Museum style resto

Let me start by saying that I know a lot of you guys wont like the way this razor looks, and you are going to call it another one of my "ugly razors". In my defence, I have spent a lot of years working for museums and archives in conservation sections. When I started working on this razor I was fully intending to give it the full monty. Sand off as much pitting as I could, shiny new scales, the works.

But, as I was standing in front of my drill press, getting ready to drill out the pins, my museum background kicked in, and I just couldn't do it. I mean, those dirty bent scales are older than a lot of the relics in Australian museums, and I was just going to pull them off and chuck them in the bin. Wrong.

So I decided to do this restoration as if I was a conservator rather than a customiser. Just the bare minimum to get it working, but still as original as possible.

I left the scales on place (those pins and washers are part of the artefact too) and hand sanded up to a satin finish, removing all rust and grime, but leaving most of the pitting.

Using rubber bands, wooden wedges and steam I was able to straighten the warped scales. I stabilised the cracks with CA glue and lightly sanded the surface. I rehydrated the horn with mineral oil and gave it a coat of renaissance wax, inside and out, for protection. I tightened the pins and fixed the lead wedge back into place.

Honing was a major PITA because of the uneven edge and spine, but once all the corrosion was sanded away the edge was remarkably free of pitting and the steel was quite good. After unsuccessfully trying every trick and hone I had to get it sharp, it was a small barber hone sized coticule that was able to do the job. The bevel is quite uneven, but that is to be expected with a blade this old, I suppose. I haven't shaved with it yet, but the edge looks clean under magnification and it is passing all the sharpness tests, so I think it will be OK.

I guess if this razor was any younger I probably wouldn't have gone this way with it. But, at the end of the day, the thing has lasted nearly 200 years, and who am I to be changing it? If someone ends up with it after me they can do what they like, but because I haven't destroyed or removed anything, when I shave with it I really will feel like I am using a museum piece, and that's pretty cool.

Before
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...u/P1000233.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...P1000235-1.jpg

After
http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...00388small.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...u/P1000397.jpg

Oh, I made this pouch for it as well. It is kangaroo leather. Gotta try and use all those off-cuts from my strops which I can't bare to throw away. :hmmm:

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...u/P1000403.jpg

http://i184.photobucket.com/albums/x...u/P1000404.jpg

I feel much the same as you. There are several I'm cleaning and honing right now, but the idea of removing any original parts makes me feel as though I would be committing some injustice to the razor and none of them are as old as yours.

Jim

Excellent work by the way...

Jim

In all honesty, I'm not a fan, but you expected that a few of us might not be. However I commend your thinking in keeping it original. I would probably have just coated the lot in oil and wrapped it in a greasy rag for burial and to await someone else more appreciative than me. :) Nice take on a razor case by the way, but I have to ask, don't you have a sewing machine? :)


Mick

I dig it!
If it shaves nice, I'm sure you'll feel as proud/prouder using this, rather than any of your prettiest razors.

I think it looks great. Sometimes you need shiny steel, sometimes you need battle scars and character. It's a per razor decision.

I like it, and the pouch too. Nice touch.

I like it. Nice Job

As a lazy restorer I love it. With an old razor like that if you polish everything up you erase its history. It would be like interviewing a 140 year old only to find that they have amnesia.

When I first started restoring I wanted everything shiny and pretty. These days my tastes have changed. There is room for both in my collection. I like what you've done with this one. Very cool.
Grant

you're 100% right, you did a conservation. it looks GREAT.

Looks great, I'd shave with it. I really like the case. I started straight shaving to use and appreciate great old razors like this one, not to have the latest shiny gadget. I think you did a wonderful job.

I like your point of view it is refreshing.

The only drawback that I see is using a resin like CA that is hard to remelt and remove if the need ever arises in the future. Maybe use a more reversible thermoplastic resin next time to stabilize.

I think your ideas about stopping degradation and conserving are right on, great job.

Charlie

Way to go! If they all get sanded and buffed, no one would know what they really are supposed to look like at their age! I can appreciate the beauty in it! Thanks for sharing!

Hello, Legion:

I confess I like your idea of conservation over restoration. It's a question of age over beauty and, in this case, age should win. Well done, sir.

Regards,

Obie

I can definitely appreciate your desire to simply make the razor functional and leave its age showing. I personally would never toss functional original scales, restore over replace every time for me. This particular blade has a bit more damage than I'd try to tackle myself but it came out with a lot of personality. good work.

