Thread: new to straights

Hello straight shavers,
I'm jeremy and I'm new to this. I've had my great great grandpa's straight for several yrs and recently decided to restore it. I looked on here how to make scales (ended up looking for a video bc I didn't know my parts). I've since returned to this site 100plus times. So now here I am I've made the scales and restored the steel (for the most part). I have an "ontariocutlery geneva n.y." I've been researching trying to find out how old exactly my razor is. I LOVE SHAVING now. I used to be a once a week shaver. Now I shave everyother day. Its a wonderful experince! I will die a straight shaver. My first question (I've looked into it). "What exactly does strop paste for?" And I used an arkansas combo black stone to sharpen and hon my razor. It took a long time and a gentle hand, but I can take my beard hair, lay it across the blade and it cuts the hair..

Pastes just give it that last little oomph. Some like diamond, but it irritates my skin, I prefer .5micron chromium oxide, nice balance between sharp and smooth. There is cerium oxide as well , but I have never used it myself. Usually 10-15 laps on a pasted strop post honing, and 5-10 to refresh a blade when it starts to just tug a bit usually gets the job done.

Thanx tiddle. Its nice to get an actual response. I took my razor to a local knife maker before I touched it. And he told me it couldn't be done at an affordable price. I told him I didn't care about money can u do it. And he said no it was too much work. It took me a total of 1 day (polyurithane had to dry) to restore it. Back to the stone. Is it possible that I actually have a barbers hone? I've had the stone since I was allowed to handle a knife. The whetstone side feels like glass and the coarse side like a shingle lol (probly 80grit).

Ontario made some great razor as did a lot of central NY makers, case, geneva (genco) utica, onieda just to name the big ones

ONTARIO CUTLERY CO.
Geneva, New York
ca. 1904 - present

without picture hard to guess the age of the blade but most likely pre 1960 the stone is anyone's guess... if it feels that coarse on one side i would not guess the other is teally suitable for a razor. some pics here might help as well

I think Ontario Cutlery made some nice razors.I always seem to come accross some of the heavier razors,which I like.It looks like you have a 5/8 full hollow,by what I can see.These are great razors.Welcome to the world of Str8s.

There we go. This was after I worked the rust off the blade. Original box and scales

That will clean up nicely. you have 3 options for the blade hand polishing it and allowing some of the patina to survive, hand sanding it and then polishing up finding somebody topolish and buff it to a high shine. the scales are wide open as far as style and material are concerned.

personally i would just polish the baled making sure i gat rid of the rust in the jimps on the tang, but i like my vintage blades to look like vintage blades. for the scales my choice would be ebony or lacewood with a nice epoxy or CA finish.
but the possiblities are nearly endless some are just more expensive than practical.

enjoy,
jim

Originally Posted by ontariocutleryjeremy

Is it possible that I actually have a barbers hone? I've had the stone since I was allowed to handle a knife. The whetstone side feels like glass and the coarse side like a shingle lol (probly 80grit).

Can you post a pic of the hone ? It sounds like you have a common , carborundum combination hone .

Ive been trying all day and haven had much luck. I believe I now have it in my profile though