with brass pins. I installed brass pivot pins to enhance the razor's already impressive longevity. Please scrutinize the photos for details. I estimate this razor was made in the 1850s...165+ years old and still going strong, ready to serve several more generations!
This razor has an awesome solid feel in the hand and it tops hair effortlessly. There's good reason these gorgeous old W & Bs razors have a broad and loyal following.
My Story: I fell in love with vintage straight razors some years back when I became irritated with the exorbitant cost of disposable razor cartridges. I taught myself to refurbish antique straight razors, utilizing my background in jewelry and sculpture in learning to make custom razor scales, to pin them properly. Over some years I
have gained a reputation for nicely honed shaving edges
. Each of these blades is a journey, with a history. A man's hands created it long ago to last for generations. You and I are part of those generations. I try to be sensitive and cognizant of the historical context of each razor, as well as the spirit and intentions of the original blademaker so that I may bring them back to life for you, my customer.
I honed this razor with great care, as I would for my own razors I use for personal daily use
this razor was honed with the following progression with two layers of tape to protect the spine:
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