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

I have a razor that I suspect might be a re-grind. It is a hollow grind Sheffield that has some scratches that are perpendicular to the edge. I don't really care, as it is a good shaver, but I was curious as to the typical signs of such a blade.

What are the typical indications that a blade has been reground?

One might be if it's hollow-ground, with a barber's notch.

Picture??????

Usually where the blade and the tang meet looks out of proportion. I've got a W&B regrind for sale on ebay now. If you have a look at the pictures of it, you'll see what I mean. The tang looks to be from a thick wedge but the blade is a hollow grind.

Wade and Butcher Straight Razor Shave Ready | eBay

Originally Posted by johnmrson

Usually where the blade and the tang meet looks out of proportion. I've got a W&B regrind for sale on ebay now. If you have a look at the pictures of it, you'll see what I mean. The tang looks to be from a thick wedge but the blade is a hollow grind.

Wade and Butcher Straight Razor Shave Ready | eBay

Here's the best photo I was able to take. The top razor shows a little what I'm talking about, vertical scratches that are 'mostly' buffed out. They both have them, despite what the pic might show.

Do not care what the experts say,IMO is no way to tell if a razor has been re-ground

Those scratches can come from sanding i.e. restoration , not necessarily a regrind.

The Rodgers is hard to tell, it looks newer and may have come hollow. The WB is most likely reground. That particular type would have had a shallower grind new. Without seeing it in hand it's hard to tell buffer marks vs grind marks. There's a small discussion that's related over on this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/show-...air-ivory.html

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Do not care what the experts say,IMO is no way to tell if a razor has been re-ground

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.

Good question OP,,,,I've been waiting myself to see the answers to this thread.