Sorry, not a fan either...

Two reasons
One, you already did enough restoration to make it not a "Museum piece" so that sorta blows that theory..
Two, I would never ever in a million years stick a sharp piece of dirty rusty steel on my face, you guys are daredevils, to me, and I am not a germ-a-phobe, but that is like going to the doctor and having him use an old needle to give me a shot or going to the dentist and have him use antique tools with rust and patina in my mouth.. "Tattoos with a rusty needle done here"..
Nope I have seen what that black stuff looks like under magnification, and you all can have them all, I don't care what you guys say that thing would never shave my face... and please don't even tell me "But the edge is clean"

Hmmmmmm maybe that's why I started restoring razors in the first place :)

Now if it were going to go in a display that is different, but then I would have just stabilized it against further degradation and sealed it up to look at...


Hint: From a gun nut, you really don't want to store that in leather, more guns have been destroyed that way than any other :)

Hmmmm... why isn't there a "not like" button... [shoots meanie eyes at Glen]

I love a razor with tarnish and pitting. The bubbly black tar (devil spit) on the spine I absolutely abhor, but I love the character of a blade's life preserved. I have a newish Dovo 6/8 "Best Quality" that attained some assymetrical staining (more on one side) from my 40+ minute shaves early on which I intend to keep as a record of my learning curve. Just a touch of MAAS to remove any trace of reactive oxidation, just to be sure. But not enough work to remove completely.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by AxelH

Hmmmm... why isn't there a "not like" button... [shoots meanie eyes at Glen]

I love a razor with tarnish and pitting. The bubbly black tar (devil spit) on the spine I absolutely abhor, but I love the character of a blade's life preserved. I have a newish Dovo 6/8 "Best Quality" that attained some assymetrical staining (more on one side) from my 40+ minute shaves early on which I intend to keep as a record of my learning curve. Just a touch of MAAS to remove any trace of reactive oxidation, just to be sure. But not enough work to remove completely.

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Daredevil !!!!

But as always the bottom line is, it isn't my razor, it is Legion's and he can do what he wants with it...

I don't very much like 200 years old razors to be mirror polished, unless one is going to use it for shaving. That polish ruins antique image of the razor. Some oldies should be only cleaned. There is enough younger blades for customs and different kind of restorations, which I like very much.

Attachment 69373

This razor is almost 200 years old. Look at the pins, scales. That's real antique. I'm not sure that it should be restored. Even very professional restoration. For restoration I can send two-three younger blades, at least 50-70 years younger.

It definitely adds character and shows age. I kept a greaves of mine unpolished for a similar reason.

That pouch is awesome! I would pay to have one of those :)

If it is at all possible to keep a razor in it's original condition, I will. I have a 3-bin set of drawers that I store all my to be honed/restored razors in. The top drawer is 'hone' only. The second drawer is for razors that have a little bit of rust or funk on them, and just need a little bit of cleaning. The third drawer is for razors with busted scales and rusted/pitted blades. I try to keep the top drawer as full as possible, and the bottom as empty. I don't want to feel as if I am defiling history by cleaning a razor that doesn't REALLY need it, but that's just me!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Sorry, not a fan either...

Two reasons
One, you already did enough restoration to make it not a "Museum piece" so that sorta blows that theory..
Two, I would never ever in a million years stick a sharp piece of dirty rusty steel on my face, you guys are daredevils, to me, and I am not a germ-a-phobe, but that is like going to the doctor and having him use an old needle to give me a shot or going to the dentist and have him use antique tools with rust and patina in my mouth.. "Tattoos with a rusty needle done here"..
Nope I have seen what that black stuff looks like under magnification, and you all can have them all, I don't care what you guys say that thing would never shave my face... and please don't even tell me "But the edge is clean"

Hmmmmmm maybe that's why I started restoring razors in the first place :)

Now if it were going to go in a display that is different, but then I would have just stabilized it against further degradation and sealed it up to look at...


Hint: From a gun nut, you really don't want to store that in leather, more guns have been destroyed that way than any other :)

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I see your point, and I understand. I think the razor should be pretty safe from germs. It has been sanded, then polished with Autosol, then Brasso. Brasso contains a fair percentage of ammonia, which will kill all the bugs (I hope:gl:).

