Having trouble bringing an old razor back to shave ready.

Hi there. As the title says Im having a deuce of a time bringing an Acron back to life. it had some slight pitting and surface rust which I managed to get out and then tried to put an edge on it, Thought I had done a semi decent job but when it came time to try it out, Well... lets say it wasn't pleasant or pretty, That being said I was wondering I have noticed that a lot of SE dont have much of a shoulder on them but this Acron has. Should I take it off and restart? Like go back to a 1k and have another bash at getting it right? Sorry for the lack of pictures as my camera is on the fritz.

More then likely the bevel is not set correctly, i would go back to the 1k and start over. And stay on it until it shaves arm hair easilly then move on.

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Originally Posted by Martin103

More then likely the bevel is not set correctly, i would go back to the 1k and start over. And stay on it until it shaves arm hair easilly then move on.

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Do this exactly.

Thanks guys this is fun in a frustrating sort of way. I am having to learn a whole new method of honing from my knife held on an angle to this. Going to be good once I crack it

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Originally Posted by Pipesmokanz

Thanks guys this is fun in a frustrating sort of way. I am having to learn a whole new method of honing from my knife held on an angle to this. Going to be good once I crack it

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Was recently in the same boat, 40 years of sharpening knives and I had no clue how to go about honing a razor. Spend some time with some stones, find some cheap razors to practice on (the unloved old hardware store razors on ebay are a cheap resource) and you'll be off to the races. There is a cross-over of skills between razor sharpening and knife sharpening, you just need to discover what these are and are not.

The importance of puttin' in work on the 1k and setting a good bevel cannot be overstated. It is the key. The rest is downhill. One stroke at 1k is exponentially more effective than 1000 strokes at 12k on an edge that's hurtin'. It's not uncommon for me to spend 4 or 5 hours setting a bevel on a ratty and beat up razor. Progressing through 4k, 8k, 12k and then a J-Nat for finishing typically takes about 15 minutes.

But developing a little skill with your hones is pretty rewarding. Always a good feeling to know you're not dependent on the skills of others to maintain your gear :gl:

Agreed with above - setting the bevel on some of the old razors can be really tough and take some serious time! I had two Bengall through the same auction - the first took an edge very easily; the second took me hours just on the 1k / lower end pyramid. Just keep a good form and don't get impatient with it or try too much pressure and it'll get there (assuming of course that the steel hasn't been compromised).

Also glad to see that the Acron razor I was watching went to a fellow straight razor place buyer!

Thanks for the kind words and encouragement guys. And I am going to perservere with it Also the local second hand store has some old blades that I am planning on buying, Saves trying to outbid online ;)

Very good - I've found the antique stores in the south island to have the best selection and best prices, so I'll look forward to seeing some interesting blades from you in the coming months!