Thread: Razor restoration for a greaves and W&B

So.... having just got into this i have tried several razors and razor types. so far my favorite is a W&B that was previously restored by someone else. a Smiling near wedge. I now have another W&B and Greaves and sons... i am torn on even taking the scales off myself to clean everything up... afraid i will damage them. i am also torn on a full restore or just knocking off all the active rust... and finally torn about doing any restoration myself or hiring it out... I am in the middle of my first restore of a Frederick Reynolds near wedge right now. very likely i will have to see how this turns out before making a decision on anything but was curious what other people mileage has been on self restorations and full vs rust only and a few good names for sending off for restoration... anyone in Texas would be great as well!

I will post some pics of these two razors in later today as well.

Thanks!
Jon

If you start with something simply you can progress from there if you like. Once you start stripping back the signs of age, you can't really put it back. Start with a simply cleaning and see how you like it. If you want to go further try some polish and steel wool. As long as you remove active rust, you will extend the life. I like them as original as sensible. I have gone to taking all the pitting out and getting a polished finish on an old blade, but they look best with a little patina and pits. They are for the most part over a hundred years old so if they look like it, it fits.

Thanks! on the Ryenolds i have been working on, i have been slowing working up through the grits to get rid of most of the pitting and rust. I am thinking for these two maybe just get the rust off completely and restore the scales if at all possible.

here are some pics
https://goo.gl/photos/ZqkPcHGQoAhTWroaA

Both are in great shape considering age. a local guy i have been having hone my razors saw the W&B and said the hone wear was no bid deal due to it being a wedge. So i am excited by that. i think both would give a great shave and pretty excited just to try them! What do yall think, How far would you go on restoring these two?

Jon

Originally Posted by RezDog

If you start with something simply you can progress from there if you like. Once you start stripping back the signs of age, you can't really put it back. Start with a simply cleaning and see how you like it. If you want to go further try some polish and steel wool. As long as you remove active rust, you will extend the life. I like them as original as sensible. I have gone to taking all the pitting out and getting a polished finish on an old blade, but they look best with a little patina and pits. They are for the most part over a hundred years old so if they look like it, it fits.

What Shaun said. Once you let the genie out of the bottle you can't put him back in. I take razors like that, semichrome and a paper towel and call it good. I like antique razors warts and all. If I want something shining like a new dime I buy a new razor. Different strokes for different folks.

I'm posting one of your photos for posterity after your link is dead, people will still be able to see what we were talking about ;

It takes either an exquisite blade or a lot of steel removal to get a nice mirror finish. I tend not to think in that direction too much. You can sand them down a bit and get the black off of them, leave the major pitting behind and leave them with a nice satin finish. Often a blade with that much hone wear can either be happy with a clean up and a hone or have a regrind done. It winds up at how far and how much do you want to put into it. You can clean up a lot of the hone wear so it is less visible with hand sanding. Part of what make the hone wear so visible on that one blade is the color change. If it was all the same color it would not be as noticeable. It is likely going to shave fine and the only real thing you will see is a somewhat wide bevel. Not a big deal from my perspective. I would give it a good clean and a light sanding and leave it at that. I m a big fan of walnut shell in a vibratory tumbler to finish it off after a quick and light hand sand. I would also stick with the original scales. They usually clean up pretty well too. I would likely start my hand sanding on those with 1K grit wet dry lubed with WD-40. Then 1500 then 2000 and then the tumbler. If you do not have a tumbler then steel wool and WD-40 works quite well too. You will have to play with it a little to see how much gloss you like. 2K is not a bad light satin or semi gloss.

thanks for the feed back!

I think i agree. i think i will take the scales off the Greaves try to clean them up slightly. they are not bad at all just a little tight with a little rust floating around the inside of the pivot end. they are also warped slightly but the blade still centers with out problems. while they are off i can lightly sand and remove the active rust from the blade. I do have a tumble and can throw it in some walnut shell for a few days as well. I think I am going to give the wade and butcher to a local straight razor guy. He would be happy to use it with just a hone he said, it will be a good home and he will enjoy it.

here are some pics from with in the link