Thread: Carl Monkhouse: C Mon Blackie restoration

So I picked up my first SR last week. Been making knives and similar things most of my life, but had never fiddled with a SR.

Given how expensive most new SRs are, I went down the street to a local antique store and found a C Mon Blackie with very little wear for $18. Grabbed it and started tinkering with honing and buffing the blade, as the scales were mostly ruined and the pin in the blade had been bent beyond repair.

The white handled picture is when I picked it up, and the last two are from this morning when I finished pinning the scales. I butchered the scales the first time trying to go old-fashioned and leave out the lock washers. It only took a crack in the handle to convince me I had to take my time and use the washers. That obliterated around 8 hours of work. I epoxied back in the small chipped piece and continued peening the brass pins this morning. I used black walnut cut from a tree on our land that we built our dining room table with. Chose some burled grain I found in the stock.

I still have to go back and sand down the wedge and finish the scales in BLO. Just gonna have to wait until I'm home from work.

I also turned my own handle for a silvertip brush that I epoxied before I left the house. Used a knotted piece of black walnut for the top of the handle.

All that's left is a stand made of the same black walnut for a full matching set.

Lemme know what y'all think of my amateur efforts.

Love the wood and patter, but everything seems quite thick. When making a wedge, it is good to see how much the scales flex when opening and closing the razor in the scales. Too thick and the scales can't flex as much as they need to. This isn't a bad thing, material can be removed easily enough. I dremeled my first scales to practically nothing and had to pitch 'em...

Thanks dinnermint, I went back and thinned the scales to about half the original thickness. After adding the BLO the grain really pops and gets that 3D feel. The razor seems to come out more smoothly now and still retains its posture. I figured I'd attach a picture of the brush and razor since they both are complete for now.

The wedge pin was pilot drilled crooked, and as a result the razor will never look as pretty as it could have and should have.

I guess I'll just have to find more blades and keep trying.

Yes, the scales do look a bit thick, which may make honing and stropping more difficult.

Also a thin wedge will help in centering, though with wood you are limited in how thin you can go without snapping the scales, the scales need to be under tension.

A good rule and advise I give new scale makers is to duplicate the original scales and wedge, they really did know what they were doing. Use their measurements for pin placement.

More importantly that razor appears to have a case of serious Cell Rot and may not hold an edge. Before you do any restoration, put the razor on a 1k and see if it will take an edge. It may save you a lot of work.

Restoration begins at purchase, buy razors in the best condition you can afford.

You are doing a good job for your first time out and you have gotten some great advice in the remarks above. If that blade won't take an edge just let it go and hang on to your scales. There are hundreds of razors that will fit your scale design. Don't rush your work.
Keep us posted on your efforts.

Yep, cell rot for sure, also that razor (to me looks like it should be at least an 1/8th of an inch wider you can tell by the heel how much it has been honed. It may take an edge but I would get the dermal out with some felt wheels and some Mothers wheel shine an see if you can clean that blade up. Plus , please fix that wedge pin as it distracts a person from the rest of the razor.