Thread: J.A Henckels 6/8 round point Emperor in fancy scales

I picked this Henckels up some time ago and it has been patiently waiting its turn in the project box. I got this razor in part because I loved the scales. The entire thing was a big mess. A hundred years of grunge was on the scales and the blade was heavily tarnished. I am not shure what was on the scales. At first I thought it was old shaving soap, but this blade has never seen a hone, it is brand new.

Since I wanted to retain the original scales I decided to do an in place restore. I was afraid of breaking the scales if I tried to depin it, and keeping it original will make it much more desirable for a collector if I ever decide to part with it. So I gave the scales a couple of soaks and several scrubbings with a toothbrush to get in the engraving. The blade was a different story. It was tarnish and needed to be sanded. It got a progression from 400 grit to 12000 grit and then 4 buffing compounds. Working a blade while in the scales can be particularly difficult. You really have to watch it. One wrong move and the buffer wheels can catch the scales. If that happens, bad things are sure to follow.

In the end I am pleased the with the end results.