My First Straight Razor Restore

Early last November as I was just getting into straight razors, I managed to ‘win’ off ebay a pretty rough example of a SR. No other bidders on this item, and as you view the photo, you’ll understand why.
For $7, I figure why not? At the very least, this cheap razor will give me a chance to practice a restoration without breaking the bank. I have never restored, pinned nor honed a straight razor before, so onward….
Congratulations! You’ve won the following item! (good luck shaving! )

When I received the razor and getting the opportunity to examine it in person, I realized restoring this razor to usable condition would take some time. There was plenty of active rust and pitting, but at least the blade edge was clean.







A side note: At that time, I was hindered by an ailing left (my dominant) hand, and so rather than plunge right into a ‘restore’ I was forced to spend time researching straight razor restoration and gather knowledge shared by other more proficient and experienced than me. A special thanks to Bruce (Stroker) who gave my invaluable leads to informative videos by Glen and Lynn, plus shared his own tips and helpful advice. Since this was my first restoration attempt, I was grateful for the willingness of others and recommend that other restore newbies spend the time researching info. It is well worth the time!

The Process:
Once my hand and wrist healed (CTS is a literal pain!) to a point I could hand-sand, I first removed the blade from the scales. The inside of the scales at the hinge point had some substantial rust intrusion on the surface. I built a magnetized work deck to hold the razor firmly while it was being worked on.

Hand-sanding: I began with 100 grit to remove the majority of the densely-built up rust & gunk, and continued up the grit ladder, being mindful to minimize visible scratches before I introduced a finer grit.


Grit progression after 100: 180, 200, 400, 600, 800, 1000, 1200, 1500.
During the whole sanding process I had to backtrack a number of times to the coarser grit as I was seeing scratches I had missed earlier (grrrr!). Once I achieved on the blade what I felt was an acceptable result—deep pitting was still evident but since some were near the blade edge, I decided not to push it. This process took MANY hours.
I next used some red jeweler’s rouge and applied it via a dremel polishing disk. After several times through both sides of the blade, I finished up the polishing with a good buffing with MAAS metal polish.

The results? I am happy with how the blade turned out—far from the perfect mirror finish, but considering where I started, I am satisfied. I would now actually consider using this near my face.

Pinning: I used a 1/16” silver nickel rod with stainless and brass (wide) washers. Since I had never done this before, I was please there was only ONE pin to do. And thanks to Glen’s helpful video:
Glen's Video
I thought it went pretty well. Initially the blade was very loose and wouldn’t’ center properly, but a few gentle ball-peen taps on both sides fixed the situation.

Honing: I used a ‘previously owned’ Norton 4k/8k stone, lapped with a DMT 325 diamond whetstone.


The process I used was similar to what I learned from both videos done by Lynn and Glen



After the 4k norton, I tested the sharpess on my arm hair. Some hair popping off—so we’re heading in the right direction. After some laps on the 8k, the blade felt real nice and hairs popped off with ease.

I finished the polish on a Chinese 12k whetstone. Multiple laps.


The Results:
Not completely ‘perfect’—still evidence of pitting and some scratches on the blade, but overall I am pleased with the results. Being this is my first attempt, there’s always room for improvement.




First shave:
After a good stropping on polypropylene webbing & then leather, onward to the shave.
Happily the first shave with this razor was quite pleasant! No tugging, no resistance during the shave.
A very smooth shave!


Overall, a very good learning experience with the biggest investment being my TIME. I learned quite a bit from this 'hands on' experience. At least I know I can find razors that are in less than ideal condition and do some salvage work if needed.

 

Nicely done Kevin! That's a really good looking razor now.

 

From the looks of the first pics to the final pic, I'd say you did as well as anyone else could do with that razor. You could easily sell that razor in the $50-60 range. Nice job.

 

Great job! Enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

Thanks! This razor was such a minor financial investment, I figured it was worth the learning experience even if I totally messed it up!

 

One word: XLNT

 

Bravo Kevin!!! Extremely impressive restore.

 

Awesome job! The razor looks fantastic! You should be proud.

 

WOW! Speaking as someone who would like to do a straight razor restore but has been intimidated by the process, this is the most encouraging thing I have ever seen. Like you say, maybe the key is having nothing to lose.

 

As my dad used to say at times of doubt or uncertainty in trying something new, "There's NO experience like getting experience..."
So I'm glad I took the plunge and had the hands-on experience. It demystified the whole procedure, but also gave my a healthy appreciation of the work that goes into complete razor restorations, and the talents of those who provide the service.

 

Well done Kevin! Well done indeed!

 

Super job!

 

Oh, absolutely. I've never been afraid to jump in and figure something out; I just didn't want to destroy a straight. I did like that you had the excuse of being "forced" to do research before you started.

 

Excellent job!

 

Wow that is absolutely gorgeous!

 

Very Nice work


I really like that you pointed out taking your time, doing the research and making a methodical plan, it shows in your results....


BTW there is no such thing as a perfect restore, there are a few that come close, but perfect is a moving target...

 

Beauty! Nice work!

 

Thanks, Glen. Your videos really inspired me to 'give it a go.' I really appreciated the content and your presentation.

I do have another straight in need of a restore, but I fear it is beyond my capability and experience.
I'll be contacting you @ Gemstar in the next few days with more info and to get your advice.

Kevin

 

Wow! Awesome job for your first restore.

 

Awesome restoration! I too am restoring my first two razors, the main one of which is shown here: http://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/vintage-a-witte-copperhead-straight-razor.36936/#post-653638 I hope I can get it back in shaving condition so I can learn to use it.