Thread: Greetings from Ontario

Hi all. New straight razor owner/operator here just wanting to say yo.
Got lucky I think on a couple of eBay purchase and have an Ontario Cutlery "easy cutter" that I acquired in really good condition. Also scored a Boker "Adonis" with a one piece carved set of scales with a raised tree logo that wasn't as pretty when I got her, but after some tlc she too is really a nice looking blade.



Anybody with some knowledge of their age, I'd appreciate hearing from you.
Thanks all.
great site. Lots of info to learn from.

mike

Welcome Mike.. This is the top spot for info for sure. There a clubs for almost all razor brands with pics and info on those brands. I also use the on board search which as you will see opens the door to many a post about whatever topic you put in there. Here is what I put in>>> Ontario Cutlery "easy cutter"
And here is the first link. >>> http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...o-cutlery.html

Welcome! Check out Phill for honing (The Classic Edge Shaving Store Your Straight Razor Specialists.), he's in Stony Creek. Fendrihan is another good local vendor, no honing from them but really good service

Welcome to SRP, Mike

Thanks for the welcome, I look forward to learning from the group.
As seen above I have a vintage Boker and Ontario Cutlery razor I have acquired to learn on. I also have a carborundum #152 razor hone I picked up in new condition as well as a Norton JB8 Pike oil stone that I've used on my kitchen cutlery for years.
While the Boker was able to develop an edge on the 152 with relative ease, I f--ked up the Ontario abit with my dremel while polishing out some pitting near the tip. The cotton wheel grabbed the edge and I dinged the edge with the dremel shaft and left a 1/8" divot!!
So, I breadboarded the razor back to true flat on the side of my JB8 and have been working on restoring the bevel ever since.
I use mineral oil on my JB8 and used the coarse side and three layers of tape on the spine to rebuild the bevel. Well, after running up through the JB8 and the 152 with lather on it, I still cannot seem to develop an edge that will cut. I have used laps and X pattern honing and have moved from some to no pressure as I moved up through the grits and yet, will not cut hair on my arm or face. I use a lit surface scope from radio shack to view my edge and it looks like my bevel has been rebuilt from either side but I cannot see it 'straight on'.
Its almost like the stones stopped removing metal or its a crazy hard steel blade.
From what I've read on here most folks use under 10 strokes on their barber hones to get their edge. So I figure after about 6 hrs of work (not in a row) and 200+ strokes without developing the edge, I'm doing it wrong or using the wrong equipment.
I am looking for someone local I can take one, or both of these razors too to get the initial honing done. Maybe I will learn what I'm doing wrong. Lynn and Gssixgun make it look so easy in their video's I'm at a loss.

I tried going back to a 320 grit wet sand paper on the Ontario and was finally able to get an edge developed. From there I went back to the barber hone and tried only 20 laps of each side and finished on my 12k wet stone.
Still can't cut my hanging hair or cut off above the flesh, but i can shave with it at skin level without effort or burn. Having no previous comparison as far as razor sharp I am happy? with the results but will hone it every few shaves and see where these can go..
Cheers..

Hey , nice looking razors!

I'm not sure where in Ontario you are but if you're close and available you should try and make it to this .

http://straightrazorpalace.com/get-t...o-meet-up.html

This is a great time to hang out,drink,eat and learn about straights. Learn honing techniques and anything else. Show off collections, whatever it's just a bunch of dudes who love to get together and and talk to straight razors and other nonsense for an afternoon. The knowledge you'll gain is incredible.

Rick

Hey Mike
Welcome & like Rick said .... hope you can come
Mike

Thanks for the invite Rick, and I got the address Mike so thx for that as well.i hope to be able to make the trek and meet/learn from you folks.
Stopped in the west end tonight at lee valley and grabbed a few things to give me an edge up, as it were.
Grabbed a DMT 8" 600/1200 grit duo sharp stone, as well as some veritas compound and a pocket 210/600 grit folding hone for portable edge maintenance on my leatherman and other tools.
When I got home I redid both razors with a strip of tape on the spine, starting on the 1200 dmt to finally establish a good bevel. It only took 20 x swipes with no more than light pressure and my left hand lightly on the blade midpoint ensuring spine contact to grind off the material I was seemingly not removing at the higher grits, or even on the pike oil stones.
I then hit the barber hone for 20 strokes at each grit and ended up doing about 40 on the 12000 grit. 50 strops on just leather and they both seem quite sharp to me now.
If I make it down in sept I look forward to some sharpness comparisons to really help me develop a base line.
I guess the good thing about the hours wasted honing over the last few nights was good practice and I never buggered an edge with the stones.
But it also proves to me anyway that what everyone says is true, if you rush through your grits before getting that bevel established, and clean metal meeting from each side, you are wasting your time..
Thanks all.

Hi! There are some razors on the classifed right now at really low prices that come shave ready if you want to compare. Straight Razors - Straight Razor Place Classifieds
Some really good deals right now!

Anyways nice catch on the Boker Adonis.
I really love Boker razors.