Have you got a honing ritual?

[Mastropiero]

To further illustrate the later part of my reply, this is a razor I restored and sold recently. It has a golden etching which took some patience protecting, but I had to do it because it had some rust stains in places that were very close to it.

 

[Twelvefret]

To further illustrate the later part of my reply, this is a razor I restored and sold recently. It has a golden etching which took some patience protecting, but I had to do it because it had some rust stains in places that were very close to it.

Great preservation!!

 

[Grayswandir]

Hi!

Well, the first step of the work routine depends on the actual state of the razor. If it's got spots that are badly covered in rust, I'll soak the blade first in WD-40 or similar, for an indeterminate amount of time. After that I use a DE blade to remove most of the rust.

Then I grab a steel brush wheel, plug it into my Dremel and go to town on the razor until I am satisfied all the rust is gone. I do this because sand papers, or sand wheels won't reach the inside of whatever pitting there might be.

Once I am confident all rust is been removed, I start to work with either scotch-brite small wheels (different grains depending on the needs), plugged in the dremel, or large wheels, plugged into a drill I have fixed using a vise. The large wheels go from grit 300 up to 1000.

When I have a consistent and nice scratch pattern on the blade I start polishing, using large cotton wheels, again, plugged into my drill, with different polishing compounds.

I much prefer a satin look to mirror polish but then it's also a matter of what suits the blade best.

Saving the etchings can be a bit challenging, but I've been having quite nice results lately applying a layer of Kapton tape, and removing any excess using a scalpel.

It can be very tedious, depending on the etching, but quite rewarding.

Hello,

Sorry about my belated reply but I guess the auto-notification failed me on this one.

Very interesting stuff. You basically use the same techniques I do. Sure, they differ here and there, but that's to be expected. There's a compound I plan on trying in the future, it's supposed to give the original "glazed" look on Sheffield blades. I did see a razor it was used on, and the finish is rather nice. I use a buffer as well, but you need to take care when using one, both not to overheat the steel, and to make sure the wheel doesn't grab the razor, otherwise the razor is toast, and anyone in the way as well as it flies across the room!

Wouldn't a steel brush be a little rough on the blade? I figure brass might be better. You do bring up a good point about the pitting, as sandpaper will miss it unless you sand it out entirely, but then other problems can arise if the steel was already on the thin side.

I still haven't gotten my hands on a Kropp razor yet, for whatever reason, its been elusive for me. It looks like a nice shaver.

So far, I've gotten my best shaves off a Genco Easy Aces and a W&B "You Lather Well and I'll Shave well" wedge.

Here's the Easy Aces:

Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.

-gray.

 

[Twelvefret]

Well, going to get out the honing stuff later this week. First SR coming in over two years. Hope I can remember…lol!

 

[Mastropiero]

Hello,

Sorry about my belated reply but I guess the auto-notification failed me on this one.

Very interesting stuff. You basically use the same techniques I do. Sure, they differ here and there, but that's to be expected. There's a compound I plan on trying in the future, it's supposed to give the original "glazed" look on Sheffield blades. I did see a razor it was used on, and the finish is rather nice. I use a buffer as well, but you need to take care when using one, both not to overheat the steel, and to make sure the wheel doesn't grab the razor, otherwise the razor is toast, and anyone in the way as well as it flies across the room!

Wouldn't a steel brush be a little rough on the blade? I figure brass might be better. You do bring up a good point about the pitting, as sandpaper will miss it unless you sand it out entirely, but then other problems can arise if the steel was already on the thin side.

I still haven't gotten my hands on a Kropp razor yet, for whatever reason, its been elusive for me. It looks like a nice shaver.

So far, I've gotten my best shaves off a Genco Easy Aces and a W&B "You Lather Well and I'll Shave well" wedge.

Here's the Easy Aces:

View attachment 105033

Thank you for the reply, I appreciate it.

-gray.

That is one gorgeous razor, if you've done any work on it, it's a top notch job.

Any slight damage (ie. scratches) that might be done with the steel brush, it's easily fixable, the scratches are never too deep. I prefer steel to brass because brass, eventually, leaves a yellow stain on the razor, which is annoying to me.

You are absolutely right regarding the chances of the razor parting ways with you and ending up someplace a few degrees further North, one must be very careful with how you place the buffing wheel (or any wheel, for that matter) on the razor.

Regarding overheating the blade, I've managed to develop a feeling for how much pressure is too much, and how long is too long. In any case, it's not a bad idea to keep a glass with iced water nearby, though I've never done it myself.
I haven't done any restoring lately, I'm hoping to get some work done in the next few days.

