Thank you all, I just won it last night so it's not in my hands yet but soon will be. I will update when it is! I have many fine razors. I have a lot I enjoy shaving with, but this one I never thought I would get at this time. It will be in my top 5 razors I own and will never be sold.
The Wade & Butcher FBU arrived today! I will strop and test shave today or tomorrow with it to see if it was truly shave ready! There was a little damage to the scales I found, a small worm hole in one on one side that can not be seen in my or his photos. But for a razor from 1850's or older I'm not going to complain for the price I gave for it!
Test shave tonight and it failed. It may have been my lather or about the weeks worth of growth I had. I will try again in a day or two. If it doesn't do better if's off to Glen ( @gssixgun ) to hone. But I have it here and I measured the blade and it's between 15/16 and 8/8, so what 31/32, LOL
To be honest I don't believe I made a great find. I found a wonderful person eBay that gave me a fantastic deal on a razor I have been wanting for a long time. A minor update on the FBU, it's not 15/16 it's 31/32 almost an 8/8. I would imagine it was an 8/8 or bigger when new.
WH.Morley & Son. Clover Brand. "Hamburg Ground" Germany 11/16+ inch 3/4 Hollow Ground In all its rusty glory. Nothing wiped off yet. It has little hone wear. Also, it is in the "Sweet Spot Range", for the size I like. These Clover Brand razors usually take a great edge. It is a fixer-upper, with the minor rusting, but, for $15, it should turn into a nice blade(when I can get to it).
Yes, and thanks. Ebay, is my online Flea Market. In my area, I would have to drive 30-45 minutes, and pay $50, for the same $15 razor. And that $15 included shipping. ..
I have too many razors and don’t buy cheap ones that I know need work anymore because I don’t have the skills that Scott has, but I’m not against rolling the dice on a cheaply priced razor that could turn out nicely - as this one did. Arrived this morning. It was described as a Berg Gersta Martin, and the images of the blade were dark, so maybe corrosion, but the shark and ‘Skydds Marke’ etching looked well defined. The bid was at $22.50 so I bid $26.50 and got it for $23.50. What I got was a 6/8 E. A. Berg frameback in almost new condition. The blade was dark in the images because it’s blued, and the blueing is unworn and 98%. That tells me that the razor is almost new because the blueing doesn’t stay uniform on a razor in use. The blueing is actually darker than it appears in the images. It’s stamped ‘Sweden’ on the pile side frame, and the scales are collarless hard rubber similar to another Berg that I have, so somewhere likely around 1915. This would be made of Bessemer process steel (martensitic) from the Āngelberg works in Fagersta, Sweden I believe. The steel is very, very, hard. Anyway, I made out like a bandit on this one, and I’m fond of framebacks.
One time, at band camp, I opened bidding correctly guessing that the highest bid against me would be some number of dollars and fifty cents, so I set my maximum bid to that number of dollars and fifty one cents, and won by one cent. I consider that event to be a sign of my excessive familiarity with the ebay razor trade, and it still bothers me that I was ever able to do that. I like the shark.
