Thread: How did the old-timers sharpen their e-bay razors?

I have what to some might be a stupid question: What the heck did shavers use to sharpen their toys back in olden times before the Norton waterstone?

I’ve heard it said that those little razor hones are only good for touch up. I’ve also heard that Arkansas stones, even black and translucent ones are the wrong tool. Did the old timers use these or did they just suffer with/from dull razors? Actually, now that I think about it, a lot of 19th century portraits suggest that shaving was a low priority for many men. Mmmm…

I remain curious &C

Library Guy

They used the classics:

Belgian Coticlues and Blue stones, barber hones and paddle and loom strops with red and black pastes.

The rest of them grew beards.

(addendum: They along came Lynn <g>)

Tony

If you go on Ebay you'll see what they used. There are more varieties of vintage barber hones and stones than you could imagine. An edge can be started on a fine to ultrafine, which they had available. There are even some medium hones that are pretty good that way.


From the evidence I've seen and from what I learned from an old time barber, men generally used barber hones and strops (pasted and unpasted) to maintain their razors. When the razors became dull they either brought them to a barber or a shop to hone. In between, the barber hone or pasted strop provided all the honing they needed. If they used them to keep the razor keen it would be a long time between trips to the shop for major honing.

I'm also curious how they become so dull as the Ebay razors we see. They are shaving ready one day, perhaps start to pull. Then blam! You stop shaving with them. 10-20 years later they end up on Ebay duller then a door knob. Technically impossible to accomplish via shaving. You couldn't shave with a razor 1/2 as dull. So am I to believe they are sharp and placed in a closet and they dull over time?

I think most people took they're blades to a hone shop, the local hardware store or bought their own hones.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I'm also curious how they become so dull as the Ebay razors we see. They are shaving ready one day, perhaps start to pull. Then blam! You stop shaving with them. 10-20 years later they end up on Ebay duller then a door knob. Technically impossible to accomplish via shaving. You couldn't shave with a razor 1/2 as dull. So am I to believe they are sharp and placed in a closet and they dull over time?

I have evidence that it's something like that. I've had old razors from Ebay that I sharpened to make useable, but they weren't great. Under 100x I noticed that the edges were crumbling microscopically when I tried to finish them with an 8K or finer hone. The result was that the edge looked uneven an had micro-chips at that magnification.

I then worked the razor aggressively to put a new edge on it (fresh metal), and they sharpened up beautifully keen with no problem. At 100x the edge was smooth and straight. My conclusion is that the edge had oxidized metal and didn't really become keen until I put a clean metal edge on it.

Just about every antique razor I got from ebay that wasn't NOS had that problem to some extent and improved when I put an edge of fresh metal on it.

Thats my experience with NOS too. That makes sense. Thanx

I think also alot of these Eboy revenge razors have been sitting in someones basement or attic or been pushed around loose in boxes for years and if the humidity and time didn't do them in the pushing and justling damaged the edges. Also who knows what people have been doing with these razors over the years, using them as box cutters maybe!

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I'm also curious how they become so dull as the Ebay razors we see. They are shaving ready one day, perhaps start to pull. Then blam! You stop shaving with them. 10-20 years later they end up on Ebay duller then a door knob. Technically impossible to accomplish via shaving. You couldn't shave with a razor 1/2 as dull. So am I to believe they are sharp and placed in a closet and they dull over time?

I think most people took they're blades to a hone shop, the local hardware store or bought their own hones.

During all those years in storage the razors experienced what all steel does. It oxidised, rusted. Since the very edge is the place of greatest exposure that is where the greatest effect is. I agree with Joe Lerch. You have to get rid of the oxidised metal and get back to "good steel". Then you will get a good edge.

Just my two cents,

Some of you may have read that I started shaving at age 10 with a str8. My great uncle taught me. When I received my own first razor from my mom's aunt in England, it was a Joseph Allen and sons Medium Hollow (which, last year I was able to replace exactly, from Tony Miller. Thanks again Tony!)
With my razor I received a stone, which I now know was a Belgian Yellow. I did not know what it was at the time, and I received a horse hide strop also from England...... just some history.

My uncle answered this same question for me about "old-timers" sharpening their own razors and he related what his father and grandfather did, at different times.
They would ....
use a fine stone, then had a strop into which a handful of ash from the fireplace, or stove, was rubbed into. (Like us using pastes today) Then they used the very fine strop, for finishing the edge.
If they put a knick in the blade that they didn't feel competent to repair... they would take the razor to the barber, or to the blacksmith, to be rehoned.
Uncle said the razors made the trip to the barber about once every year, or so.

It was the ash on the strop that struck me as similar to the pastes that I find interesting. Carbon (in the ash) sharpening Carbon steel makes sense.

- Gramps

Gramps,
Thanks for the history (glad I could help with the razor). Over Xmas I wa talking to my father-in-law (82yo) about shaving and he remembered his father using a hanging strop before each shave. He also remembered that ever once in a while he would stand at the bedroom dresser with a little tiny strop laying on top of it and strop the razor. As he said this he animated what would look like typical honing movements so I suspect the tiny strop was a barber hone or a small paddle strop with abrasives.

Although I had watched my grandfather shave I was too young to remember the details but I do still use his mug.

Tony