Old timers

[Owd Wullie]

Might try sanding that Illinois with some 1500-2000 paper and seeing if it'll clean off the crud.

Here's my old "shell" (horse hide) strop.



Even has fake Cyrillic writing on it. LOL

HELL of a strop though. Got it off ebay for 20 bucks. Seems everybody but me slept through that auction.

[Gunstock Jack]

Wow, that's a beauty! Great score on that one. Here's the strop I got w/ the W&B chopper:

It's a little dry and needs some love, but I think it'll be alright. Note the new stitching on the handle. It is about a 1/2" wider than the Illinois and 3 or 4 inches longer.

[Owd Wullie]

That's a good looking old strop. Ought to come around just fine.

With the pic of what looks like the Wright Flyer in that stamp, She's probably from the early teens.

NICE job of resewing it too. Pay attention to the leather that wraps around the swivel. I've seen a LOT of old strops that have that piece ripped out where the leather got dry and just tore out.

That old strop of mine is about 3" wide. It's a long sucker too. Got another strop with handles like yours and the old one is even longer than where the handles end. You can get a long stroke on that puppy. Feels funny using the other strop as it's shorter.

You'll like that horse hide once you get it tuned up. It's slick feeling compared to latigo. I can't tell any real difference in the edge though.

[knife7knut]

Here is one I posted awhile back.Razor slips in the side and you pull on one end of the strop and then the other.

[Owd Wullie]

I remember you posting that beauty.

Those are pretty neat and you don't see 'em in that good of condition very often.

[Gunstock Jack]

Interesting strop from the "Age of Invention"! Everybody was trying to build a better mouse trap in that era. Thanks for posting it Knife7knut.

Picked up these ol' timers recently; a W.Wright with some gorgeous horn handles on it (in spite of a hairline crack on the reverse scale), an old Wosty Washington Works in decent condition, and a rather well used/abused F. Reynolds. The old horn handles are getting hard to find in good condition due to bugs and age.

Now it's off to the buffer for a light cleaning and then a mineral oil soak. I'll make the decision whether to disassemble any for further work afterwards. I'll likely be shavin' with one or more soon!

[Miller Bro's]

Very nice selection of old razors

Did you get the original box with any of them?

[Gunstock Jack]

Ha! I have never gotten the right box with an older razor. Seems like the boxes are much rarer than the razors. But... I have a couple of old pasteboard 'coffin' boxes and may even have a match.

Check it out: Non-XLL Joseph Allen & Sons

The blade is warped on this near wedge and I nearly gave up on sharpening it, but it came through OK.

Close to a match but the Wosty is not the correct "pipe razor"

Also, the end of the box is blown out like so many are.

And here's a dandy but no razor. I'm not sure if "Washington Razor" is the same as "Washington Works" by Wostenholm or what. Can you shed some light?

Still has the original gold leaf print remaining and is in wonderful condition for its age.

[Owd Wullie]

I think Washington Razors were razors that had old G W's likeness etched on the blade.

I've got one or two of those old Wosty "Pipe" razors in my pile of "razors that are probably too far gone" pile.

I've got one headed my way but I have no idea what kind of shape it's in.

You've got some neat new razors.

[Brian Flowers]

The big one , at 3 ounces , also known as a " Chopper " with the curved notch at the end of the blade , known as a " Barbers Notch "
is Pre 1891 if it does NOT have the word Germany on the tang . I collect straights , some 100 plus or so . I have several W & Bs ,
all are " Pre " 1891 . if its to heavy for you we can always add it to my collection and i will handle the weight issue for you, nudge , nudge , wink , wink.
jus sayin
Brian

[Owd Wullie]

The big one , at 3 ounces , also known as a " Chopper " with the curved notch at the end of the blade , known as a " Barbers Notch "
is Pre 1891 if it does NOT have the word Germany on the tang . I collect straights , some 100 plus or so . I have several W & Bs ,
all are " Pre " 1891 . if its to heavy for you we can always add it to my collection and i will handle the weight issue for you, nudge , nudge , wink , wink.
jus sayin
Brian

That's a nice crowd. I got naught but maybe 20.

Measure mine by the pound now, doesn't upset the wife so much. Quit buying a year or so back. Got a 50 day rotation yet end up going back to the same old 3 or 4. 10/8s down to 4/8's Late 18th C stub tails to early 20th C full hollows.

[RobesonsRme.com]

Willie, you still have two living in absenteeism here in Birmingham.

I really do need to get them back to you.

Charlie Noyes

[carrmillus]

...sure wish I could get some info on the one I have, it's a MONARCH, according to GOIN'S, it was made in 1888-1892, so it would have been my great-grandfathers razor. my grand dad and father both shaved with it, and I actually tried once, but I ran out of band-aids, so I quit!!!....... ...............

[Owd Wullie]

Willie, you still have two living in absenteeism here in Birmingham.

I really do need to get them back to you.

Charlie Noyes

Sent you a message.