That would be completely cool as a snare. The seem looks a little shotty, but it should be workable. If you cut it just under the lug holes on each side, you would end up with a very clean shell, and could put as many lugs as you want on it!! As far as bearing edges go, I am all about recreating vintage original, but If someone has better ideas on the edges, I would like to hear them too.

My thoughts exactly Ryan. I guess the new edges should match what are on the shell now ?

Oh hell no.

Allow whatever edge profile currently exists on the converted tom to pass into the night of history. Have the new snare drum cut with edges that will work great in its new life. This is a brand new vintage drum with modern edges. Choose a profile that will work, and dont look back.

I agree w/ The Ploughman. Since it's a newly created snare or a modified tom I would want edges that would work best and leave the original profile behind.

Okay, what you have is a more modern shell with no reinforcement rings so you will not be able to match the bearing edges that are on your 40's era kit. The modern shell has 45 degree bearing edges and the shell is only about 1/8" thick and probably 5 or 6 plies whereas your 40's era kit is most likely three plies with a thick reinforcement ring that is most likely between 1/2" - 3/4" thick with either a round over bearing edge, 30 degree bearing edge or round over on the outside with a 30 degree bearing edge on the inside. One of my 1940's era Leedy snares has the round over with the 30 degree bearing edge. If you do a round over bearing edge on the shell when you cut it down it will give it a slightly warmer and slightly fatter tone and a 30 degree bearing edge most likely wont make much of a difference in the sound on such a thin shell without the reinforcement rings. The wide reinforcement rings with the round over into the 30 degree bearing edge is what helps give those vintage drums that fat sound. There is actually a lot more to it than that but I won't get into that here.

If you want the best of both worlds, you could always do a round over on the top side to fatten in up a little bit and keep the 45 degree edge on the bottom to increase the sustain just a little bit so you have a sharp and fat attack on the drum. Part of it is what is going to appeal to you the most but the other half of this equation is what you can do with the shell as will. My last thought on this, if you can't make up your mind then you can cut the shell in half and make two 5" deep snares and do one with 45 degree edges and the other with the round over or you could cut it and and do a 6.5" deep and a piccolo. :2Cents: