For a mere pittance, I landed an über-rare razor made by relatively unknown maker listed in the ebay auction as, 'George Ostenhol'! This was actually a case where the seller was not familiar with the partially-obscured maker name of the tang. It's actually a vintage 'George Wostenholm' Sheffield razor, a pretty nice-looking razor with original horn scales. Some obvious hone wear, particularly on the toe; with the ringed 'IXL' emblem on the blade face, obscured by grime. Hopefully the blade will clean up well & take a nice edge, despite the wear. What intrigued me also was the red satin lined 'coffin case' the seller included with this 'ostenhol' razor. Pretty cool....although somewhat 'funereal' in appearance.
Great score, Kevin! You can find some amazing things on the bay if you know your stuff, and you certainly do. I hope that it cleans up nicely for you.
Looks like you should still be able to get some use out of it. I have a similar looking Joseph Fenton & Sons razor (wear wise) that I'm currently trying to hone into usability. So far I can't seem to get the bevel to set... Here's the picture from the auction I got it from: I love the horn scales. They can clean up really nice with a little work.
