Wade & Butcher - returning!

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Believe it or not...but the old Wade & Butcher company is returning to market.

Starting next year they will be back at doing what they did so well in the past - making straight razors - and they will still operate out of Sheffield!

Their tweet 3-4 weeks ago has been 'confirmed' on a number of sites (now even on their home page) as real and it seems like a much loved brand will be making a return in 2017 :)

UPDATE:

Meh. Not made in Sheffield. Not even made on the same continent. No ties to the old manufacturing apart from owning the name.


Tweet
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Home page
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My Understanding is that its Not Wade & Butcher..Its an SR Designer & Maker that has the Permission to use the Company Brand Name..:)

Billy

Ah. Do you have any links?

Update: Nvm, found a slew of posts about it here

Here's a post made by the owner/vendor himself
"Hi Guys,

I came across this thread and thought I should join in and just mention a few things. Firstly, this is my venture.

Secondly, I really thought I was giving myself some time with that coming soon page - but I think it rather pertinent now to just (hopefully) ease some of the concerns and give you guys some info for the time being. What I wanted to do and what I still will do (closer to launch), is put up a proper announcement thread where I can convey the whole story and the vision I have for Wade & Butcher, with an outline of where I want to go and what I want to do - so perhaps stick around for that closer to launch..

For now though, let me get down all the important points, so as to be upfront/transparent/clear:

I'm Mike
smile.png
My claims to fame such as they are:
Owner/Operator of Zulu Grey;
Designer by profession (I run my own design agency);
Wet Shaver and dedicated straight razor nut (like you) for the last 10 odd years;
oh and I designed the SRP Logo
smile.png



Some Background:

I have a deep love for the Wade & Butcher brand, and I wanted to pair my love for the brand with my passion to create custom razors and start my own company – and so I set about investigating the possibilities of ‘reviving' the Wade & Butcher brand. This led me to discover that indeed the actual company, well both companies (the parent W & S Butcher Ltd, and the primary US brand Wade&Butcher, which was incorporated into it's own Sheffield company in 1921) were in fact still ‘alive' albeit dormant. The current owner, Charles at Durham Duplex in Sheffield (and Chairman of the Made In Sheffield brand), had privately bought out both companies from the family business for his own keeping, to one day 'do something with them', as he told to me.

So, I made contact and many discussions later over the last two years we settled on an agreement/partnership whereby I will bring the brand back to market through my own vision and at my own quality standards. Charles had attempted to investigate the possibility of bringing the brand back to market himself through mass production, but ultimately he agreed that that wasn't the best course for the brand.

To be clear, this will be legitimate Wade & Butcher in the year 2017, by that I mean it is from the original company that was sold to Durham Duplex in 1920 and that has been maintained and kept as a viable company in Sheffield for 95 years, and with it all the associated brand marks, names, razor designs etc. Others may be using the name, casually using versions of the symbols, it may even be registered in the US by another company.. but only the actual original Sheffield company, passed from hand to hand as it has done, can bear the name and the marks rightfully, on any newly created shaving cutlery. And so that is what I have secured. I want to properly and meticulously bring the brand back to market, but it must be done with great care and respect for the heritage of the brand and of course all the provenance must be intact.

So, what do we plan to make then? Well, this will not be mass-manufacture/production, not one bit. Historical W&B did that, it served the time and it made sense then, but as a modern heritage company my sights are set on turning Wade & Butcher into a more boutique, upper-tier brand. It will be custom, handcrafted - dare I say 'luxury' straight razors of truly impeccable quality. In many ways this is a labour of love for me personally, and it really will not be about volume. We'll be crafting new designed razors, as well as bringing back some classic 'heritage' models (with updated materials and small touches). It will be myself and potentially 2 other artisans here in South Africa, with a complete emphasis on small-batch, high-quality.

Our razors will be truly pristine, my aspiration is to far exceed the quality, the fit, the finish - that historical Wade & Butcher ever achieved, ever could achieve. Handcrafting individual razors with the best tools and materials of our day affords us this ability. There will be nothing cheaply or casually done - from the steel selection, to the packaging it will be done properly.

