Some weeks ago I picked up from the Ebay a pair of samples of HENRY SEARS & SON Straights , a Barber's Queen 5/8 with black bakelite scales and one 5/8s (no model on the tang) which had a nice set up with a sort of "ivorine" cream scales and matching "scaled" tang.
Here I have a question:
both the Henry Sears and son are marked 1865, but I guess that is the year they were established and from what I found online the "son" bit came after 1883.
The scales are definitively post 1907 (bakelite was not available before) therefore I guess the razor could be dated around Mid20s-30s? On the original box there is a price stated of 3$ and the clar indication that the Steel was german.
Can any of you shed some light on its age?
Going back to the "restoration", after doing some research and buying few tools I did not have in my well supplied laboratory I started working on the Barber's Queen and began by breaking one of the well preserved bakelite scales (grr); despite of being careful, the pin was well ground on both sides, as soon as I tapped it with the pin "punch" one scale snapped.
Anyway, I polished the blade using the "hand method" being careful not to touch the edge and once I was sort of happy (it is not mirror polish, but I was not really after a mirror finish) I focussed my attention on the scales.
Sitting in a drawer I had an un-used set of boring plasticky-acrylic scales which were a little bit twisted... I fixed the defect, trimmed & reshaped a little the wedge, reshaped the scales profile and sanded out the acrilic plasticky surface leaving a nice silky matt finish.
For the pinning I started using the classic brass rod & washers method, but then decided to try something new and got a handful of 1.5 x 13mm Brass Rivets and used those to complete the razor.
The Brass rivets have a domed head and theoretically , with the right punch (which I had) one should be able to punch a proper head on the open side... I guess you need to either heat the rivet or to use some force to obtain a proper dome head, anyway I was afraid of causing an irrepairable damage therefore i simply hammered the pin "the stardrd way" then I sanded a little bit the domed side just to make them "equal".
Then I got my self a set of honing waterstones (a king 1000-6000 and tri-set from a UK ebay seller) and proceeded with the honing.
After setting the edge on the 1K (I will need to open a different thread on this subject as I have few questions) I went ahead with the "progression" and on Cristmas Day I enjoyed a nice shave with my first restored (sort of) razor.... and what a sweet shave.... not perfect but very VERY enjoyable.
I guess I am lucky as the blade was in very good condition to start with, but for being the first one I take complete care of , well... I am very pleased.
Here are the pics Before and After
[attachment=6263]
[attachment=6264]
Here I have a question:
both the Henry Sears and son are marked 1865, but I guess that is the year they were established and from what I found online the "son" bit came after 1883.
The scales are definitively post 1907 (bakelite was not available before) therefore I guess the razor could be dated around Mid20s-30s? On the original box there is a price stated of 3$ and the clar indication that the Steel was german.
Can any of you shed some light on its age?
Going back to the "restoration", after doing some research and buying few tools I did not have in my well supplied laboratory I started working on the Barber's Queen and began by breaking one of the well preserved bakelite scales (grr); despite of being careful, the pin was well ground on both sides, as soon as I tapped it with the pin "punch" one scale snapped.
Anyway, I polished the blade using the "hand method" being careful not to touch the edge and once I was sort of happy (it is not mirror polish, but I was not really after a mirror finish) I focussed my attention on the scales.
Sitting in a drawer I had an un-used set of boring plasticky-acrylic scales which were a little bit twisted... I fixed the defect, trimmed & reshaped a little the wedge, reshaped the scales profile and sanded out the acrilic plasticky surface leaving a nice silky matt finish.
For the pinning I started using the classic brass rod & washers method, but then decided to try something new and got a handful of 1.5 x 13mm Brass Rivets and used those to complete the razor.
The Brass rivets have a domed head and theoretically , with the right punch (which I had) one should be able to punch a proper head on the open side... I guess you need to either heat the rivet or to use some force to obtain a proper dome head, anyway I was afraid of causing an irrepairable damage therefore i simply hammered the pin "the stardrd way" then I sanded a little bit the domed side just to make them "equal".
Then I got my self a set of honing waterstones (a king 1000-6000 and tri-set from a UK ebay seller) and proceeded with the honing.
After setting the edge on the 1K (I will need to open a different thread on this subject as I have few questions) I went ahead with the "progression" and on Cristmas Day I enjoyed a nice shave with my first restored (sort of) razor.... and what a sweet shave.... not perfect but very VERY enjoyable.
I guess I am lucky as the blade was in very good condition to start with, but for being the first one I take complete care of , well... I am very pleased.
Here are the pics Before and After
[attachment=6263]
[attachment=6264]