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  1. #1
    Senior Member AirColorado's Avatar
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    Default Rodgers - Half Re-ground?!?!?!

    I know, that reads really strange. Here's the scoop. I picked up a nice 3/4 Rodgers on the bay that looked like either a wedge or quarter hollow. The pics showed a clean and easy to restore blade with just a little staining and minor pitting that I'm OK with sanding myself. In sum it looks like a blade I'd use regularly, so I bid accordingly and won it. Here's a link to it:
    Antique Straight Razor "JOSEPH RODGERS & SONS" BIGBLADE - eBay (item 320439333860 end time Oct-25-09 20:03:24 PDT)

    It arrived today and as I was inspecting it, something about the blade geometry just didn't "feel" right. I cleaned up the little staining with some MAAS and felt wheel and got out the hones to keen it up. The moment I laid the blade on the stone it was obvious that it was a wedge, so went to look for the electrical tape. I laid the blade on the stone again but this time I put the other side face down - and it had magically turned into a quarter ground! I then looked at both sides much more carefully and realized that while the back side of the blade was still a wedge, the face side had been reground to a quarter hollow!

    So I have 2 questions that I hope someone here here might be able to help with:

    First, I like the blade and would love to keep it - but - how to hone it? Is there ANY way to hone a blade that has 2 different grinds, and if so, how might I go about that.

    Second, (and this is a bit strange) since there are 2 different grinds, I became a little curious as to what else might be off-kilter with it. The only thing I could find was that the maker's mark is not deeply embedded like most all other Rogers' that I have. It APPEARS to have been laser etched but I'm not familiar enough with that technique to be sure. My point is, if the mark was indeed laser etched, and since there were no lasers back in 1890 or whenever this was made, well, I'm not sure what to think. I suspect you can possibly see it clearly enough in the 3rd photo. It LOOKS valid but the depth is exceptionally shallow, almost a surface thing with no depth. Also the star or asterisk next to the iron cross is very uneven when viewed live (it's not too obvious in the photo).

    Thanks in advance for any insight that you may be able to shed on this. The seller is one that I've always had good dealings with in the past so I'm not suggesting any funny business there. I just want to make sure that if there's a way to reasonably hone this that I know about it before I ask to return it. Also I'm a little curious about the maker's mark as how that might have been created - mainly to be sure it's really a Rodgers.

    It's a nice looker but if it can't be honed then it's of no worth to anyone.

  2. #2
    Senior Member livingontheedge's Avatar
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    Default

    Sounds like a microtome, check the wiki they may have info.
    John

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    AirColorado (10-31-2009)

  4. #3
    Senior Member AirColorado's Avatar
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    Default

    I went to the Wiki but not there. Though I did manage to find one example of the Rodgers & Son maker's mark that's similar to this one. Given that the face side of the blade was almost assuredly reground, it could be that the mark was ground as well and resulted in it being very shallow now. I'll consider that part solved.

    I researched microtomes a bit. As I understand it, a microtome is expressly for taking tissue samples. But I'd think that a blade this wide would be a bit heavy for taking tissue samples, but it could be I guess. I couldn't locate any similar grinds in the Wiki but I'm not sure what to call this grind combination. As I look at the grind scratches it's obvious that the face side was either sanded or reground at some point after the original grinding. There's a definite difference in the scratch pattern from one side to the other. Well, the search continues.

    At this point, regardless as to why the grinds differ, how does one hone this bugger???

  5. #4
    Hones/Honing/Master Barber avatar1999's Avatar
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    Default

    Yeah, it's a microtome. Can tell from the auction pics.

    They're made that way for slicing thin layers of flesh.

    Other ppl have picked them up and sharpened them to shave with, but from what I hear, they can potentially be a pain to hone up.

    Nice find tho

    *EDIT* Search the forums for "microtome". You should pull up several threads.

    also, ask JimmyHAD. He has honed one up I know...others have as well, but I can't remember who atm.

    Here's one thread just real fast http://straightrazorpalace.com/advan...microtome.html
    Last edited by avatar1999; 10-31-2009 at 01:54 AM.

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    AirColorado (10-31-2009)

  7. #5
    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Yeah, that looks like a microtome to me. Actually it is pretty neat to shave with once honed. No flex in the blade on one of those. Good price on that one too.
    Be careful how you treat people on your way up, you may meet them again on your way back down.

  8. #6
    Senior Member AirColorado's Avatar
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    Thanks gents! I just read Jimmy's thread and am also now convinced that this is a microtome. After reading about how to actually hone this, I've decided to send it back to it's original home. Sounds like a tremendous effort to get it in shape.

    If I could place tape on just one side and hone it normally I might go for it, but as it stands, one would have to tape the wedge side, hone it to some level, remove the tape and turn it over and get the other side to match. Then keep doing it until the bevels are even. Then you do it all over again for the polishing phase. Too much work!

    Anyway thanks again - you saved me a ton of work (and $50 or so).

    EDIT: It DID just occur to me that if said seller is in the house :-) then if he offered to hone this bad boy up to smooth and shave ready status I could maybe keep it.... :-)

  9. #7
    Know thyself holli4pirating's Avatar
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    I've honed one too. Mine, unlike Jimmy's, was totall flat on the flat ground side (from the spine to the edge, one plane). I taped a toothpick to the top of the spine on the back side such that the concave side of the spine was also taped and honed it like that. It was something of a pain, but it worked and shaved.

    If you're thinking that Ebay Jimbo is our Jimbo, think again. Ours is in Australia, last I checked. Though I suppose ebay Jimbo could be some other member.

  10. #8
    Senior Member AirColorado's Avatar
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    Holli I DID think that was our Jim but also then noticed the literal "worlds apart" locations.

    Still no word back from the seller, but I sometimes drop off the grid for a few days and don't check email, so let's see how it goes Monday or Tuesday. This puppy is going back. The seller has a few blades up for auction so maybe he'll put one up that I like and we can just call it even - saves us both some time and effort - except for shipping it back and the time I've wasted figuring this out. After reading about different ways guys have honed them, I can probably get this keen, but I just don't have the time. It looks nice, but I bought a straight razor, not a microtome!

  11. #9
    Know thyself holli4pirating's Avatar
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    Just be prepared, he may say "pictures are part of the description and I thought it was a straight razor so that's what I wrote... etc etc." But he does have a good rating, so maybe he'll work with you. Here's hoping it works out for you.

  12. #10
    Senior Member AirColorado's Avatar
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    Yeah Holli I'd bought a few blades from him in the past and he was fine. But unfortunately he didn't even go that direction you suggest. I just got a message where he maintains that it was sold "as is" even though it's not a straight razor. Hmmm seems like misrepresentation in the description regardless if he knew it or now. Seems that once a buyer points that out that the seller would make it right. I just sent another message offering a few solutions - let's see how he responds.

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