[QUOTE=gssixgun;634655]No glen, it's 100x... it's just the lighting ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Del1r1um
Like I said.. it gets the hairs..BBS, but it may take some of the face with it.
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[QUOTE=gssixgun;634655]No glen, it's 100x... it's just the lighting ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Del1r1um
Like I said.. it gets the hairs..BBS, but it may take some of the face with it.
And a finger or three if you're not careful...! :D
Ok Lynn ,,, I need a PM telling me where I can purchase it and also if you have any coupons. PLZ!!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn
In another attempt to get back on topic, I'll ask, what is the microscope that you are using? Despite the lighting, the edge looks good.
To the OP, try turning the blade so the light source is coming from the other side. You may get a better image of the bevel. I'll agree that it looks like a lower magnification to me. Under my scope, at 100x all I see is the bevel. Sometimes, not even all of it.
I refuse to get into the merits of his choice of hone. I think there are other ways to deal with the critique of his post.
Goog
I have honed 4 or 5 GDs, and shaved with them about that number of times. Based on that small amount of experience, I would have to say that the quality of the steel is less than vintage blades, and the ability to hold an edge is also less than vintage blades.Quote:
Originally Posted by HNSB
But, this is not to say that the GD won't work for shaving. It will. All I'm saying is that the quality of its steel is less.
Theres no pizazz to the shave either. If you shave with a DOVO it really sings across your face and is a joy to shave with. Other top quality razors like Wackers, DD's, W&B's and so on are the same way: You get a real thrill from shaving with one, and they're little works of art to look at.
GD's remove the hair but thats about it. Its not a joy to shave with one, its just a way of getting hair off your face. They dont look good, they're not made well and they're wooden to shave with.
I dont see how the economy arises either. You pick one up on eBay for $10 or whatever, but by the time you've paid for a rescale, heel grinding and to have it honed its basically costing you as much as a DOVO Best Quality anyway. And thats a much better razor.
Uh oh...it's starting again....Quote:
Originally Posted by Stubear
Goog
Quote:
Originally Posted by greatgoogamooga
:banghead:
Who would think that razor would make SOOOO many people talk.
Let's please stop debating about the gold dollar. Been there, done that.
I wanted to toss out the Crocodile Dundee reference sooooo bad. Thank you.Quote:
Originally Posted by ShavedZombie
Wait...this thread has shown me something…I wonder if the picture here shows what the problem with my honing technique might be…and maybe the problem with my microscope…
Downright amazing what one can learn around here
I don't know how long you watched the forum before joining in march, but this may be the understatement of the decade...Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn24
it's not exactly apples to apples (more like apples to rotten apples), but the Z**pk razor comes up a lot, and if it didn' more poor souls would own one.
Yes, sir. That is precisely the model that I too use to hone my razors with.Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
Sincerely,
Jeff
Well then this thread just took a new turn...
The jokes about the GDGD aside,
Jeff you are sharpening with just that set or something beyond it ????
Can you also tell me what the stones on it actually are???? or at least an approximation???
Thanks for the info in advance
It is funny, but the pictures are beautiful.
I love the first one!
Regards
Tom
This is the info from Smith's site glenQuote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
Arkansas Sharpening Stones Set | Featuring fine, medium, & course Arkansas Stones | Smith's - The Edge Experts
Seems to go up to the 1000 grit range :thinking:
My apologies if I mistakenly changed the point of the thread. Please do remove my post if you deem appropriate.Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
I really am using that set to hone with; it does indeed take a really light touch, and finessing with the direction if the strokes to max out the smoothness. (Which is why I read your descriptions of smoothing an edge with great interest.)
The stones look to be a 400-ish silicon carbide, a soft Arkansas and a hard Arkansas.
The hard Arkansas stone in the one I have is just an average example, I think. Nothing special about it. I did lap it, but that mainly served to smooth the texture that it had from the factory. I think Del1r1um is right about the grit rating, but it seems to act a lot finer than 1000 grit. I have no idea why that is so.
Yes, it seems a gamble to get one.