 

[Grayswandir]

That is one gorgeous razor, if you've done any work on it, it's a top notch job.

Any slight damage (ie. scratches) that might be done with the steel brush, it's easily fixable, the scratches are never too deep. I prefer steel to brass because brass, eventually, leaves a yellow stain on the razor, which is annoying to me.

You are absolutely right regarding the chances of the razor parting ways with you and ending up someplace a few degrees further North, one must be very careful with how you place the buffing wheel (or any wheel, for that matter) on the razor.

Regarding overheating the blade, I've managed to develop a feeling for how much pressure is too much, and how long is too long. In any case, it's not a bad idea to keep a glass with iced water nearby, though I've never done it myself.
I haven't done any restoring lately, I'm hoping to get some work done in the next few days.

Hello,

It was pretty shabby looking when I bought it, but it cleaned up nicely, thank you for the compliment.

Are we talking about those little steel wheels that you can buy for a Dremel? Good point about the brass, I didn't think of that. A friend of mine uses an ultrasonic cleaner, but that's really only for mild rust and the dirt and grime that sometimes accompanies old razors. I might pick one up sometime down the road, but that would be a luxury for me right now.

Yeah, too much pressure and the blade can get very hot in less then a second. I'm wondering how hot it would have to get before the heat treatment is lost? I just make sure not to let the blade get hot to the touch, and I keep a cup of cold water next to me when I'm buffing. If the razor is warm, it gets dunked in the cold water. I've heard of people ruining blades using a buffer, but a little common sense goes a long way. If you use light pressure it's not an issue.

What are you working on next?

-gray.

 

[Mastropiero]

Hello,

It was pretty shabby looking when I bought it, but it cleaned up nicely, thank you for the compliment.

Are we talking about those little steel wheels that you can buy for a Dremel? Good point about the brass, I didn't think of that. A friend of mine uses an ultrasonic cleaner, but that's really only for mild rust and the dirt and grime that sometimes accompanies old razors. I might pick one up sometime down the road, but that would be a luxury for me right now.

Yeah, too much pressure and the blade can get very hot in less then a second. I'm wondering how hot it would have to get before the heat treatment is lost? I just make sure not to let the blade get hot to the touch, and I keep a cup of cold water next to me when I'm buffing. If the razor is warm, it gets dunked in the cold water. I've heard of people ruining blades using a buffer, but a little common sense goes a long way. If you use light pressure it's not an issue.

What are you working on next?

-gray.

Yes, those are the wheels I use. It's best to not overuse them, otherwhise the bristles become loose and turn into nasty projectiles that stab you merciless, or they get lodged in your clothes and it can get very, very uncomfortable.

I just did today a Beter Modelo XXXX. The blade was ok, very little rust, but the scales were very dirty, and the bloody barber I got it from had carved his initials on them.

I'd normally unpeen the razor, but the pins were gorgeous, so I worked on the scales as they were. Sanded them, 320 and 600 grit, and polished them aftewards.

Turned out quite ok, dare I say.

After that..... I don't know mate, I have way too many on the bench.

 

[Grayswandir]

Ah, that looks like a nice razor right there.

I have a few I'm working on where unpinning the scales would mean I'd lose the Solingen cup washers. I have some cup washers, but they're too big to use on most razors. I need to find some small cup washers.

I'm not sure if you've ever used those little spiral sanding discs? I bought a set of 60 last week, they're perfect for getting between the scales and the pivot-pin end, so you can get rid of any rust on the steel that sits in that spot you can't normally reach. They work great for cleaning up jimping as well. I think the brand I use is called Goxawee, you can find them on Amazon. They are a little pricey ($23.30 including tax and delivery), but they're worth it if you can't un-pin a razor and are having trouble getting at any rusty spots between the scales. They come in a set (80-120-220-400-600-1000 grit), you get ten of each grit. They're very handy.

The scales turned out rather well, nice job.

I'm working on two razors at the moment, both German blades, both 6/8" as well. One is a Koch & Schafer Kama, and the other is Carl Schmidt Blue Steel. They should look good once I'm finished.

-gray.

 

[Mastropiero]

Ah, that looks like a nice razor right there.

I have a few I'm working on where unpinning the scales would mean I'd lose the Solingen cup washers. I have some cup washers, but they're too big to use on most razors. I need to find some small cup washers.

