used straight razorquestions help needed

Hello everyone! I'm relatively new to straight razor community and have a few questions about a used straight razor I recently bought. A little back story first, along time ago in a galaxy far away, I decided straight razor shaving was a venture I wanted to take. I started with going to a local barber shop to get a straight razor shave and loved it. Then moved to a Dovo Shavette to try a cheaper alternative in the beginning. I've used it a few times and have gotten ok... I can't say anywhere near good or great. With that being said I wanted to step into the big boy league and got a decent condition used straight razor . The scales have some damage and I'm not to worried with that. I am worried about a few rough areas on the edge and spine . Can they be cleaned up or did I just waste my money ... I'll post pics if I can if not I'll try to describe it . The pics are poor quality but the edge near the heel of the blade looks jagged unlike the toe which looks straight and sharp . The spine on the otherhand looks pitted and discolored. Is there any suggestions anyone can of to bring it back to life or should I chuck it and buy a cheap new one ? I keep hearing people save just get a used one and clean it up . But how used or worn is too much ? Thanks for reading

From what I can see a small rust spot to clean and good hone and it should be good.

Ok cool I was worried it was going to need to be completely re-edged . How would you go about cleaning it up if you don't mind me asking

Well just my $0.02. Getting into straight shaving is great, but to start off with a restoration project is pretty gutsy. Because there is more to taking care of a straight than there is a shavette. The shavette will help you get your shaving technique down but not the other aspects like stropping and honing. Can it be done? Absolutely. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. It can get expensive and disheartening. I would instead start off with going to a quality known dealer like here or Vintage blades or any that this site recommends and purchase a new one that comes shave ready and then later try out the restoration. I have started my first restore from a practice razor that I bought from Vintage Blades LLC. and I have already put into the razor probably $150, if you include the $50 I put into the blade itself. But I have already my Ebony Dovo from them that I started off with an am still using while I'm working on the restoration project.

I guess in summary. I would start with a quality razor than rather a "cheap" razor. If price is a concern then look at the classified here from someone who does restoration work in order to get yourself started, just so that you won't have such a large disheartening learning curve.

But, if you don't mind go for it. As for whether this blade is worth trying to restore, I will leave that to those who know much more than I.

I appreciate the .02¢ actually what you say makes a lot of sense. I am looking towards a shave ready set actually because I have ideas that I want for those one I bought to restore that will take time . With that being said I still wouldn't mind some insight on restoration as I am obviously new at this as well lol

Great to hear. On some insight on the restoration, you will learn the most as you get your hands dirty. A drimmel tool with felt polishing wheels and 5 different polishing compounds was my friend when it came to polishing up the blade. Still trying to get one pit out though. I decided for mine to redu the scales. I chose a good exotic hardwood (Rosewood). A Couping saw, to cut the wood to close to the design I liked. Used the drimmel sanding wheels and sand paper ranging from 60 to 800 grit and lots and lots and lots and lots of sanding. Then some acetone, and CA thin for the wood finish. and then some micro mesh sand paper that goes from 1500 to 12000 grit. For the pins, I got some 1/16" brass rods from Hobby Lobby and some washers to fit from microfasteners. to drill the holes in the wood, I went by hand using what is called a pin vise (or pen vise) with a 1/16" drill bit.

but that was me after much research. Be sure to look on the library here. It has sooo much info to glean from. That is about the extent of my knowledge. But there are others to chime in that will help more than I can. So you are in good hands in a good place.

I'd contact Whipped Dog and see if he will trade you, straight up, for one of his better sight unseen razors. Then you will have a pro honed razor (that is probably ugly as sin but shaves like a dream). Then you will have an edge to compare other razors to. Learning to hone should be last on your list. Lathering well, stropping well and shaving better than well all come before the act, craft, art of honing. It's not knife sharpening. It's somewhere between blind luck and thirty years experience honing razors. Biggest mistake most newbies make stating that honing is a piece of cake. For most beginning honer's it's more like a glass of soured milk. Looks good - tastes bad.

How would I go about doing that? Lol I can't seem to find him to make the offer

whippeddog.com is the site.

if you decide on doing the restoration i would say stay away from the dremel! start with some metal polish like Mothers and some wet dry sand paper and WD 40. it doesn't look that bad, a little patience and time will make a big improvement.IMHO (and send it out to be honed)

Whipped dog is a great site to get a start in wet shaving. Another great option is the Main Index - Straight Razor Place Classifieds where a lot of members will post shave ready straight razors for VERY good prices. Let us know how it progresses.

I think Larry at whippeddog is The Man, and can be relied upon to send you a completely shave ready razor. If you get a sight unseen, or a flawed sight unseen (which I did), it is just that. You pay a little to have a razor that may be ugly, but will have an edge that you can learn with, and use as a base for future razors' edges. You'll know what a shave ready blade feels like. When you get good at it, invest in a better one from him, or go to the Classifieds here, or to SRD. These are my thoughts.

Yeah, the razor needs to be 'completely reedged' as you put it. The edge of a razor is pretty much the sharpest object in every day life and it's very precise and delicate. Any defect that you can see with your eyes is really bad.

It's not rocket science - just rubbing the blade on progressively finer media to remove metal beyond any damage and create a fresh edge - but it takes some experience, and to do it effectively and efficiently a lot more experience.
In principle it can be done on sandpaper or small hones, but the more you deviate in your abrasives from flat hones of at least 1.5"x7" with known grit rating (1k->4k->8k), the harder your job will be and the more skill is required.

Besides well honed razor you also need good quality strop to use between shaves.