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This Razor: This is a beautiful late 19th century KEEN No.1 cutthroat straight razor manufactured by therenowned Sheffield cutler, George Butler. There is only sparse pitting on the blade after polishing. It has a nice, clear tang stamp, with nice grippy jimps on the top and bottom to enhance control and grip while in use. The blade is over 6/8" in width. It has a portrait of Shakespeare on the blade with "KEEN as is this razor's edge invisible," from Love's Labor Lost inscribed.
The Work:I refurbished this blade by unpinning it, removing all rust, removing as much pitting as I could without negatively impacting its overall vintage essence, carefully polishing it to a nice sheen. I cleaned and polished the original scales, pinning them together with understated brass pins and stainless collars.Less visible to the eye, I installed brass pivot washers to enhance the razor's already impressive longevity.
Please scrutinize the photos for details.
I honed this razor with great care, as I would for my own razors I use for personal daily use. It's shave-ready.
This razor was honed with the following progression with one layer of tape to protect the spine and optimize bevel angle:
Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic 2k
Shapton Kuromaku Ceramic 5k
Suehiro Kouseki
Nakayama
Vintage Scottish Linen Fire Hose Strop
Tony Miller Rough Out Strop
Tony Miller Fast Bridle Strop
My Story: I fell in love with vintage straight razors some years back when I became irritated with the exorbitant cost of disposable razor cartridges. I taught myself to refurbish antique straight razors, utilizing my background in jewelry and sculpture in learning to make custom razor scales, to pin them properly. Over some years Ihave gained a reputation for nicely honed shaving edges. Each of these blades is a journey, with a history. A man's hands created it long ago to last for generations. You and I are part of those generations. I try to be sensitive and cognizant of the historical context of each razor, as well as the spirit and intentions of the original blade-maker so that I may bring them back to life for you, my customer.