I do have one ordered not shave ready.
According to the reviews, the steel seems good, but the overall quality can be poor and buying one is too much of a crap shoot to get a good recommendation.
What Microscope does Lynn use? You say that you bought the one that Lynn uses, but don't mention it by name.
Thanks.
.
Just received this from eBay and did a test shave. Wow! this is my new standard for sharpness! Still has the cheap feel of the chinese blades, but for the price it was cheaper to buy than get one of mine sharpened.
Hi Guys,
My name is Mitch, i live in Brisbane Australia. I have just started out and am wielding a dodgey little shavette i got in Turkey ( take single edge razor blade) which is not enough. I am trying to decide whether to get a Dovo shavette or pick up a silver dollar straight blade to help build my skill before buying something nice. Problem for me is they seem toooo cheap to be true ?? Are they any good.
Cheers guys
Let me know when you feel the urge to buy another one. I'll gladly hone one of your other razors, or one you want to buy, for free if it will keep you from buying another one.Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffegg2
Do you know anything else about the silver dollar razor you mentioned? I have never heard of it
Well, there are varied reviews here on the Gold Dollar.
I have an unhoned Gold dollar, and two Dovo's. This first Gold Dollar I plan on using to practice honing.:beer2:
I just received a 2nd Gold dollar 100 today, the difference was that the seller on ebay hones and strops them to "shave ready".
Wow! I give this razor a 10 on sharpness!! Definately shave ready!
I would rate it about an 8 on quality, only due to the steel quality, and not the scales which are about a 5, and the pins are in need. Perhaps if I re-scaled it, then it would be a good razor. But for a nice Travel ready razor I love it and plan to use it for travel.:soapbox:
I really don't want to rain on you parade but as you gain more experience with quality razors you should be ready to adjust your rating scale. WHile I have not shaved with a Gold Dollar I have seen pictures of the metal used on these razors taken through a microscope. I have done some precision metal work for ~ 20 years and have some metallurgy background. The pictures show that the metal has microscopic bubbles throughout the steel. I have seen metal like this when we were trying to save cost with cheaper metal that was graded the same of the more expensive competition. Think tiny pits all through the metal. As the edge comes to a razor edge these pits create a void in the edge. As you are only experienced with a fery few razors I can see how you would rate these blades in comparison to the current cartridge blades. If you search hard enough you probably will be able to find the pics I am referring to on this site. Add to that the negative comments I have read by senior members of this site that have honed many a razors and shaved with some quality steel I can not see the value in these razors. Bottom line is that you are happy with them, for now.Quote:
Originally Posted by jeffegg2
I've just been through this thread:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-dollar-2.html
I'm an inexperienced honer, working on a Gold Dollar. I understand the problem with the fat shoulder -- let's ignore that for now. I've been keeping the shoulder off the hones, using a heel-forward stroke that get all but 1/8" of the edge.
The bevel was a mess when I got it; it looked like it had been sharpened with a carbide knife sharpener.
I re-set the bevel on 220 / 1K stones till it was even. Off the 220 stone, it felt like a really sharp kitchen knife. It was a little sharper off the 1K. Perfect matte finish on the bevel under a 10x loupe. It wouldn't shave arm hair.
Then I went to 4K / 8K stones. I got a nice polished bevel after 8K, with a smooth edge. It still wouldn't shave arm hair.
I used a CrOxide pasted strop (10 strokes) and 50 strokes on leather. Razor wouldn't "pop" arm hair, and wouldn't shave arm hair. It does raise flakes of dried-out skin.
I repeated the 1K / 4K / 8K / CrOxide / leather sequence again. Same results -- dull razor.
I've used this sequence before, on Solingen and Sheffield and American vintage blades, and it has always worked for me. And (just for my sanity) I checked a blade I'd previously honed -- pop, pop, pop went my arm hair.
Why isn't my standard honing sequence working on the Gold Dollar?
Thanks --
Charles
PS -- I don't know if I want to attempt fixing the shoulder. I have a Dremel, but might not have enough skill with it. The Gold Dollar blade is quite thin -- _that_, they did nicely at the factory.