I'm not planning to store it in the leather permanently. It will be in one of the boxes with all my other razors. I just thought it would look nice as an "accessory" which would look kind of period to the piece. I might make some more for travel purposes, though. They protect the razor quite well and "one size fits all". A lot of my razors have custom scales, so they would not fit in the travel cases commercially available.

I love my leather travel case for my razors for the same reason it fits customs scaled ones...

I actually wasn't thinking of the germs carried over after you cleaned it, I am thinking of the build up in the open spaces after you use it...
This is one of the biggest reasons I won't use "Rustiques" as some so quaintly call them... I am not afraid of old germs I don't want new ones going in those holes... Razor Rash ie: pseudofolliculitis barbae is just one... Just think on a microscopic level, and I start imagining all those flakes of skin and oils sitting in those rust holes...

I realize that many of you like old and historic razors, that is your choice, but myself I won't shave them, nothing at all wrong with collecting them and keeping them in original condition as found... but when people start talking about shaving them I get the heebie jeebies...

That is just one man's opinion there are plenty of people on both sides of this fence, heck let's really get the ball rolling and ask if you taped it when you honed it, and if you used a Coticule or a Norton :rofl2: :rofl2: :rofl2:

BTW I too think you did a great job on it :tu

Hmmm... food for thought. It might not hurt to give all the "rustiques" an alcohol swab before or after each use...

But then, when you think about it, even a polished new razor would look like the surface of the moon, on a microscopic germ level.

I'd actually be more worried about germs hiding in old horn, bone and wood scales transferring themselves to the blade when it is closed.

Oh well, something's gotta git ya.:gth

I think that razor looks great. To me, polishing that to a mirror would be like taking the statue of liberty back to a penny-brown copper. Perhaps that's what she looked like many years ago, but she wears her green well as an older lady.

Different strokes for different folks, I suppose. Whatever one's thoughts are on the degree to which something should be restored, I don't think there's much doubt that you did a top-notch job with what you intended to do.

After reading this thread, I realized that I have several old pitted razors on display, not as extreme as this one. I am reminded of a recent post where the poster got one which was perfectly rusted and made it look awesome! I, personally, would not come close to shaving with any of them, but I suppose it would be ok! We DO shave with the edge and not the face of the blade!(I Hope!) I would use Comet with bleach and an old toothbrush!:rofl2:

On the matter of germs: I am no biologist by any means, only a humble chemist, but I can't even fathom the number of germs we come into contact with on a daily basis. Sure, maybe the act of using a razor increases the chance that some of these nasty buggers will make it under your skin, but would it really be that much different than giving your neck a good scratch with your fingernails? Also, can bacteria/germs live very long on a razor? I know that my rotation is large enough that it could be 2-3 weeks before I even think about getting back to a razor another time.

There is an interesting argument here, granted I only so far have shaved with blades in shiny condition due to the fact that I have yet to take on the challenge of a blade beyond a certain amount of degradation. I personally am not as worried about the germs in the pitting since the blade could be sterilized before shaving. I would be concerned if there was a danger of getting rust in a wound if, heaven forbid, I should cut myself while shaving with it.

perhaps this is a discussion that should be moved to out of the workshop gallery and into a forum that may get us a reply from anyone with the education to offer more facts on the matter, if we have such a member on these boards. I would certainly prefer an opinion from someone more educated on such a subject.

Well, I just shaved with the razor, and it worked really really well. Very smooth and easy. To say I'm pleased, especially after the trouble I had honing it, would be an understatement. The coolest part was, while I was shaving away I thought to myself about the last time this razor was used. Probably, what? 180? 190 years ago? There's not much wear on it, other than age. From an Australian perspective that is almost convict times. It is well before the American Civil War. And with a bit of elbow grease it still works like it should, and I did not have to replace a thing. It gets my imagination going, that's for sure.

I probably won't use it all the time. I have too many razors for that. But it is nice to know that if I wanted to I could, and it shaves just as well as a brand new razor after almost two centuries.

From the title I expected even less of a clean up but then you might have been scared to shave with it :p
Looks much cleaner than the couple of old JNO Baker Bengalls they have/had at the Powerhouse museum in Sydney :)

They have W Jno Bakers on display at the Powerhouse? Cool. My first shorty was 2/3 of one of them, after a Dremel "incident".

They did . I don't know if they still have them there. There's been one or two posted as restores. Always looked better than the museum ones to me hehe.