The "what is" and " how to" thread for the Rolls Razor

There's nothing wrong with that set. If you are buying it online, I would ask the seller to install the blade on the honing mechanism and store the handle in the side slot before shipping.

Do not ever buy a Rolls Razor for just the paperwork.

I play mix and match with my Rolls Razors (I know, terrible of me). I like the old stainless (Imperial no. 3) razor outer cases, which are leather covered wood and have a side slot for a spare blade. However, the stainless imperials are of an older design that isn't as robust as later model no. 2's.

So I tend to put an Imperial no. 2 in there, and since a spare blade case will also fit inside the Rolls case, I have two spare blades in addition to the current blade when I travel. I hone one on coticules, one on thuringians, and one on Arkansas stones, so I always have a variety of edge choices. It's like carrying three different straight razors, a barber hone and a strop with me wherever I go.

If you end up liking the Rolls system, you will buy a few extra sets for spare blades, strops, and hones, and that is when you will wind up with paper work. Over time, a $100 investment in the Rolls Razor system will get you a working Rolls and another 4 or 5 'parts' razors. Look for Rolls sets that come with extra blades.

 

If you do a search on eBay for "rolls razor lot" there is one seller that has three rolls razors. There are enough pieces there to make two functional sets, and you will have many spare parts as well as some paperwork. It will take some work to clean and restore them, but it's a good value.

The other seller has two sets, but one is an old model, and the other has a damaged spring. No good.

If you are looking for a near "new old stock" set, neither will be what you are looking for.

 

I can finally put one old rumor to rest.

The conventional wisdom was that even NOS Rolls blades needed to be professionally re-honed due to oxidation and age before first time use.

I recently acquired a NOS blade, still coated in a Cosmoline-like substance. Brown, waxy, and greasy, so I assume it's either cosmoline or the UK's equivalent. After rinsing off the cosmoline using piping hot water and then further wiping any residue off on a towel, I stropped it about fifty strokes (each stroke being one back and forth pass). It shaved the equal of my restored and self honed blades. After the post shave stropping I re-coated it with Aquaphor ointment which is basically petroleum jelly and lanolin (not to be confused with Aquaphor lotion or cream, which is a different formula entirely). It will be set aside to use as a future benchmark for sharpness and shaving tests.

It was what I had on hand that comes closest to Cosmoline, and unlike cosmoline, will need to be reapplied every five years or so. Blade was from 1949. Nothing like shaving with a 75 year old time capsule. Quite the fun experience.

Side note, the stropper 'hole' appeared to be coated in a combination of grease (or more likely cosmoline) and lamp black (carbon powder) to give it a matte black appearance.