Thread: Is this blade worth saving?

I just picked this razor up a couple of days ago. This blade appears to have been severely honed, the heel is about 1/8" gone, compared to the toe, and what's left of the edge is seriously wired. I'm guessing someone just abused it then got rid of it. Being extra hollow, the edge is so far gone at the heel that it's encroaching into the slightly convex portion that runs parallel to the edge of the blade. I'm not needing any honing practice, and if I can just straighten out the edge by breadknifing and then honing it properly, then maybe it will shave. But if it's junk, then I'd rather spend my time on one that's worth the effort. I'd think that to straighten the edge at this stage would mean removing a sizeable amount of steel all along the edge to make the toe and the heel measure the same width. What do you guys think? Be honest, I can take it! Thanks!

Unless my eyes deceive me I don't see anything wrong with that blade as is . Just hone it. Don't breadknife it whatever you do. If it is narrower at the heel than at the point that is no big thing.

Jimmy, I can do that, but what I don't say in my description, and what the photo doesn't clearly show is that there are two relatively straight areas along the edge, meeting in the middle. If I put it edge down on a level surface, it is like a mild teeter totter, or what they used to call a "see saw", for lack of a better description. It's not a gentle uniform smiling curve, which is what I thought it had when I first saw it. What kind of a challenge, if any, does that present?

I cannot see what you are talking about in the photo or visualize it in my mind's eye. I know you've probably seen the 1961 barber manual excerpt here. On page 24, fig. 19 is a good drawing of what they consider an ideal blade profile. I would shoot for that if possible.

I believe that might be exactly what I've been looking for. Much obliged Jimmy. I'll take some time and work on it, then I'll be back here to post the results.