This Razor: This is a nicely made Fine India Steel heavy 1/4 hollow cutthroat straight razor manufactured by the renowned Sheffield cutlers, Wade & Butcher. It measures at 13/16ths its widest point with a subtly smiling edge. It has a partially worn maker's stamp on the tang as well as a barber's notch on the toe, with newly custom-made scales of natural honey-blonde water-buffalo horn. It boasts its original lead wedge-spacer and original steel collars with the addition of brass pins and new brass pivot washers. It is nearly devoid of any residual pitting.

Wade & Butcher was one of the truly legendary Sheffield razor manufacturers and the enduring quality of their blades even now remains highly desirable. At the time that this blade was made, steel made from the iron ores of India were considered some of the finest available and most of the cutlers who could afford this material would proudly emblazon their blades advertising such. This blade had an etching which is all but disappeared from the restoration process.

The Work: I refurbished this blade by unpinning it, removing all rust, polishing it to a nice sheen. I made custom scales from blonde water-buffalo horn, pinning it together with brass pins and the original steel collars. The original wedge-spacer is made from lead. I also installed brass pivot washers to enhance its already impressive longevity. Please scrutinize the photos for details. 160+ years old and still going strong, ready to serve several more generations!

This razor has a nice hefty feel in the hand and it glides smoothly on the face.  There's good reason these gorgeous old W & Bs razors have a broad and loyal following.

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 on the spine:

Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic 2k

Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic 5k

Seuhiro Kouseki

Maruka Narutaki Asagi

Vintage Scottish Linen Fire Hose Strop

Tony Miller Rough Out Strop

Tony Miller Fast Bridle Strop

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.