You are not spending enough time on the 1k I think.
Of course some people have very fine arm hair and cannot shave it no matter what, so who knows.
Quote:
Originally Posted by cpcohen1945
Slartibartfast is correct about you are not spending enough time on 1k .
i would add you even not spending enough time on 4 k ether.
why you able to hone rest of the blades a lot easier then Gold Dollar?
You don't know the blade. Never honed it before.
i tell you trick and good luck
Gold D. has a lot harder steel then rest of the blade honed.
now go head to 1k and hone until you find you set pretty good bevel.
move to 4k and stay on it until you will pop up the hair very easily.
then move to 8k
now stay on it until your blade will cut the hairs and they fall off to your blade not jump.
hope this help.
more problem just let us know.
gl
You realise that by ignoring the shoulder you will eventually carve a small notch into the heel of the blade ?
If you can hone your others but not this one it may be due to bad geometry which is challenging your skill level &/or hard or soft steel.
Some time back, someone posted some high-mag photos taken of a Gold Dollar razor he had honed. The pictures showed the evolution of the edge as he progressed through his sharpening regimen, from bevel-set to final polishing on bare linen/leather. One thing that stuck with me was that he later (in the same thread) posted pictures of one Gold Dollar with inferior steel: as he honed, the material would simply crumble away, with no possibility of leaving a sharp edge. That's the problem with cheap stuff: you may get a high-quality piece for next to nothing, but you may also get a paperweight.
As others have said, spend more time on the bevel-set (1k). When your bevel is properly set, you should be able to "pop" arm hair pretty easily (unless your hair is the super-fine stuff alluded to earlier). After 4k, the hair should be falling down on the blade, rather than "popping" and jumping halfway over the blade. But, if you're never able to put a decent bevel on it, I'd send it back to the distributor for a replacement. Cheap or not, you should never be satisfied with subpar quality.
Thanks to everyone . . .
Having reset the bevel and gone through the finer grits twice more, and honing off a bit of the edge right at the heel (to avoid a "hook"):
. . . The blade doesn't quite sound right on the stone, and the heel end isn't
. . . showing as nice a bevel as the toe.
. . . The razor is _almost_ "shave ready", on the 2/3 of the edge toward the toe.
I'm going to try it tomorrow. It's as "done" as it's going to be, from my hands.
I suspect a re-grind of the shoulder (that is, a thinning of the blade near the heel) is what it needs, and I'm not willing to attempt that. And I just can't get the edge _really sharp_.
Thanks again --
. Charles
PS -- I wonder:
. . . Is the "O1" tool steel in the Hart razors really tough to hone? Is there a trade-off between:
. . . long-lived edge and
. . . ease of honing ?
That's another thread, though.<g>
I tried my self to hone a couple of Gold Dollar razosr, #100 and a #208. I was reminded that not all razors will pass the AHT and the HHT and still be decent shavers. It was suggested that I tape the blade with a couple of thickness's of PVC tape, which I did and went through the honeing stages from .22K to 8K using only the TPT and a microscope. And yes after all my effort and some CrmoX about 20 laps worth I got very good shaves out of both razors, HHT/and AHT's not withstanding. This of course is just in IMHO, but I know how you feel and if a Chinese razor is giving you THAT much trouble, by all means contact the distributer and exchange it for a more viable product. Thank you for listening, have a great G/day!!!
tinkersd of SRP
not really, pretty straightforward in my opinion (at least the part that was good on the one razor I have experience with).Quote:
Originally Posted by cpcohen1945
I don't think so, although I've seen it from mostly inexperienced people on other forums making it sound like it is.Quote:
Originally Posted by cpcohen1945
The main reason that an edge looses its sharpness is oxidation. Yes, different steels react differently but the O1 is one of those that corrode quite easy.
you are in right path.
heel problem you can solve by just using 1k and hone it out problem is too much work .
grinding with dremel etc will be a lot easier. be careful with heat.
