My oxidized-edge, Norton 4k/8k adventure
Summary: I dealt with my first oxidized edge (I think that's what it was), with good results, using the Norton 4k/8k. Feedback from the more experienced is definitely welcome!
Background: In 2006-07, I purchased my Anchor Bros "Fraternity" #33 shave-ready (some surface pitting away from the edge) from an eBay dealer known to the honemeisters on this site. A few months later, Lynn honed it up again. I went on to get a few years of good shaves from it, refreshing it occasionally with light pyramids on the Norton 4k/8k. So, I know the razor once had a good foundation.
I then left the razor in a drawer for 2-3 years, honed it up recently and got a few more nice shaves from it, then WHAM: raw, burnt face. I looked at the edge under 60x magnification with a light, and found 8-12 round "bites" taken out of the edge, coming in as much as maybe 1/10th the width of the bevel. I figured my improper storage had allowed the edge to oxidize, and it was crumbling after a little honing and stropping.
Restoration: Since the razor came to me with substantial hone wear, I first used two layers of electric tape on the spine. I began doing "cycles" on the 4k: each "cycle" was 40-60 circles on each side, 5-10 straight-ahead strokes with the heel forward on each side, then 5-10 laps of X-strokes. I did my cycles with moderate-to-firm pressure. It took a LOT of cycles to remove metal through the oxidation, but I saw a little progress after each cycle, and also saw the rest of the edge fall nicely into a uniform straight edge. (So, I knew I was getting into good metal.) I lost count of "cycles," but it was slow cutting, probably around 20 cycles or more.
After I had an even edge with no "bites" out of it under the 60k magnification, I removed one layer of tape, and continued cycles until the bevel adapted to the single layer of tape. At this point, it passed the TNT but didn't shave arm hair at the skin reliably. I brought pressure down to moderate until it cut arm hair at or slightly above the skin. I brought pressure to light, doing a few cycles until it cut arm hair slightly above the skin reliably. I brought pressure to "very light," doing a few cycles until it cut arm hair at tree-top height fairly reliably and "popped" it nicely at mid-height (depending on the patch of hair). I then did a few light-to-very-light cycles on the 8k, followed by some light 4k/8k pyramids.
I stropped 50 on linen and 100 on leather, then looked at it under magnification to be sure it wasn't crumbling again. I test-shaved a single days' growth, my skin still slightly raw from the abuse it had taken the day before. Man, I have NEVER had such a sharp blade from my own honing: my facial hair screamed and threw itself voluntarily into the sink. I put my attention to putting NO PRESSURE on my skin, and had an unbelievable shave. My skin was a little raw and tight after, predictably given what it had been through the day before. I'll see how smooth the blade really is after my face heals another day or two, and will take it back to some light refresher strokes on the 8k if needed.
