13/16 George Wostenholm / Lecoultre Frameback – $60

PRICE REDUCED TO $60

A rather unusual razor.  Stamped “George Wostenholm & Son’s Doubly Carbonized IXL Razor Sheffield” on the front of the tang and etched “The Doubly carbonized IXL Lecoultre Pattern” with another line worn off.  It is the etching that makes this blade unusual, since Lecoultre was a Swiss razor manufacturer.  There is some pitting on the spine of the razor, and some light staining on the spine and razor.  The tang has a nice thumbnotch with jimps, and the blade has a very nice smile.  The notch and smile make it easy to shave with the entire blade (even the heal), which is uncommon for framebacks.

The scales are black horn, and they are in rather good shape.  The blade pivots nicely and centers on closing, and the scales are straight too.  There is a metal spacer.

This razor is shave ready.  She was actually in my own personal shaving rotation, but has been bumped out.  I would have kept her if I could, but I limit myself to only keep so many razors.  I find many framebacks to be harsh shavers, but this one is extremely smooth.

7/8 Bengall – $35

Stamped “Bengall” on the front of the tang and “Made in England” on the back.  The blade is 7/8 by the toe and tapers a bit to the heal.  She’s full hollow ground, and it appears that the toe has broken off.  There is no sharp point at the tip, so it’s perfectly safe to shave with her (well, as safe as shaving with any square point).  There is some staining on the blade and some grind marks on the tops of the shoulders.

The razor appears to have been rescaled into these synthetic scales at some point.  There is tape residue at the wedge pin, but there is no breakage or anything like that, so I’m not sure why she would have been taped.  There are markings on the scales by the pivot pin, and the wedge end is a bit rough as well, with evidence that the wedge pin used to be higher up (the ends of the old pin are still visible).  But the scales are quite functional, as the blade pivots nicely and centers on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

6/8 C. Friedr. Ern 115 3/4 – $50

Stamped “C. Friedr. Ern Garantie Wald B/ Solingen 115 3/4” on the front of the tang with an bird clutching a snake on the back.  The razor also has a worked spine with a “1” on it; perhaps it was part of a set at one point.  The blade is a 6/8 half to three quarter hollow grind with a muted square point.  There is some light staining on the blade, but it’s mostly mirror polished.  Given the size, she has a fair bit of heft.

The blade appears to have been rescaled, though I’m not sure what the material is.  The wedge matches the scales.  The blade pivots a bit loosely until you get her open 180 degrees, then things tighten up.  There is some wiggle when the blade is closed, so she should be guided shut.

This razor is shave ready.

11/16 W. H. Morley & Son’s Workhorse – $25

Stamped “W. H. Morley & Sons Clover Brand Germany” on the front of the tang with jimps on the bottom.  Te blade is a 11/16 with a half to three quarter hollow grind.  There is some substantial pitting and staining on the blade, but nothing that affects the edge of the razor – it’s all cosmetic.  As such, she would make a good starter blade, workhorse, or restoration project.  That said, she does shave like a champ.

Black synthetic scales with a white spacer.  The scales are straight, the blade pivots quite nicely (if not a bit tight), and the blade centers on closing.

This razor is shave ready.

6/8 Wade & Butcher Patent Tempered Steel – $75

This one is quite unusual for a W&B – I’ve never seen one like this before.  Stamped “Patent Tempered Steel” on the tang and “Wade & Butcher” on the front of the spine.  This blade has definitely been reground, so some of the “Wade & Butcher” has been ground off, but it is still quite clear.  Jimps on the top and bottom of the tang, and a nice stubby tale.  The tale and stamp on the tang suggest that this is a rather old razor.  The blade is a full hollow with a muted square point.  There is some staining on the blade, but I wanted to keep her as original as possible, so I left it.  Despite the regrind, this blade is still a dynamite shaver.

The scales are rather primitive wood.  Single pivot pin and two pins at the wedge end.  The wedge itself feels like some sort of stone, but I’m not sure what it might be.  The blade pivots a bit loosely until you get her open 180 degrees, and then things stiffen up.  There is no wiggle at all, though, and the blade centers on closing.

The razor is shave ready.

6/8 Jung’s Junior – $45

Stamped “Jung’s Junior” on the front of the tang and “M. Jung New York Made In Germany” on the back.  The tang is blackened, but some has started to wear off (especially on the tail).  A 6/8 hull hollow ground blade with a square point.  There is some light staining on the blade, but only minimal hone wear.  All in all, a solid German shaver.

Butterscotch colored synthetic scales with a white spacer.  The scales are straight, the blade pivots nicely, and the blade centers on closing.

This blade is shave ready.

9/16 Shumate’s Tungsten – $35

Stamped “Shumate’s Tungsten” on the front of the tang and “Shumate Razor Co St Louis USA” on the back.  A 9/16 full hollow blade with a square point and jimps on the bottom of the tang.  The small size and hollow grind make this a very nimble shaver, while the American steel prevents the blade from flexing too much. If you’ve never tried an American razor before, you really should.

Black synthetic scales with a white spacer.  The front scale says “Shumate’s Tungsten.”  The scales are straight and the blade pivots nicely.  The blade does tend to close towards the back scale, so you should be a bit careful when closing the blade.

This blade is shave ready.

6/8 Frederick’s Celebrated Razor Wedge – $65

A 6/8 wedge ground blade with a barber’s notch. Stamped “Frederick’s Celebrated Razor Sheffield” on the tang. Some light scratches on the blade, and some light staining too. Considerable hone wear, but that is more due to the grind than to wear on the razor.

Blonde horn scales are in pretty good shape. A little loose until about 90 degrees, but the blade centers on closing and does not need to be guided shut. Scales say “The Old English Razor,” though some of the gold is worn out.

This razor was a P and a half ITA to hone, so Frederick must have celebrated when he got it to take an edge. It seems that the steel is quite hard, especially for a Sheffield blade, and other members have been saying that these razors hold an edge like no other. I can’t say whether or not that is true since I’ve only shaved with her a few times, but I’m quite sure she will.

The razor is shave ready.

9/16 Case Red Imp 132 “Wedge” – $45

A Case Red Imp 132. This one has a bit of hone wear and some staining. She measures in at 9/16 and has a wedge/quarter hollow grind and a square point. Most of the original blackening remains on the tang, but the red is worn out of the stamps on the tang.

Scales are in nice shape, but slightly warped inwards. It’s nothing to worry about, though. None of the typical shrinkage or poorly glued wedge issues that are common with these razors. The blade pivots nicely and centers on closing.

You’ll notice in the pictures that there is a little frown to the razor. That is because the pictures are from before I honed her. I corrected the frown by honing down the heal a bit.

The razor is shave ready, and a top notch shaver at that.

11/16 Temperite 25 English Steel (non-Case?) – $25

PRICE REDUCED TO $25

Stamped Temperite Hand Forged and 25 on the front of the tang and English Steel on the back. Though I have seen Temperites made by Case (which say Made in the USA on them), this one does not say it is made by Case, and that “English Steel” further confuses me. This one has been shortened to have a cutting lenght of 2 3/8 inches with an oval point (between square and round) and is a full hollow grind. There is a patina with some spots of darker stains, but I thought the patina looked nice, so I left it.

Black bakelite scales with a white wedge. The front scale broke at the bottom pin, so I glued it. There was tape on the bottom, and the residue remains. I’m sure it could be removed with… something, but I ‘m not sure how to do it so I left it there. There is also marking at the top, back pivot, as if someone tried to remove the pin or something. Despite the damage, the blade pivots quite snugly and centers on closing and the scales are straight.

The blade is shave ready.