Thanks for the advice. From what I can see, the rust is mostly superficial; but I'm far from an expert. I've don't lots of knife making/ resto work, but as I've previously said I know little to nothing about straight razors. I shave with one about once a week, but that's about it. I've got a few hones, the finest is 10k. Should I start there, or start with a course grit and work up? Or, should I just sent it out to see what a pro can do?

The question still remains; even if this thing is just a letter opener, at $35 (for a useable strop and useless razor) did I score, or should I kick myself?