The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

I picked up an Edison Voicewriter commercial shaver...a very late one. Motorized, very accurate adjustments. Cutter seems to be good, too. Shaves a cylinder in 2 passes in under a minute. Would it be viable to offer a service where people ship me their moldy brown cylinders, and I shave them down for $3 ea? For anyone that has shaved a cylinder on a Standard or a Home, it is near impossible to do a good job, on one. I have had 2 Edison electric shavers in the past, and they are awesome. I do home recordings, but only a few times a year. The machine would be sitting unused otherwise. I seek feedback. The good thing is that they would ship Media Mail both ways!

Example....4 cylinders. $4 to ship them to me, $12 for shaving, and $4 to ship back. For $20 you now have perfect cylinders ready to record on!

I haven't taken the shaver apart for re-wiring and to check the servicability of the belts yet....but if it is like others, the belts will be fine. Can't wait to start wrenching it!

As I am sure you will hear from other members, I would almost always refrain from shaving down any original brown wax. Personally, if it's so far gone that not even one word can be heard, I'd say go for it. Other than that, save them. Perhaps you could shave down Shawn's or Chuck's blanks or something, but I don't think very many people would be willing to get their original brown wax shaved.

Moldy black wax, on the other hand, is fair game imho. As I recently discovered, this stuff is cheap as dirt, and about as common as it; at $1 per moldy cylinder gotten from where ever and $3 for shaving from your service, that's still a lowly $4 for a shiny new black wax blank. There's something in that.

Hi Wyatt. Having shaved a couple hundred brown wax cylinders I don't see it as being worth the time at $3.00 each. Between the time unpacking, shaving, repacking, and packing supplies and box, I don't see you making any money on it. If you want to do it as a courtisy for collectors go for it. As I said I shave cylinders for resale at shows and online.

Rich Gordon