Vintage Antique WADE & BUTCHER Straight Razor 6/8"+ Wedge Grind RESTORED HONED

Description

This Razor: This is a nice wedge grind medium format pre-tariff 19th century straight razor manufactured by the
renowned Sheffield cutlers, Wade & Butcher. It measures just over 6/8ths of an inch in width at 25/32nds. It has a nice clear maker's stamp on the tang, stating "Manufactured By Wade & Butcher Sheffield," and sports a no-nonsense square tip on the toe. The blade is heavy has a generously curved bellied edge.
The blade still shows some residual pitting which is not unexpected for a blade of this age; a patina that is a testament to its many generations of service.
This razor also boasts beautiful original horn scales and classic lead wedge, held together with understated brass hardware. Less visible to the eye, when re-pinning the razor into its scales, I added brass washers to the pivot to increase its enduring longevity. The scales, being several generations old have a few little dingers here and there. please see photos for further details.
Wade & Butcher was one of the truly legendary Sheffield razor manufacturers and the enduring quality of their blades even now remains very highly desirable. Since this blade doesn't show the country of origin, my assumption is that it was created certainly before the 1892 tariff. My guess is that since the maker's mark is stamped and not etched, it was likely produced prior to the mid 1880s.
It has been refurbished/restored as detailed below:
The Work: I refurbished this blade by unpinning it, removing all rust, polishing it to a nice sheen. I cleaned the scales and polished them. Less visible to the eye, I added brass washers to the pivot to reduce wear over the years. Please scrutinize the photos for details. 130+ years old and still going strong, ready to serve several more generations!
This razor has a nice purposeful feel in the hand. There's good reason these gorgeous old W & B wedge blades 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,
and, through great effort and dedication, 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. Please note that when honing a beautiful old vintage razor such as this, it is not my intent to rectify all of the geometry issues which may have arisen over the many years of use from the time of its manufacture until now. I fix hazards to the customer such as frowned edges and chips, however I do not grind the blades to fix warps or to make the edge lay absolutely flat. Rather, more often than not with most curved-bellied edges, I utilize a rolling stroke on the stones to create a keen edge of which many of my customers highly appreciate. For customers who are not yet adept in a rolling stroke, I offer affordable honing or touch-up services.
this razor was honed with the following progression with two layers of tape to protect the spine:
Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic 2k
Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic 5k
Seuhiro Kouseki
Nakayama
Vintage Scottish Linen Fire Hose Strop
Tony Miller Rough Out Strop
Tony Miller Fast Bridle Strop
I will sanitize this razor with Clippercide before shipping.
Please note that this auction is for the razor only. Any props (holders, whetstones, strops, etc.) Are not included in the auction unless specifically listed in the title or descriptions.