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

I got a new toy in the mail today. I am looking forward to getting her all cleaned up and using. The box says that it is an Imperial #2, blade date shows 1952.

 

Nice! Enjoy it!

 

Hello everyone...I am new to the forum and read all 18 pages on the Rolls Razor, Greg's fascinating and well explained article ...
I remember, as a child, playing with my Dad's Rolls, and stropping it back and forth like a machine gun!
He probably never did figure out why he would occasionally get a bad shave!!
Anyway, after reading all about the Rolls, I got nostalgic, and since it was my 75th birthday a few days ago, I searched Ebay and purchased this Viscount...
It doesn't appear to have had much use, so hopefully it won't need too much work to get it functional.

Mike

 

Excellent, Mike! I hope you'll enjoy it!

 

Very nice Rolls!

 

Thanks so much for the info on this thread! My dad recently gave me my grandfather's Rolls and I'm about halfway done restoring it per this thread. Looking forward to getting it functional and trying my hand at wet shaving. I'm 35 and about to really shave for the first time in my life. I have a couple of questions first though.

My grandfather was stationed in England from early 1943 until D-Day in June 1944. According to my dad, he bought this razor while there. It's an Imperial, either Series 2 or Series 3. Two-part handle, latest iteration of the gear track, red friction sleeve inside the roller mechanism, separate saddle spring that clips on the roller, thinner piece of strop leather with the (crumbling) backing material underneath. I thought it was Nickel plated series 2 because I can see the brass showing through on worn spots on the outer case, but a magnet will not stick to any part of it, so maybe it's a stainless series 3? Also, the spine of the blade is stamped as 1949, but I've read on here that replacement blades didn't have dates. I'm trying to determine if this is a 1944 (or earlier) model, or if it's 1949 and maybe my dad has something mixed up.

• Were the Series 3 made of brass and plated with stainless steel? Or were they solid stainless?
• Did replacement blades sometimes have dates stamped on them? Or were they always dateless?

My other question is about the saddle spring. It doesn't make full contact with the blade, so the blade can freely rotate on the blade holder. This isn't a problem if stropping quickly because momentum keeps it inline, but with the slower flip of honing, the blade wants to rotate on the holder pin. I could try to carefully pull up on the saddle spring "wings", but I've read on here not to mess with the saddle spring because it's fragile. Any ideas? I can post pics if needed.

Thanks!

Kevin

 

Actually, here are some pics from when I first disassembled it, before cleaning:
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/8lp3wk2ncne8qgu/zYFhSEaWZH

 

Firts off: absolutely great to own your granddad's shaving gear! I think he would have liked it that you plan to use it yourself! Way to go!
Second: I'm more a devoted Rolls Razor user than an expert. So please don't shoot me if I'm wrong somewhere.

1. I wasn't aware that brass could be plated with stainless steel. So I guess it's a series 2.
2. There's no knowing if the blade origins from another (later) Rolls set and used as a replacement for this set. Perhaps your granddad owned more Rolls Razors and got the blades switched? Can your dad shed more light on that?
3. As for the saddle spring: see if you can find a cheap incomplete Rolls for spare parts. That way if flexing the spring to its former glorious state fails, you've got a backup.

Best of luck!

 

macaronus, thanks!

Yeah, I'm excited to continue the legacy. I was going to buy a Merkur when my dad told me about this razor. I figured I'd give the Rolls a try and if I didn't like it I'd have the brush, bowl, etc. and could switch to a DE easily. I'm hoping I stick with the Rolls!

There's definitely brass showing through the plating. Maybe I shouldn't put too much stock in the magnet test to prove it's a Nickel plating. As for the saddle spring, I'm going to look for a spare parts Rolls that has a good blade, blade holder pin, and saddle spring. My blade holder is a little rusty, which could be part of the problem (too much play when the blade is attached).

Here's a few more photos showing the brass coming through the worn plating, and the gap between blade and saddle spring when I gently pull it to the side.
https://www.dropbox.com/sc/dq00ptfj5bpd5w6/2AS5tnNSlj

 

Although it is probably less expensive to just find one onE-Bay, considering the legacy you might want to try getting it replated. Most large towns have someone who does replating or you can send it out.

Follow the directions for restoring the friction pad, but it is also a good idea to send out the blade for professional sharpening the first time. Especially so since you want to commit to this. Best to start out right.

Rougaroo

 

Great info for another first timer. Is there any chance of anyone having a saddle spring, I think it's called? Thanks again, H.

 

As an alternative, has anyone tried making a saddle spring, or adapting another material, to replace a broken one? Just curious, I'm still new, and reading furiously.

 

The replacement saddle springs appear from time to time on eBay, but they must be an item that collectors are seeking because the price they fetch far outweighs their value. You can find whole Rolls kits with a broken stone or missing razor for very little. Just pick one up for parts with a good spring and you are ahead.

 

Thanks Roo. I'm watching, just thought some crafty type might have come up with a substitute for a user.

 

What a fantastic and informative thread, my thanks to all those who have participated and shared their knowledge. I have recently acquired a Viscount that is in a fairly knackered condition. The hone is cracked, the strop has more than a few gouges in it (not recoverable) and the hone lid won't stay closed. However, I bought it to practice and learn from so I'm not disappointed.

 

Given that this thread is four or so years old, are Greg or any other of the contributors still active? It would be nice to have an update as to where they are now and how their Rolls are performing or if they'd do anything differently now. Is that glued hone stone still holding up..?

 

I used the directions here to glue a stone together (superglue), then used wet-or-dry 400 grit wet to level the hone surface. Once it dried you could barely see the crack and couldn't feel it at all.

I scored a stainless #3 more out of curiosity than anything else. As Greg details, the #3 is really more primitive than a #2 except for the stainless. Used the basic honing technique to shine the stainless - 1000/2000/4000 grit. Took awhile as it was pretty scratched up, but now it's pretty impressively shiny.

The #3 came with a blade that looked like it was dropped. Big divot in the blade. I sat down with some wet-or-dry 400 grit and a baking pan to keep it wet. Took about 20-30 minutes to hone out the divot, then moved to 1000/2000/4000/1 micron 3M. Good as new and shave-ready now.

I've been shaving with the Rolls exclusively for about 6 months now, except when I'm traveling. Can truthfully say it is better than anything I've ever used. Used to use Merkurs with either Feather, 7 O'Clock, or Keramik blades, and the Rolls beats 'em all. Only time I've cut myself was clumsily handling the blade - finger cut!

Rougaroo

 

yesterday a friend gave me a silver box and said I think this is a razor or something the razor or something was a rolls razor my collection is growing

 

I found a Rolls (not sure of model) at an antique store the other day and passed on it because I didn't know anything about it. They were asking $35 for it. Did I miss a killer deal??

 

Would that be honing film you used rougaroo?