I just finished (and tested...) a very nice W&B 5/8 Wedge straight, restored with a big help of Neil who took care (goooood care!!!) of the blade.
This is an old of purchase of mine, I got it from Ebay last year with the intent of getting it just shave ready (no deep restoration) so that I could experience a wedge without spending too much, but once I got it in my hands I though it was too nice just to do a "clean & hone" and decided to send it out to "The Strop Shop" for a full monty.
It happens that Neil got sick and had lots of backlog, so I asked him to simply prepare the blade and forget the scales as I had a set in Black Buffalo Horn nearly ready to fit (needed drilling and some adjusting).
Note that the blade had an etching, unfortunately it was so faint it couldn't be saved (it looked better in picture whilst to the naked eye it was barely visible)
I could not wait until tomorrow morning, so as soon as It was finished I went ahead with a testing shave.
And what a shave!!!! I think is my best ever.
I am not sure if it is the steel, the blade shape, the grind, the Honing (thanks Neil that was a great job!!) or all the above together, anyway it was the most enjoyable shave I had in a long time.
Now this little W&B has become my reference razor.
Ah yes, I forgot, this is the first set of scales I have ever made starting from a black piece of horn.
As always any comment or constructive criticism is more than welcome
Here are the pictures
Before
and After
This is an old of purchase of mine, I got it from Ebay last year with the intent of getting it just shave ready (no deep restoration) so that I could experience a wedge without spending too much, but once I got it in my hands I though it was too nice just to do a "clean & hone" and decided to send it out to "The Strop Shop" for a full monty.
It happens that Neil got sick and had lots of backlog, so I asked him to simply prepare the blade and forget the scales as I had a set in Black Buffalo Horn nearly ready to fit (needed drilling and some adjusting).
Note that the blade had an etching, unfortunately it was so faint it couldn't be saved (it looked better in picture whilst to the naked eye it was barely visible)
I could not wait until tomorrow morning, so as soon as It was finished I went ahead with a testing shave.
And what a shave!!!! I think is my best ever.
I am not sure if it is the steel, the blade shape, the grind, the Honing (thanks Neil that was a great job!!) or all the above together, anyway it was the most enjoyable shave I had in a long time.
Now this little W&B has become my reference razor.
Ah yes, I forgot, this is the first set of scales I have ever made starting from a black piece of horn.
As always any comment or constructive criticism is more than welcome
Here are the pictures
Before
and After