Thread: New blade coming

yes, this razor's been honed to death and i'd only consider fixing it if it has a sentimental value.

i'm not sure if honemeisters would consider it honing territory, but in my view it's a serious restoration project and needs 1000 grit hone or lower.

crafts stores may have chromium oxide, it's green paint, the main issue is how fine the chromium oxide particles are.

For a larger view of the pictures, you can go to:

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The camera I was taking the pictures with, apparently, isn't very good. The pictures looked very sharp in the LCD viewer, but turned out very blurry. I may have to take some more and see if I can't get any better ones to post in my gallery.

The tang is stamped with an "XX" beneath the company logo. I also noticed that the blade seemed to have been very well used. It has no sentimental value, other than I spent $15 on it that could have gone elsewhere.

I don't have any qualms a bout starting a restoration project. I will look in the wiki for "how to's" on getting that started. Though if anyone has any tips, I would be grateful.

On the plus side, I don't think it will take much to get it looking nice, getting it SR might be another issue. I'll just deal with them one at a time.

By the way, I got the DA yesterday! I was so stoked!!

I didn't have a strop, but I had an old pair of denim shorts that I haven't worn in a while, so I pulled them out and cut a 2" wide piece, as long as the shorts to use as my "strop", for now. I'll probably cut a similar piece to paste and mount them both to something, so they stay taught.

Then, while allowing my pre-shave oil to soak, I put one end of the denim "strop" under my foot, it seemed like the best place at the time, and pulled the other end tight, and commenced stropping the razor.

I can see you all cringing, waiting for me to say I dinged the blade on the floor, or cut myself, but I didn't, everything went well, though I can tell I need a lot more practice at stropping.

The shave started out good, nice and smooth, sounding much better than my shavette, but by the end, it was not performing very well, so I had to do a touch up pass with my shavette that I had just stuck a new blade in. Though I must say, I only had 4 weepers, none of which I felt, and only one nick, but that was on a zit, so I don't know if it counts as a nick or not. I am, definitely hooked on traditional razors from here on out.

Originally Posted by gugi

... i'm not sure if honemeisters would consider it honing territory, but in my view it's a serious restoration project and needs 1000 grit hone or lower.

crafts stores may have chromium oxide, it's green paint, the main issue is how fine the chromium oxide particles are.

Thanks for the advice, I will take it in consideration. Also, thanks for answering my question. Knowing that craft stores might have it, I wonder if my mother-in-law might have some, she's big into scrap booking, and use to do tole painting and ceramic dolls, so I bet she will. I'll have to ask.

It comes in different particle sizes (like sandpaper) and you have to get the "right" kind, as in a really small particle (.5 micron seems to be preferred/standard). I would suggest NOT using paint, unless you can get the Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) on it (which will be hard to find/get) and it explicitly states on the MSDS what the mean and standard deviation for particle size are (very very unlikely- it's an MSDS for paint not abrasive). If you don't and it's, say, 5 micron (ten times bigger) you'll probably stuff up a SR edge. Also, even if it is around .5 micron, that's microscopic! Odds are the paint company doesn't care what size their particles are, let alone having a good tolerance.

I think Gugi will agree with me on this one- don't try to sharpen with anything, even CrO, 'til you have quite a few shaves under your belt (so you know what sharp is). If at some point you still want CrO, the far and away best option is to talk to ChrisL who will sell you a tiny packet of it (tiny as in not a 4 oz tub, it'll still be more than you'll ever need) for a very nice price. The stuff he sells is what most people use so its tried and tested, and comes in "single serving" size.

I personally used my levi's as a strop for a while, but they do not work as well as leather- the edge slowly dulls over time. Not exactly sure why (probably not as smooth as leather) but it does. So the denim is only a quick fix. You'll need a leather strop eventually.

I recommend the only thing you do with the Griffon is maybe try and physically restore it, but my opinion and feeling is to agree with Gugi in that it really needs a honemeister. Thats it for now. Disclaimer: if what I have said is completely wrong, and a more senior member (Mentor, Mod, Supermod, etc) says something else, disregard what I said.

it doesn't really need much sanding, but the frown on the edge and the excessive hone wear are problematic.

denim would be the canvas component of stropping, you still want to use leather after that.

do some searches through the old threads, i think there was somebody using chromium oxide from the crafts stores. i still think it's best to just get the good stuff which has been sorted (it's a labourous process so it's generally done when there's a need only), although you really should hold off on using it on edges for at least a month or two.
but if you want to play with chromium oxide try it as a polishing of the blade. a 0.5u should get you mirror.

i think randy tuttle and spazola made some chromium oxide hones recently.

In the classifieds Veedub is selling prepasted hones I believe, but they're only 3x8. Worth a mention.