Thread: My new Sprock razor, what to do?

Hi there guys,

Today i got my new Sprock from Sheffield England in the mail. its about 9/16th. barely a smile, its smile is about 1,5mm or what would be between 1/16th and 3/64th in fractions. it cost me 10 euro's + 2 (13,38 USD total) euro's for shipping, i found it on a online marketplace.

Its pretty shiny, and i don't think polishing will do more good than bad. it has some black spots, but i wouldn't go as far as call it pitting, because i am sure i can buff them off easily.

The razor is cutting arm hairs, but not quite shave ready. I think i will go for some x-strokes on my 200x60 select la veinette coticule with clear water, and finish on a leather belt without compound. the black dots and minor surface rust doesn't bother me, or my face for that matter.

What would you do with it? Keep it for the collection, or get it shave ready, and how?



I would love to hear what you think.

have a nice day,

Axium

I believe Sprock was a trademark of ERN. I would clean, hone and enjoy. I have had a few that I sold. Honed up they were great shavers. Good luck.

my personal collection is made up of mostly razors i've obtained for $20 dollars and less. they are not all perfect but it gives me great joy to find a good deal (anybody can pay retail). if that were mine i'd polish, hone and keep it! Nice find!

I'll cast my vote with the others, I'd hone it and shave with it. As it happens, I shaved this morning with a razor finished on a coticule (a la Verte) - love that coticule edge!


rs,
Tack

I would suggest stropping on fabric before the leather.

Also, if you feel like it needs a bit of extra sharpness, I would suggest to put a layer of tape on the spine, raise a very light slurry (one or two back-and-forth rubs), give it around 30 X-strokes, rinse off the hone and razor and do around 30 X-strokes on plain water (leave the tape on the razor) for a sort of abridged unicot.

This because La Veinettes tend to be on the slow side on water only and really don't add a lot of sharpness that way.

Enjoy your Sprock, never heard a bad thing about them.

thanks for the input guys, i will get at it tommorow, since i should be in bed already.

Pithor: i've got some denimn, and strurdy cotton workpants fabrik around, what does a good fabric for stropping have to be like?


Also i prefer dilucote over unicote, but i haven't had a "La Veinnette" of this size before, i just got around lapping it. i bought it because there won't be many of them in 60mmx200mm around forever. "La Verte's" is mainly use for slurrystones, because i find then more poreus, and have sliched off bits before, because the are so soft when wet.

I go mountainbiking near Vielsalm 2 times a year, and slurrystones and small bouts are very cheap there, for 2 euro's i can get bouts as long as 13 cm. the Coticules there are about just as expensive, but you get a box etc. with it, even with a 40 euro 150x40mm. So I'm terribly spoiled coticule-wise

my new "La Veinette" also is selectted quality, so the only imperfections i can find are differences in density when its almost dried. its shows 2 darker lines along the stone wich take a tiny bit more to dry, but thats for another topic i think.

i don't need alot of sharpness, this razor is way better than i imagined to get for 9 dollars. i wan't to keep the angle, and get more life out of the razor.
when i want a fast result i also use the 3m insulating tape, but this is the best quality razor i've bought so far, and i think i should stick to the original angle.

What would you do with it? Keep it for the collection, or get it shave ready, and how?

For me keeping it for the collection means getting it shave ready. Everything I have, I shave with. You can always put some more work into it later, enjoy it now and you might never feel the need to change it.

Originally Posted by Axium

Pithor: i've got some denimn, and strurdy cotton workpants fabrik around, what does a good fabric for stropping have to be like?

Denim should do fine, I found it works very nicely. It's also cheap and readily available.

Originally Posted by Axium

i don't need alot of sharpness, this razor is way better than i imagined to get for 9 dollars. i wan't to keep the angle, and get more life out of the razor.
when i want a fast result i also use the 3m insulating tape, but this is the best quality razor i've bought so far, and i think i should stick to the original angle.

Well, if you're not looking for any significant added sharpness, X-strokes on water will probably work just fine in smoothing out the edge. And I understand your view on the added layer of tape (and unicot). It's so fast and easy, it almost feels like cheating. Also, there's nothing wrong with having a preference, as long as you get an edge with which you enjoy shaving.

Best regards,

Pieter

@Hart: I have shaven with it, against the grain and everything.nice result, but a 9-16th is getting used to from a 7/8th. it worked very well around the chin and the upper lip. i would call the condition i got it in 'shave-possible' but since i sharpen all my edged tools to an over-the-top sharpness i will always try to get more defined sharp edges. i think razors are the only thing people care as much about the edge finish as myself or some even more. but i think i still spend more effort into getting my chisels ready compared to some shavers do with their razors.

@Pieter: I usually stop on army PSU belts, and finish on random wide leather belts. its great that women buy belts up to 3,5' these days... fashion...
I don't use paddles, so i guess i'm convexing the edge ever so slightly. thats cheating enough for me. i also sharpen chef's knives, edc knives, axes and hatchets, chainsaw chains, planes, chisels, woodworking saws and sawblades, etc. Basically everything that need a sharp edge.

one thing i learned doing all this is to stick with the factory angles, even if it means removing 3 times the steel.lifting up a straight razor even bij a little bit of insulating tape probably gets you 3 degrees off from the angle its supposed to be. if there's no edge damage or other good excuse i'll stick to the angle its at.


I've now shaven with it, its in my kit, and its my favorite so far. now I'm wondering what the scales are made of. i think the pictures are sharp enough for someone who has seem i before to give me a clear awnser. Also i would find it interessting if someone knowswhen it was made.

have a nice day, axium