French made 'Tip Top'

[Derbyshirechap]

I got this recently for a very reasonable price from a lady in France, condition didn't look too good but it's all cleaned up rather well;
BEFORE:

only two blades may be salvagable the one that's in and one other with a smallish chip out of it, here's a shot showing the right supporting arm which was bent but went back fairly easily...ish!

AFTER;

---

and a few more;

The blade is held in place by tyhe spring clip with the number 2 on it and the screw wheel adjusts the height of blade/cut, I haven't shaved with it as yet as none of the blades are shave ready, they appear to be 3/4" sections of straight razor blade.

 

[Brianpilman]

Intriguing they look a bit like microtome blades so maybe be able to get new blades for it

 

[UKRob]

They are hollow ground blades - the same as straight razors - but I'd say they were made that way specifically in the same way that very similar Wilkinson, Le Grelot and Heljestrand blades were. Many of the old sets would have come with honing attachments and strops - in other words they were designed for exactly the same regime as straights, just a little easier to handle and with a safety bar of course.

I've always imagined them as the step between straights and SE razors. Incidentally, Paul (pjgh) used an ordinary gem blade in a very similar Le Grelot holder that I loaned him.

Unfortunately, the blades are a bit the worse for wear but they may be capable of being honed after cleaning.

 

[Derbyshirechap]

I've seen another and it did indeed come with a stropping handle similar to the ones found in Wilkinson Empires et al.

 

[Miles853]

Great clean up and a fine razor. Can I ask your cleaning process. Got my eye on a restoration razor- how did you get rid of the tarnishing on the guard especially.

 

[Derbyshirechap]

I often use those grey 'sanding' blocks you get from DIY stores in various grades of grit, I think the rusting was from the blade as I suspect it's all brass underneath, then I used Autosol then a good brush with an old fairly stiff toothbrush with plain white el cheapo toothpaste and soft hand soap or similar preferably an anti bacterial one, toothpicks are good to get and hard to reach bits of/out.