Mr. Chick (Brian) asked me to restore for him two vintage razors that are about as distinctly different from one another as I've seen. The first is an old stub tail razor from the early 19th century; made in Ireland by John Millikin, the blade itself is typical from that era— a relatively-thin tang by modern standards and a subtle transition from blade to tang. There was considerable rust on both sides of the thin tang and on the blade face. I anticipated there would be some severe pitting from the amount of rust. The scales were not original and would be replaced. The other razor dated from about a half-century later, the mid to latter half of the 19th century— a hefty Sheffield-made Wade & Butcher 7/8." Half the original black horn scales had been replaced and the hardware was pretty well shot. The blade was in very good condition. Discussing the new scales with Brian, we decided upon some nice streaked horn scales for the Millikin stub tail and some larger brass hardware. For the stub tail wedge, I chose some amber. For the Wade & Butcher, we stayed traditional with new black horn scales, white bone wedge and beefy brass hardware. FAST-FORWARD several weeks…… Finished! The Non-Identical Twins…. Millikin Stubtail…. All the old black rust is gone and I removed as much of the metal as i dared to minimize the pitting. What was left are some deep 'character marks' from a long, long life. Wade & Butcher 7/8" full-hollow — Both razors took incredibly keen, smooth edges off the hones. During the test shave, I don't believe I've ever had such a different feel when using a pair of razors as I've had using these two. The sheer weight and girth of the big W&B compared to the long, slender feel of the Millikin stub tail was quite the contrast. Both did a terrific job of providing a comfortable shave! Soon they will be off to Mr. Chick!
MARVELOUS, and you say thre isnt art in shaving. There is tremendous art in your restorations. Excellent job. Your a lucky @mrchick
These turned out spectacular! I look forward to shaving with them. Thank you for beautiful work Kevin!
As nice a s the W&B is I like the stub tail a touch more maybe because its a bit different to what you see, and the scales you made are perfect for that blade shape/style, by keeping it simple you nailed it. (Not saying the W&B is not a stunner) Congrats Kevin
Thanks for the kind words! I can plainly see why these old stub tails have a following. There is something about the basic, straightforward design (no hollow grinds, no fancy jimps, thumb notches, nor shoulders)—just a shank of refined carbon steel shaped for practical use—that many find irresistible. For me, its all about the historical significance of using a 200-yr old blade that has real appeal.
Kevin, the transformation is nothing short of amazing! I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to shave with a 200 year old razor.
