Thread: Really? Can you put an edge on a $4 Gold Dollar 66 Razor?

I never bothered playing around with them. They do have a following. Here is why I never bothered. You buy a $4 Razor, then spend three hours fixing it before you can hone it and in the end you have a $4 Razor. I bought new razors to learn to hone n, but they were Solingen razors. Why? Because I wanted to learn how to hone not correct poorly made razors. All my new razor survived just fine too.

This question always remind me of a thread once where there was a poll asking about how you determine what a good quality razor is (I believe gssixgun made that thread, but I can't recall 100%, so my bad if I'm wrong)

Something along the lines of:
a) how easy / hard it is to hone; how it behaves on the stones or b) how it shaves


Both are important, BUT for me how easy / hard it is to hone is vital in how I value a quality razor

A poorly made razor with bad geometry that is a PITA to hone = a shitty razor in my book, a razor where I have to correct the geometry is a poorly made one imo

EVEN a gold dollar takes an edge and can be made shave ready and pretty much everything else I've held in my hands took a good edge and could be made shave ready
even-though this is a vital part because all we do is SHAVE in the end, it doesn't tell me about the true overall quality of the blade (it does tell me that the steel is adequate and capable),
not many will say a Gold Dollar is a good quality razor all around, scales / poor geometry n'at


As with anything else with life, to each his own, but I cba to bother with them, I'll enjoy my Sheffields, Solingen and Eskilstuna razors

Ain't nobody got time for gold dollahz

If YOU wanna practice on them and see if you can get em to shave well, that's cool in my book too!

That's just my opinion, ymmv

Originally Posted by TristanLudlow

This question always remind me of a thread once where there was a poll asking about how you determine what a good quality razor is (I believe gssixgun made that thread, but I can't recall 100%, so my bad if I'm wrong)

Something along the lines of:
a) how easy / hard it is to hone; how it behaves on the stones or b) how it shaves


Both are important, BUT for me how easy / hard it is to hone is vital in how I value a quality razor

A poorly made razor with bad geometry that is a PITA to hone = a shitty razor in my book, a razor where I have to correct the geometry is a poorly made one imo

EVEN a gold dollar takes an edge and can be made shave ready and pretty much everything else I've held in my hands took a good edge and could be made shave ready
even-though this is a vital part because all we do is SHAVE in the end, it doesn't tell me about the true overall quality of the blade (it does tell me that the steel is adequate and capable),
not many will say a Gold Dollar is a good quality razor all around, scales / poor geometry n'at


As with anything else with life, to each his own, but I cba to bother with them, I'll enjoy my Sheffields, Solingen and Eskilstuna razors

Ain't nobody got time for gold dollahz

If YOU wanna practice on them and see if you can get em to shave well, that's cool in my book too!

That's just my opinion, ymmv

Tristan are you leaving out American made blades from your list? I can testify that Torrey and Geneva are pretty nice pieces and Clauss is solid as well. If you dont have any, maybe its time to get some more.

Originally Posted by MrZ

Tristan are you leaving out American made blades from your list? I can testify that Torrey and Geneva are pretty nice pieces and Clauss is solid as well. If you dont have any, maybe its time to get some more.

You are correct kind sir!

Yes they'll take a good edge and can shave very well indeed, but I've found them to be a bit more sensitive to the hone than other brands. Also, as the model numbers go up, they get a bit better finished and considerably less 'meaty' than the 66.

Basically they're just a crudely made 6/8-13/16 half hollow. I maintain a number of high graded mostly 208s as test razors, and if they couldn't take a great edge, I could not use them for what I do. My high graded razors are those that don't require honing 'gymnastics'. They keep the wear off better razors when doing the initial tests of Japanese stones, matching tomonagura, etc.

Bluesman7 pretty much said it all, but maybe some things to note. They're all pretty much the same within a model number, so for example, I can hone 2 different 208's on the same stone with different tomo and test them side-by-side during one shave. The variance between razors, soaps, lathering, is minimized or eliminated. It would be much harder to find matched razors for testing outside of Gold Dollars, and if I had a set of matched Solingen I wouldn't want to use them for this kind of testing, it would be kind of abusing them and they'd be too valuable.

When I do air travel with a straight, there's usually a Gold Dollar or two in the checked baggage along with a couple of user grade mainstream razors. I don't have to worry about them and I can give them as gifts (or punishment ) or get an edge critique if the occasion arises.

The scales are arguably the worst part. I've re-scaled a couple with 'donor' scales that I have lying around and the difference is pretty large! They actually become more pleasant to use, though I doubt that I'd reach for one if I weren't testing something.

The stabilizer has always been a sticking point, but not all models (like the 208) have one. I just hone around it. If you're learning to hone, you should learn not to run any stabilizer up on the hone, and if you run a 66 stabilizer up on the stone, it will let you know.

I would not recommend a factory Gold Dollar to someone beginning to hone unless the seller knows what your doing and has also high graded one for you. You need to be learning how to set a bevel and identify a set/unset bevel, remove striae evenly along the bevel, and not trying just to get the bevel to hit the hone, deal with warped or bent blades, or the other problems you find with them.

They're also good stock for teaching yourself razor modding, thinning, smoothing, polishing, re-scaling, etc. Some people can make works of art out of one though the labor is prohibitive from a non-hobby standpoint.

Finally, a factory Dollar just isn't much fun to shave with. It's chunky, clunky, and isn't very pretty so there's really no reason to reach for one unless you have a specific reason to reach for one, or maybe two!

Hope this helps.

Cheers, Steve

The discussion that never ends

I think it was put perfectly many years ago and I haven't seen it described more succinctly nor better in the last 9 or so years


"If Wal-Mart sold a Straight razor it would be a Gold Dollar"


That single statement which was coined by Jimmy ??? says it all

Be careful what you mention Glen.... lol.

https://www.walmart.com/ip/GBS-Shavi...p-Le/107946369

Cheers, Steve

That about figures Steve

I would save my money and get a Chinese ZY razor they are sharpened by seriously over worked 67 years old MASTER SHIFU...............lol

Originally Posted by rodb

As others have said, the geometry can be off but I've never had a problem getting them shave ready. I use my Double Arrow (precursor of a Gold Dollar) all the time when I don't feel like getting a vintage blade from it's storage area

I have a Double Arrow that is one of my best shavers! Got it in a lot of 6 straights & it shaved great from day one!

Slawman