Thread: First ebay pick up, how did i do?

Hey all

I just got a set of hones, naniwa 1k and 3k/8k combo. i will likely at some point get at 12k as well, but from what i read on here, i need to be able to produce a shave ready edge off of an 8k first before moving to a 12k...
i digress...i wanted to pick up a cheap vintage razor off ebay to practice my honing with so I dont mess up the edge of my boker king cutter and my levi new grind (and yes, it is an awesome razor) while i am learning the art of honing. heres what i came up with. one side of the tang says Shapliegh Hdw Co St. Louis, U.S.A and the other says 6 Diamond Edge.



Anyone know anything about this razor or the company? is it quality steel? as far as the razor itself, it looks like its in excellent condition, it even shaved hair on my arm. it almost looks like its NOS with no wear whats soever on the spine. 15 bucks, not too shabby

also, any tips on how to clean up the patina would be helpful. Would i need to go as far as sanding it? (if you click on the first picture it should bring up a larger view so you can see the patina near the toe)

thanks for reading, any advice on how to make this baby look brand new would be greatly appreciated, hopefully i can learn quick and get a good edge on this bad boy!

James