As I say, I just wanted to mention a little bit and get the conversation straight, but in time I will update our social media accounts and the mailing list with new info and more details on everything. Talk is good, but I do wholeheartedly understand that many of you will believe it when you see it - and my intention is to pleasantly surprise you.


Cheers,
- Mike"
 
There is a Link somewhere over in the SR Section in the Shave Den..There is a Clear Statement from the SR Maker to that effect..He makes it Clear that he has came to some sort of agreement to bring back the Wade & Butcher Brand Name but it is his Own Designs..:)

Billy
 
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The point is that Michael (the rights owner) wil get the razors made by grinders in South Africa to his designs - so it's a Sub contract operation. I'm not aware of any recognised razor makers in SA so I assume they wil be knife makers using a W&B stamp.
 
The point is that Michael (the rights owner) wil get the razors made by grinders in South Africa to his designs - so it's a Sub contract operation. I'm not aware of any recognised razor makers in SA so I assume they wil be knife makers using a W&B stamp.

Sounds super exciting...
 
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Using a late great name to kick start a new venture to me is just not right. If your product is of a high standard it should hold its own with your own company name on it . Ala Waterhouse, Koorat, Livi Maestro and others producing quality shaving implements. And to not be producing them in Sheffield with Sheffield steel is IMHO not cricket and precludes me from EVER wanting one regardless of the quality acheived(sulk)!!
 
Hi Gentlemen,

First post on this lovely forum, so thanks indeed for having me..
Guys I caught the talk on this thread (with brutally honest views...thank you) and so I just thought I'd pop in and say a few things as it may perhaps be useful info to some?

Firstly I do completely understand the general sentiment of 'Meh' that many have to this whole idea, of course I do.. but as I said in my post on SRP, it really isn't some whimsical plan to cheapen the W&B name - in fact it's the complete opposite. I've taken great time and care to make this happen over the course of 2 years, with the intention of only doing the brand complete justice by presenting work that is of exceptional quality.

There are limitations that I'm working with, as indeed W&B simply can't return in exactly it's original form, surely all here can understand that? Things change, and company's evolve. I'm taking the apparent limitations in stride, with the hope that the shaving community can, in kindness, appreciate the effort with a view of the big picture, and ultimately only pass judgement based on the quality of the products.

So, to speak to some of the comments made in this thread that may be adding to the general 'Meh-ness':
  1. For some reason folks are stating that I've simply acquired the name. This is not the case. I am in fact partnering with the current owner of both the name/marks and the actual original company - registered in Sheffield. The aim is for us to have the company remain as a Sheffield company of course, while the crafting of the razors are handled by me here in SA - personally. Remember historically W&B listed manufacturing facilities in: Jersey City, Paris, Toronto, Sheffield. So there is precedent for manufacturing outside of Sheffield in the company's history. Would having the new razors made in Sheffield be amazing? Yes! It would be perfect. However this is just not a possibility at the moment, especially if a high-quality handcrafted blade is something that folks like you would be interested in...
  2. Razor designs: It would be an unjust oversimplification to state that this is just me creating custom razors and putting the W&B name on it. Of course then, by that logic it would be a true statement no matter who did this provided they were crafting 'custom' quality razors. It comes down to what do you as straight razor users want: mass-produced vanilla blades with W&B stamped on? Or a small-batch, complete attention to detail 'custom' made razor with the W&B name on it? Which direction does the brand more justice?
  3. Only new razor designs: This is not the plan at all. Just like any heritage brand that continues to produce work, there is a considered mix of the brand's iconic designs along with completely new designs (that are in line with the personality of the brand) that keep the relevance of the brand forward-moving. So, we will be releasing newly designed razors, but also newly made blades of the most iconic W&B designs :)
  4. Razors will be made as a sub-contract operation by 'knife-makers': No. This is not the case at all. Myself and potentially 2 other artisans will be making each blade. No random third-parties producing razor-shaped knives. I've been shaving with a straight for the last 10 years, and it's my complete passion. These will be every bit a 'proper' razor as any other maker of recognised quality can produce. And it is exactly on that 'quality' front that I will be competing.
  5. ...gaudy-looking, overpriced monstrosities... : Just No. This saddens me deeply :( there are all too many 'gaudy' custom razor makers out there - precisely what I am fighting against. No, these will be refined, understated razors only befitting of the W&B name. And as said, they will be alongside iconic 're-issued' designs from the W&B past.
  6. Not putting my own name on the razors: Well, the intention is to include my initials as maker (JMC) - tastefully - on the blades, as well as the place of manufacture (RSA). Again as stated, this isn't simply custom razors with the W&B name plonked on. It is the original company and brand revived, albeit within a dynamically different business structure.

