Thread: Looking for some opinions on a new ebay find

My new (to me) razor just arrived today! The seller said this is an English razor, the tang is stamped Silver Steel Warranted. The scales are kind of beat up, and I would like to replace them at some point (once I learn how). but for now my main concern is getting this blade in shaving condition so I can learn to use it. There are some small stains scattered around, and one small rust patch at the tip of the spine.




The blade is 3/4" from spine to edge, 3/8" across the spine


Tried to get a picture of the profile but my camera wouldn't focus. It looks like a wedge though




there is a very small chip at the tip of the blade (it's almost easier to see on the shadow)

The blade feels very sharp, but I don't know how to test if it is shave ready. I'm looking for advice on how to test if it is shave ready, and how to get it into service. Also if anyone has any thoughts on the history of this razor, I would be very interested to know anything about this blade.

Thanks!

Step one is to send out to a pro honer or find a mentor near you for a one-on-one honing session so you can see exactly what has to be done to get a shaveable edge.
Step two is learning how to shave with a sense of satisfaction. Learn your face and beard growth patterns. Step three is to slowly approach learning to refresh the razor's edge when it starts to pull. And all along learning how to strop so as not to destroy the strop and immediately dull the razor.

As for the razor, if it is a wedge there is no way in hell on a roundtrip that you could successfully hone it. Many of the pros charge extra for a wedge because it presents it's own set of difficulties.

As far as figuring out if it is shave ready a thumb pad test and a hanging hair test should suffice. It's a bit of an ugly duckling but there is just something about it that makes me think it's a little older than average but not crazy old.

I think that blade is far from a resto,put her down.

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

Step one is to send out to a pro honer or find a mentor near you for a one-on-one honing session so you can see exactly what has to be done to get a shaveable edge.

Are there any mentors or pro honers in the Mahopac, NY area?

Originally Posted by Razorfeld

As for the razor, if it is a wedge there is no way in hell on a roundtrip that you could successfully hone it. Many of the pros charge extra for a wedge because it presents it's own set of difficulties.

What makes a wedge so difficult to hone?

check the classifieds, members services section. Wedges require more material to be removed and that one looks to require a lot of gymnastics to get a proper bevel set and polished

Originally Posted by gkofsky

Are there any mentors or pro honers in the Mahopac, NY area?

Go to the members list. Right hand side. Advanced search. Type in Mahopac, NY. If not successful type in cities/towns near you. Quite a few in NY alone. A good mentor will hone a razor for you to get you started.

RezDog explained the wedge problem.

This one is not just a matter of being a wedge. It looks like there are some serious grind issues (it has been attacked by a grinder, but it's hard to see what exactly happened to the geometry - though quite a lot. Note how the two sides are not symmetrical, especially at the heel, and all the other weird grind marks). In some places it looks like the wear goes near halfway across the blade. A honer would probably have to spend many hours on this one. If it were mine I would relegate it to the parts pile.

If you're starting out, it's generally recommended that you pick up a razor that's already shave ready - there are a ton of people who sell these pretty cheaply in the classifieds.

Originally Posted by gkofsky

What makes a wedge so difficult to hone?

Removing all that material and getting a proper angle on the edge is what makes it so hard to hone. If you sent that blade to me, I would send it back with a "thanks, but no thanks". I recommend sticking taht one in a drawer and coming back to it when you are a honing veteran. Find a 5/8 or 6/8 sized razor 1/4-full hollow razor for your first one.

Originally Posted by gkofsky

Are there any mentors or pro honers in the Mahopac, NY area?

What makes a wedge so difficult to hone?

Send a PM to Bayamontate. You will never shave with a better edge after he is finished. He is nearby. Better still or in addition join us at the March 1st meeting in Valley Stream. You can meet him and many of the others in the area. Good food, good coffee, better company and trust me you will learn A LOT. It got me going last fall when I started with straights.