Yesterday my Dad came to visit us and he brought something beautiful! My Great Grandfathers Straight Razor, "The Torrey Razor CO. Worcester Mass U. S. A." It's a little rusty, but I believe with a lot of elbow grease it should be serviceable again. I'll start by removing the pivot, the scales are in great shape, so I'll reuse them. It looks like I'll have to start with 220 sand paper to remove the rust and just work my way up. Hopefully there is no deep scaring, but if there is, it's a family heirloom, who cares? Any suggestions appreciated! Matt Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
That is an awesome heirloom and something to be treasured! Though I'm a straight razor user, I have yet to tackle a full restoration. I know there are many others who have and will likely offer some suggestions. Good luck and keep us posted on your progress. @DaltonGang , @Rusty blade , @mrchick , @HolyRollah , what do you recommend?
That is very cool. It is always neat to get something that belonged to ancestors. The only thing cooler is when you get to pass it on to the next generation.
I would dull the blade's edge first. Then start with 180 grit wet/dry. The oxidation on the edge looks pretty heavy, so, don't be surprised if you have to abandon the idea of shaving with it. I've had some that look similar, and some just need a new bevel set, and some needed 2-3 bevel lengths of the edge taken off, just to get to clean steel. If you don't have a 60x jewellers loupe, that might help, immensely, in seeing the edge corrosion, while you are honing. It looks like a fun project. If it were my family razor, and the corrosion was deep and extensive, at the edge, I would think about just making it look nice, and put it in a shadow box frame. I would add a photo of my great grandfather, and a little note card enclosed, with a short story about him. Kind of like a little memorial.
I'm hoping it will be usable, I'll post some pictures of the restoration. If I can't make it usable, I think a shadow box would be an awesome idea! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You've some work to do on that blade if you wish to shave with it. The black rust all along the edge is problematic. A shadow box is an ideal solution for an heirloom that is no longer serviceable.
Very cool. I remember my great-grandfather's straight razor being around the house when I was a kid. Nobody knows where it is today. I would love to have it. It would be a treasure. I look forward to watching your progress on this one. Have fun.
I do my restoration work by hand. First, clean the blade with rubbing alcohol. I would start with some WD40 and steel wool and remove the rough stuff. Them you can start with 800, 1000, 1500, 2000 grit wet dry sandpaper. I would use a drop of mineral oil for the "wet". Go slow and don't be too aggressive. Then start polishing with Mothers Mag and Aluminium Polish. Clean the scales with soap and water first, then polish with Flitz. As for the usefulness of the blade...you will just have to see what it looks like after you sand and polish. Get some magnification and see if there if the rust has bit into the edge. Sometimes you can hone the edge just fine. I have had a couple of SRs that were in worse shape than yours and they cleaned up real nice and turned out to be great shavers. Good luck and have fun!
Great heirloom! That's a treasure. Good luck with the restoration efforts. It would be really special to be able to shave with that.