Hello fellows; my intention is to make this mid 1800s sheffield into a shorty. Sadly I had picked it up in an online lot and it had been tarnished in a way that hid the crack near the toe. It is visible by eye in this image. I have treated with a rust remover and wire brushed it in a tub of water. I think I can start to hand sand it starting around 800; thoughts?
I find using 0000 Steel Wool + Autosol Metal Polish makes very quick work of restoring mirror polishes to steel in similar condition. I usually polish again with a little fresh product on a towel after the initial steel wool scrub. Of course a sandpaper progression will achieve similar/same results. However in many cases the method described brings results quicker and with less effort. Austosol can be found on AMZN for about ten bucks IIRC. It’s a little more aggressive than my other favorite polish, Simichrome which I also highly recommend. On my bench I often follow Autosol with Simichrome, just because I have both on hand; though for most intents and purposes they are interchangeable products.
Bartmann 22 was on deck this weekend. I’m familiar with the Manganese Steel 86/89’s, the beautiful spine on the 504, and a few of the “High Class” 6/8 razors... but this was the first 22 I had seen. Now why did it have to come in these scales??? And the wedge end is as large as a truck . Had a Wacker come in these scales so I knew the deconstruction would be fun... 6 internal washers and a massively bent pin at the pivot. Tried something new and bought precut scales. Too thick and warped, so not sure I bought myself any time. Used the oven at 350 to “bake,” flatten and make the one half of the scale useable. Went with a 3rd pin to provide some insurance. Camel bone wedge to work the color scheme and provide some weight balance. Honestly the scales kicked my butt... and there are still some issues, but good enough. Enjoy your projects. Tom
I was working on a Joseph Elliot Straight Razor. It was given to me by a non straight razor shaver. It had a big chip and some minor chips. When it was given to me, I wasn't even into honing yet. Anyway, I got the chips out and reset the bevel and shaved with it this evening. I got a near BBS shave. For my first restoration project. I would say that's pretty good. I could polish her up, but I will let it be for now.
