Thread: How To Tell If A Razor Ia A Re-grind

To add to this with some photos. It is, often, quite easy to tell a regrind. There's also different degrees of regrind - sometimes the razor was modernized and given a full hollow grind (and sometimes had a shoulder cut, which is seen on some 1700s razors that wouldn't have had shoulders originally), and sometimes it was just a light touch to the wheel to get rust off and make a new shiny surface.

This one shows characteristic rough grind marks, as well as a non-straight line. Very unclean, obviously not the factory work:



This is a very well done regrind, but the razor is from the early 1800s and would not have been hollow ground. You can see here also the shoulder has been ground in to make it more pronounced:



It's hard to see in the photo, but this Wostenholm had a touch of crocus (mirror) polish left that the grinder missed:



From a changeable-blade set, this one has the same thing; where it's hard to get into the shoulder area, the original polish is still visible. Note also, the change in angle of the grind along the height of the blade, visible as a change in shades as you look bottom to top:



This blade was originally a rattler or faux-frameback type; you can see the oxidized surface of the old grind, and also see how rough the job was:

Here's a few more.

Joseph Smith, note the irregularly rounded edges and characteristic rough grind marks:



W. Greaves and Sons, very rough grinding:



AUX, pretty rough job. This one has been disassembled and ground all over the tang and tail as well. You can see the finger-like rusting that often comes as a result of the deep rough grind marks:



Rayson, very rough job overall. Rounded all over except the tail and near the pivot, because it was not taken apart:



Note divots and changes in surface angle:



Overall, things to look for:

-regrind marks. Once you've seen them, you'll know. Very regular, very tight fine marks, but not an original surface finish.
-changes in angle that seem odd
-rounding accompanied by the grind marks
-spots where the surface finish is different, that the grinder may have missed
-anachronistic hollow grinding
-change in angle on the bottom of the tang (mostly for pre-1800 razors that have been given a shoulder)

If you see lateral marks, or grind marks that are not very regular and tightly spaced, then all bets are off. Could be sanded or buffed, but buffer marks generally don't really look like regrind marks.

For the most part razors were used and abused, and regrinding was VERY common to prolong the life of them. The regrinders often used one-grit wheels that left rough and deep (relative to factory) marks. It wasn't an original fine finish, but it got rid of old hone wear, got oxidation off and left the blade shiny.

Contrast this to a very clean original crocus finish:

Those are great examples. Here's my commentary on the one that is original


and the regrind that shows most of the typical tell-tale signs:


As a rule of thumb original blade has four main surfaces - the blade, the shank, the tapering of the shank - four if you count the spine. Any two of these meet at a straight line or if one of the surfaces is curved at a line with single smooth natural curvature. Of course some fancy razors would have more embellishments, but it is pretty clear when those are part of the razor design (symmetry/balance) and not a side effect from post-factory regrind.

Originally Posted by gugi

I am not an expert, but a little common sense does tell you if it's a regrind or not.
Grinding a razor while technically demanding is not particularly complicated. We're talking production razors here, not customs where one could grind at this or that angle to get something special.
On a production razor there is a wheel, that creates a hollow and there is the geometry of the blank. As a result from the simple hollowing at few angles there are obvious lines where two surfaces meet.

So, first look at the top razor - at the tang there is a diagonal line below the stamp. That line originally went all the way to the spine, and the transition between the spine and the tang was sharp, not the present rounded corner. Plus the shank is way too beefy for a blade that narrow and that hollow. This was originally a wedge and looked like say
http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...s%22_5/8_Wedge

Same with the one below, during the regrind they left a shoulder but you can see the exact same issues. Here's what a factory hollow ground rodgers looks like:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...rg_Ring%22_5/8

Notice the sharp angle where the shoulder meets the spine and how the size of the shank is commensurate with the blade.

So, yes, regrinds are usually easy to spot and usually because the execution is sloppier than the original factory production, especially on top brands like rodgers. And most restored razors are equally sloppily done and the sharp original lines are all blurred from excessive rounding.

Thanks for your detailed analysis and explanation.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Here's a few more.

Joseph Smith, note the irregularly rounded edges and characteristic rough grind marks:



W. Greaves and Sons, very rough grinding:



AUX, pretty rough job. This one has been disassembled and ground all over the tang and tail as well. You can see the finger-like rusting that often comes as a result of the deep rough grind marks:



Rayson, very rough job overall. Rounded all over except the tail and near the pivot, because it was not taken apart:



Note divots and changes in surface angle:



Overall, things to look for:

-regrind marks. Once you've seen them, you'll know. Very regular, very tight fine marks, but not an original surface finish.
-changes in angle that seem odd
-rounding accompanied by the grind marks
-spots where the surface finish is different, that the grinder may have missed
-anachronistic hollow grinding
-change in angle on the bottom of the tang (mostly for pre-1800 razors that have been given a shoulder)

If you see lateral marks, or grind marks that are not very regular and tightly spaced, then all bets are off. Could be sanded or buffed, but buffer marks generally don't really look like regrind marks.

For the most part razors were used and abused, and regrinding was VERY common to prolong the life of them. The regrinders often used one-grit wheels that left rough and deep (relative to factory) marks. It wasn't an original fine finish, but it got rid of old hone wear, got oxidation off and left the blade shiny.

Contrast this to a very clean original crocus finish:

As above, thanks so much.