Now i am sorry to say if you are trying to get edge similar to rest of good brand blades then you wont.
that is why price of that GD doesn't go higher then 9.00
gl.
That's not surprising as you are still dealing with the original geometry problem from the heel being lifted by the stabiliser during previous honing. This is why the heel is not sharp. I f you corrected the heel/stabiliser area you still need to correct the bevel immediately ahead of it.:gl:Quote:
Originally Posted by cpcohen1945
Since I was the original poster on the Gold Dollar thread you referenced in your first post, I'll chime in here.
Please do not be afraid to try your hand at reducing the excessive shoulder on the Gold Dollar with your Dremel. It isn't difficult, really. I claim no skill with a Dremel. A while back I fancied myself a budding razor restorer after a few positive experiences with my Dremel and polishing a few Ebay salvage jobs that turned out beautifully. Then, in succession, I took 1/4" hunks out of two blades that cost lots more than a Gold Dollar, using my Dremel. Nope, I didn't post pictures of those results. :ziplip: But it stopped my restoration career cold. This job is far simpler than restoration/polishing, it's limited to a safe spot, you never touch the actual edge of the razor.
Reducing the shoulder on the Gold Dollar just took patience, not skill. Go to Home Depot and buy a single 12" square ceramic floor tile for about $2.00. Open the razor, lay the blade flat on the tile, with the scales/handle hanging off the edge of the tile. Use 3 fingers and heavy pressure on the length of the blade to keep it flat to the tile. Use electrical tape on the edge (not the spine) to enhance safety, along with eye protection. The important and simple thing to remember is to keep the edge of the blade such that the Dremel is turning in the same direction as the blade edge is facing. If the blade edge is away from you, the Dremel should turn away from you; if the blade edge is toward you, the Dremel should turn toward you. If the Dremel is turning the opposite direction of the edge, you will damage the razor, your fingers, or both. The ceramic tile won't care much either way. :nono:
Use a fine grind stone attachment or a sandpaper drum of 600 grit or less. For no more than a few seconds at a time, lightly touch the Dremel to the excessive shoulder "ears," reducing and shaping them. Do not keep the Dremel on it for more than a few seconds at a time or it will build up heat. Just keep lightly touching and shaping, then pausing. No skill, just patience, paying attention to rotation direction, and firmly keeping the razor pressed to the tile with your fingers.
In no time, you'll have the shoulders reduced, removing very little metal. Then follow Sham and Slartibartfast's advice and really focus on setting a proper even bevel along the entire length. Once a proper bevel is set, on a Gold Dollar or any other razor, your work on the rest of the progression is light. And you will have a custom razor when you're done.
Good luck!
Thanks for the detailed description.
You're not giving yourself enough credit.<g>Quote:
No skill, just patience, . . .
The razor has gone back to its owner, with my apologies (and a loaner Solingen razor that _does_ shave nicely).
I'll try another Gold Dollar, someday, using your technique. It will be my own, and if I wreck it there won't be any tears.
Charles
I saw Gold Dollars as cheap as 6.39$ on the bay, so its sure affordable for a try. I tried it, and my shaves have been nice with the razor.
I myself love my Gold Dollar razors, have 2 of them, a #208 and a #100, both good shavers, but I would like to re-scale them both, don't know were to get a couple of pairs of decent affordable scales though, what's on will do for now, excellent shaver as I stated.
Thanks for letting me chime in, have a great BBS everyday!
tinkersd of SRP.
I got a set of plastic TI scales from
Fendrihan, Classic Wet Shaving Store
They're Canadian. I've seen other dealers (in the US) who also have replacement scales -- nothing really inexpensive, though. As soon as you get away from plain plastic scales, the TI prices go through the roof.
_Nice_ scales are expensive, wherever you can find them. The restorers on the Vendors' Forum might have some.
charles
i happen to have a Gold Dollar and was planning to make it a project blade. Making scales ect.. but i have yet to hone it. If you could post some pics of what your Dremal work looks like that would be greatly apricated.
thanks
