Thread: AK-SAR-BEN or Nebraska spelled backwards

This had a pretty big chunk out of the very front of the blade. I had seen and Ak-Sar-Ben on ebay before but it got sold before I even had a chance to bid. This one was $10.00 and I figured it was a real AK-SAR-BEN anyway. Since I'm from Nebraska and my handle on many gun forums and others is Ak-Sar-Ben, or Darth AKsarben this would be kind of nice to own and shave with. It was ten dollars for a reason. Looked mostly neglected and of need of care before it rusted away. Fortunately, there was not deep pitting, just a lot of rust and rust staining. There is some light drops of white paint on it and I wonder if someone was using it for painting and that is how the nick in the blade came about. I did not polish out the white drops, nor did I change the scales. So, it is about as original as it comes, save one minor detail. Since the nick was so bad, I decided to make it into a round point. I used my Harbor Freight belt sander and started out with 320 grit, a left leather glove, a dish of water and some time and patience.

I began by grinding out the end of the blade starting up at the tang. The leather glove was for getting my thumb and finger wet and every few seconds I would strokes the work area with that wet glove and go back to sanding. It kept the heat at a minimum. When I got close to the end of the blade where the nick was, I switched to 600 grit. Then after the initial nick was about even and out, I switched again to 1000 grit. I finished up with 1000 grit (German belts all) keeping the blade from getting hot by cooling with the wetted glove very frequently. When I got done I put on the leather 1" X 30" German belt and used green polishing stick and polished up the end of the spine and along the top of the spine.

I had already cleaned off the rust and staining on the top and sides with my Dremmel and those rotary flipping sanding pieces, starting at 120 (med) and then at 220, finishing up with a cloth buffer with green polishing compound (Dremmel size). It really got rid of a lot of that rust and stain, so when I re-shaped the front of the blade and then polished with the leather belt, it was pretty easy to get a nice shine along the top of the spine (NOT on the sides).

It was kind of a mess on the edge, and had a slight frown that I removed with bread-knifing. Some tape on the spine, some coarser wet/dry sandpaper at 600 grit, and I got it down to where I could tackle the edge with the razor hones starting at 1000 grit. Glen aka gssixgun told me to ALWAYS, always, always, always, always get the whole of the edge so that it can shave hairs at 1K BEFORE moving on. I did that, and even thought it took some time, even using the Coticule, I kept at it until I could no longer see any of the edge under a bright light and magnifying glasses. I can actually "see" an edge on a razor that is not able to cut hairs. Once it was "hair cutting sharp" at the 1K level, I moved up to the 4K, 8K stones and then the 00 Frictionite that is 10K, and then to the Chinese 12K stone for final honing.

I stropped about 50 on my leather strop, and shaved with it tonight. GREAT shave!!! It was nice and smooth. I also pre-conditioned with Udder Cream and left it on my face for about 10 minutes and then just applied shave lather on right on top of it. The razor glided nicely and I could hear a "skritch, skritch" as I was shaving, but no tugging or pulling, and it's nice and close. It was the only razor used and even around the lips, and chin I had no problems. (My 6th week since finding out about straight razors.. LOL). 2 lathers, no nicks and I'm done, and it went very well.

Pictures below are what it looked like before, and the bottom pictures are the After pictures.

Now, who know much about these razors???

And, continuing....





And, the front after polishing. The camera and pic recorded it looking like a black spot, but it is just a flash abnormality, and is really shiny like polished chrome.



Another pic, more blurry, but shows the end and length of thinness of the blade.

Nice work reprofiling the toe.

Really nice save! Congrats!

Nice job That nick looked like they tried to open a can with it hehe.

Looks like you may even have enough material at the pivot to reshape the scales ?

Very well done and great save.
I agree, looks like there is room reshape the scales.
Regardless if you do or don't it looks great.

Great save. Back from the dead.

Great Work! Looks good as new.

Originally Posted by Gibbs

Now, who know much about these razors???

I know I like this one!

Tim

Thanks all!! I like a rounded better and I thought that trying to keep the spike point the metal could fracture and move further back on the blade. With the round it lessened that chance, not by much, probably, but a little.

I know it was for Andrew L. Underland, an immigrant from Norway that settled in Omaha, NE and set up a barber supply house, but I was wondering "who" in Germany made the razors?