I'm not sure if you've ever used those little spiral sanding discs? I bought a set of 60 last week, they're perfect for getting between the scales and the pivot-pin end, so you can get rid of any rust on the steel that sits in that spot you can't normally reach. They work great for cleaning up jimping as well. I think the brand I use is called Goxawee, you can find them on Amazon. They are a little pricey ($23.30 including tax and delivery), but they're worth it if you can't un-pin a razor and are having trouble getting at any rusty spots between the scales. They come in a set (80-120-220-400-600-1000 grit), you get ten of each grit. They're very handy.

The scales turned out rather well, nice job.

I'm working on two razors at the moment, both German blades, both 6/8" as well. One is a Koch & Shafer Kama, and the other is Carl Schmidt Blue Steel. They should look good once I'm finished.

-gray.

Never tried those, I'm note exactly sure what are you referring to, I do use some discs that are, basically, a roll of sand paper that you just peel, little by little, when it stops working. They would be great if they had a larger diameter, but they are roughly 1 cm, which is less than ideal. Care to send me a link to see exactly what are you talking about? I checked the brand and there's plenty to look at. Incidentally, I do use these, or similar, bought from China, and I must say they work very well.

Show us those razors once you're done with them, please!

Cheers.

 

[Grayswandir]

Never tried those, I'm note exactly sure what are you referring to, I do use some discs that are, basically, a roll of sand paper that you just peel, little by little, when it stops working. They would be great if they had a larger diameter, but they are roughly 1 cm, which is less than ideal. Care to send me a link to see exactly what are you talking about? I checked the brand and there's plenty to look at. Incidentally, I do use these, or similar, bought from China, and I must say they work very well.

Show us those razors once you're done with them, please!

Cheers.

Sorry Mastropiero,

I think I need to sort out my email settings, as I didn't get a notification you responded, I apologize.

Here's the link:

Radial Bristle Disc, GOXAWEE

I've never heard of the discs your speaking of, they sound interesting. Here's some pics of the finished Carl Schmidt Sohn Blue Steel razor:

It's a pretty unique razor, I haven't seen one like this before. The blade was in very good shape, which is always a plus. I left the wedge-end Solingen washers on the razor, but I had to replace the pivot-end washers. I just used a little stainless steel washer and some nickle-silver rod. If I had some nice small cup washers, I would have used them instead. As you can see, the cup washer on the second to last picture is a bit wonky, but I wanted to keep as much of the original materials as I could. In hindsight, it might have been better to replace them.

-gray.

 

[UKRob]

Sorry Mastropiero,

I think I need to sort out my email settings, as I didn't get a notification you responded, I apologize.

Here's the link:

Radial Bristle Disc, GOXAWEE

I've never heard of the discs your speaking of, they sound interesting. Here's some pics of the finished Carl Schmidt Sohn Blue Steel razor:

View attachment 105932
View attachment 105933View attachment 105934

View attachment 105936

It's a pretty unique razor, I haven't seen one like this before. The blade was in very good shape, which is always a plus. I left the wedge-end Solingen washers on the razor, but I had to replace the pivot-end washers. I just used a little stainless steel washer and some nickle-silver rod. If I had some nice small cup washers, I would have used them instead. As you can see, the cup washer on the second to last picture is a bit wonky, but I wanted to keep as much of the original materials as I could. In hindsight, it might have been better to replace them.

-gray.

You can make your own cupped washers with a doming block and punch - these are avaible from Amazon at very cheap prices. If you have the washers just experiment with different sized punches and holes until you are happy.

 

[Geordieboy]

You artisans have re-enforced my decision to go the shavette route. I could never in a million years acquire the patience, or the skill, in honing a fine straight; and to be sure, I drool over some of the pictures of your blades. I'm happy with my Feather DX, though a deft and light hand is my one Christmas wish. Congrats on your acquired skills, and gorgeous blades. One question, why do I never see Revisor straights?

 

[R181]

One question, why do I never see Revisor straights?

Good question. I have one and when I was able to use straight razors, I did use it. There is nothing inherently wrong with them as far as I know. Mine took a good edge and shaves well.

Bob

 

[Twelvefret]

You artisans have re-enforced my decision to go the shavette route. I could never in a million years acquire the patience, or the skill, in honing a fine straight; and to be sure, I drool over some of the pictures of your blades. I'm happy with my Feather DX, though a deft and light hand is my one Christmas wish. Congrats on your acquired skills, and gorgeous blades. One question, why do I never see Revisor straights?

It is not difficult. People make it appear difficult. You just need a mentor and $25 investment in 3m films

 

[UKRob]

It is not difficult. People make it appear difficult. You just need a mentor and $25 investment in 3m films

I challenge you to hone a problem razor to shave ready status with no skill involved. Honing a razor with perfect geometry may be a skill that’s acquired without too much effort or practice, but other than that, honing is not easy as you state.