Finally, it's important to note that many, many old companies that seemingly have been around for ages and are still creating the goods that people love, and that you likely purchase from, have in fact been sold, acquired, changed location, changed methods of production, changed materials, etc. etc. In fact, look into the history of a handful of 'Heritage' brands that you may know of and you will find that there really is no 'purity of ownership' to the degree and standard that many are holding the revival of W&B to.

Personally I would think the best way to view this is as a new chapter in the Wade & Butcher story, and to kindly reserve judgement based on the final quality of the products and the presentation of the venture as a whole. I don't mean to try and change anyone's mind on this, but I would think that sort of approach would be a rationale way to form an opinion on this matter.

Thanks so much guys for your time, can't wait to (re)launch next year :)

Cheers,
- Mike
 
Hi Gentlemen,

First post on this lovely forum, so thanks indeed for having me..
Guys I caught the talk on this thread (with brutally honest views...thank you) and so I just thought I'd pop in and say a few things as it may perhaps be useful info to some?

Firstly I do completely understand the general sentiment of 'Meh' that many have to this whole idea, of course I do.. but as I said in my post on SRP, it really isn't some whimsical plan to cheapen the W&B name - in fact it's the complete opposite. I've taken great time and care to make this happen over the course of 2 years, with the intention of only doing the brand complete justice by presenting work that is of exceptional quality.

There are limitations that I'm working with, as indeed W&B simply can't return in exactly it's original form, surely all here can understand that? Things change, and company's evolve. I'm taking the apparent limitations in stride, with the hope that the shaving community can, in kindness, appreciate the effort with a view of the big picture, and ultimately only pass judgement based on the quality of the products.

So, to speak to some of the comments made in this thread that may be adding to the general 'Meh-ness':
  1. For some reason folks are stating that I've simply acquired the name. This is not the case. I am in fact partnering with the current owner of both the name/marks and the actual original company - registered in Sheffield. The aim is for us to have the company remain as a Sheffield company of course, while the crafting of the razors are handled by me here in SA - personally. Remember historically W&B listed manufacturing facilities in: Jersey City, Paris, Toronto, Sheffield. So there is precedent for manufacturing outside of Sheffield in the company's history. Would having the new razors made in Sheffield be amazing? Yes! It would be perfect. However this is just not a possibility at the moment, especially if a high-quality handcrafted blade is something that folks like you would be interested in...
  2. Razor designs: It would be an unjust oversimplification to state that this is just me creating custom razors and putting the W&B name on it. Of course then, by that logic it would be a true statement no matter who did this provided they were crafting 'custom' quality razors. It comes down to what do you as straight razor users want: mass-produced vanilla blades with W&B stamped on? Or a small-batch, complete attention to detail 'custom' made razor with the W&B name on it? Which direction does the brand more justice?
  3. Only new razor designs: This is not the plan at all. Just like any heritage brand that continues to produce work, there is a considered mix of the brand's iconic designs along with completely new designs (that are in line with the personality of the brand) that keep the relevance of the brand forward-moving. So, we will be releasing newly designed razors, but also newly made blades of the most iconic W&B designs :)
  4. Razors will be made as a sub-contract operation by 'knife-makers': No. This is not the case at all. Myself and potentially 2 other artisans will be making each blade. No random third-parties producing razor-shaped knives. I've been shaving with a straight for the last 10 years, and it's my complete passion. These will be every bit a 'proper' razor as any other maker of recognised quality can produce. And it is exactly on that 'quality' front that I will be competing.
  5. ...gaudy-looking, overpriced monstrosities... : Just No. This saddens me deeply :( there are all too many 'gaudy' custom razor makers out there - precisely what I am fighting against. No, these will be refined, understated razors only befitting of the W&B name. And as said, they will be alongside iconic 're-issued' designs from the W&B past.
  6. Not putting my own name on the razors: Well, the intention is to include my initials as maker (JMC) - tastefully - on the blades, as well as the place of manufacture (RSA). Again as stated, this isn't simply custom razors with the W&B name plonked on. It is the original company and brand revived, albeit within a dynamically different business structure.

