who knows the history of Wade and butcher? why did they come up with a bow emblem instead of their arrow and b in a circle? I probably found anything that a Google search will yield, the answer will probably come from somebody who actually knows because they had some or something. what makes some wade & butchers more expensive, I know the scale material and the grind but that's not really that big of a difference there's got to be something that makes the celebrated different from the warranted different from the for barbers different for all of the different names they give them. somebody that doesn't know is not going to have a clue. and without giving you a clue I know somebody that fits those shoes
Heh. Wade & Butcher is just a brand name. They are popular because they used cool slogans and had a distinctive logo. The reason they remain popular is because they are made of Sheffield steel, and were ground by experts. I'll need to dive into the memory banks for this one, so I apologize if the information is not quite correct. Back then, razor grinders were 'independent contractors,' we would probably call them today. They were paid per razor, and a skilled grinder could make up to 150 blades per day. The same hand that ground W&B blades one day was just as likely to grind Wostys the next day. The blade blanks probably came from the same or nearby forges. The reason W&B comes up fairly often is because of the popularity of thier big 'chopper' blades, which are pricy because they are fairly limited, and that popularity overflowed onto the rest of their razors, which are really, rather common. The vast majority of Wade and Butcher razors were made for export to the U.S.A., and it's easier to find them on American auction sites than British ones. Some Wade and Butcher razors were marked "Fine India Steel." There is some debate on whether the steel was actually imported from India or whether it referred to a smelting process from India (crucible steel). The one thing both sides agree on is that the blades made during this time were made of crucible steel (either from India or Sheffield). The Bessemer refining process killed off all the Sheffield crucible steel works pretty much as soon as it was introduced. Crucible steel is funny stuff. 9 out of 10 crucible forged blades are the equal of any other Sheffield blade. Soft enough to sharpen readily, and hard enough to hold the edge. The 10th blade will be a bastard to sharpen and hold an edge darn near forever. Some ring like a bell, and others sound like a butter knife. Doesn't seem to effect the shave any. Most of the "for barber's use only" had a barber's notch cut out on the nose of the blade, tended to be wider (1" blades are common) and used cheaper scales. If you ever do figure out what makes the others different from one another, let me know. Also, remember that these razors were produced for nearly 200 years. The designs and slogans were bound to change over that time. Edit: when I say "crucible steel," in the English manufacturing methods, I am speaking of cast steel.
my goodness, good answer LOL. I try to figure out what's going on and I get completely lost warranted, celebrated, for barbers, now you gave me some new word even though I had heard that word before or read it I didn't know what it was until now. that's awesome dude thanks for sharing that it does clear up a lot of stuff in general that I didn't know about the blanks and independent contractors. I don't understand when you say Sheffield workers and those workers disappeared overnight I'm guessing the way they make steel ? they just did away with their jobs with animation or something like it?
When they were making cast steel in Sheffield, it was the beginning of mass production for straight razors. It was still a small batch operation though. The Bessemer process allowed for the mass production of steel. It cut the cost of making steel by 3/4, and it was much faster, and less labor intensive. It made steel affordable. And yes, a lot of iron workers probably lost thier jobs. As for the grinders, they continued working. I looked it up. They were members of the 'Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire,' and what we here in the U.S. would call a labor union. Their records are quite extensive and mostly complete and go back to its royal charter in 1624. On the far left is a Ralf Aust blade blank, and to the right of it are a bunch of ground Ralf Aust blades. Photo grabbed from: https://maggardrazors.com/blogs/news-1/visiting-solingen-ralf-aust-straight-razor-manufacturer It's a good read.
From the old photos I've seen, grinding blades was a back breaking and grueling job. Not one I would have ever wished for.
it says at the end of the article, lapping often allows for an easier clean up later or something like that I'm not sure I know what that means and how it would make a difference LOL 781, member: 4739"]When they were making cast steel in Sheffield, it was the beginning of mass production for straight razors. It was still a small batch operation though. The Bessemer process allowed for the mass production of steel. It cut the cost of making steel by 3/4, and it was much faster, and less labor intensive. It made steel affordable. And yes, a lot of iron workers probably lost thier jobs. As for the grinders, they continued working. I looked it up. They were members of the 'Company of Cutlers in Hallamshire,' and what we here in the U.S. would call a labor union. Their records are quite extensive and mostly complete and go back to its royal charter in 1624. View attachment 275149 On the far left is a Ralf Aust blade blank, and to the right of it are a bunch of ground Ralf Aust blades. Photo grabbed from: https://maggardrazors.com/blogs/news-1/visiting-solingen-ralf-aust-straight-razor-manufacturer It's a good read.[/QUOTE]