Finally, it's important to note that many, many old companies that seemingly have been around for ages and are still creating the goods that people love, and that you likely purchase from, have in fact been sold, acquired, changed location, changed methods of production, changed materials, etc. etc. In fact, look into the history of a handful of 'Heritage' brands that you may know of and you will find that there really is no 'purity of ownership' to the degree and standard that many are holding the revival of W&B to.

Personally I would think the best way to view this is as a new chapter in the Wade & Butcher story, and to kindly reserve judgement based on the final quality of the products and the presentation of the venture as a whole. I don't mean to try and change anyone's mind on this, but I would think that sort of approach would be a rationale way to form an opinion on this matter.

Thanks so much guys for your time, can't wait to (re)launch next year :)

Cheers,
- Mike

Thanks for popping in and replying to some of the comments brought up here.

Now, and I say this without a negative tone (hard to convey over the internet) - what is the difference between;
- Maker A, loving W&B and makes some W&B-inspired razors to sell, vs
- You

To me it appears that the only difference is that you paid for the company/brand and can now stamp your razors with it.
Apart from that I honestly just see any difference.
Intangibles like "in the spirit of" of "as faithfully as possible" could be equally apt for either party.

When it comes to physical products like these I would personally expect there to be a much stronger tie to the old company if the name is to be 'brought back'. That could be anything from location, tools, former workers, material, manufacturing process. Obviously some of those are not possible due to the time that has passed but it still does not make it less important. Intangible/philosophical arguments are simple not enough.

I wish you all the best in your endeavor but if it was up to me I'd rather let that great brand rest.
 
Thanks for popping in and replying to some of the comments brought up here.

Now, and I say this without a negative tone (hard to convey over the internet) - what is the difference between;
- Maker A, loving W&B and makes some W&B-inspired razors to sell, vs
- You

To me it appears that the only difference is that you paid for the company/brand and can now stamp your razors with it.
Apart from that I honestly just see any difference.
Intangibles like "in the spirit of" of "as faithfully as possible" could be equally apt for either party.

When it comes to physical products like these I would personally expect there to be a much stronger tie to the old company if the name is to be 'brought back'. That could be anything from location, tools, former workers, material, manufacturing process. Obviously some of those are not possible due to the time that has passed but it still does not make it less important. Intangible/philosophical arguments are simple not enough.

I wish you all the best in your endeavor but if it was up to me I'd rather let that great brand rest.


Hmm, I do see what you are saying, and I guess it can only come down to a personal view on the idea of 'brands' and their moving forward in general.

To answer your question: 'Maker A' would be strictly a 'fan' making an 'inspired by' piece, as they would have no 'formal right' to mark the blade as W&B. The 'formal right' that I have is a direct business partnership with the actual original company to produce new work under the name.

I suppose one could extend your logic to imply that back in 1850, any of the razor makers at Butcher Works were also merely a "Maker A" themselves, producing razors with the W&B mark. No?

It can become a bit of a silly thought experiment.. Ultimately yes, it's a steel blank formed into a razor with the W&B marking on it. The difference, as with all products in all industries, is who has the right to apply those marks. What else then can dictate authenticity? Or rather in this scenario, I ask you: How else could W&B begin operating again that would make any razor produced by a 'Maker A' authentic in your eyes?

To me one simply has to have the formal rights to apply the mark, and for the company to have the provenance in tact. And then of course to couple those two things with quality products..

Cheers,
- Mike
 
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