Thread: Modified Gold Dollar

I use a diamond file or the edge of my diamond lapping plate to complete the radius I do not want to score my stones. The scratch in my strop is hardly noticeable now. I should add file lightly in the same direction as the edge not perpendicular to the edge.

Originally Posted by shooter1

This thread has convinced me that a Gold Dollar would be a great first razor. My order went in yesterday to RupRazor and I am looking forward to it. Being a newb I need one shave ready. I have some junktique store finds to practice and develop my honing skills on in the meantime.

From one newb to another, please lay your strop on a flat surface to strop rather than use it hanging. This will keep you from rolling your edge so easily and will help you form good technique while learning to strop. A wise friend turned me onto this and it made a big difference for me anyway. Good luck, congratulations and best wishes.

Looks like the depot has 5/64" which is about the right clearance for a 1/16" pin. Most razors have an oversize hole anyway.

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/...20&marketID=48

The link wont fully copy so do a search or go to home depot.

Just maybe a carbide drill, It may be possible to anneal the tang and drill it. I guess it's worth a try.

Ok I just annealed the tang, keeping the blade cool with water. I then center drilled and drilled the tang using high speed steel drill bit. Problem solved.

Originally Posted by qdaddy

From one newb to another, please lay your strop on a flat surface to strop rather than use it hanging. This will keep you from rolling your edge so easily and will help you form good technique while learning to strop. A wise friend turned me onto this and it made a big difference for me anyway. Good luck, congratulations and best wishes.

But when you hang it, you'll have to learn all over again.... also, much easier to wreck an edge on a hard surface than on a hanging strop...

In CHesterton's Orthodoxy he mentions how he set out to find the very best ways of believing, how to rationalise his beliefs, and escape from all the dead white men of the past... and that after much pain and toil he found that the dead white men of the past were right after all.

What do we lean from this? That if you're new to the art, don't go around contradicting the good advice of much older, more learned craftsmen. They probably recommend certain things for darn good reasons.

I don't know about much older... but more learned for sure! Anyone who shaves with a Pipe in his mouth must know a thing or two of this art.

What you say makes sense, and I appreciate it. Happy to learn from the living ones too!

Originally Posted by shooter1

I don't know about much older... but more learned for sure! Anyone who shaves with a Pipe in his mouth must know a thing or two of this art.

What you say makes sense, and I appreciate it. Happy to learn from the living ones too!

Respectfully, It was actually a very senior member who suggested I "try" this for a while. So while I am new to the art, you have to find what gives you the best results at whatever stage of the learning curve you are in. Whatever works best for you, only you can determine that. When welding I have found metal can behave very differently by changing even the most minor variable. While stropping on a flat surface, It allowed me to better understand the tension needed and blade position when I started using in hanging position. Its not something you want to do forever but it helped me anyway. Everyone learns differently and has their own opinion, just thought I would share my experience. Everyone has an opinion and is certainly and rightfully entitled to it. Again take care and best wishes.

Here's the tale of the last of the three Gold Dollar razors I got,the #100. As you may recall from the last episode the Gold Monkey was annealed at the tang and re-drilled. The #100 also was in need of having it's hole re-drilled so off to the shop I went. Just for grins I decided to try drilling this one without annealing it. Lo and behold the center drill cut it,so I followed up with a high speed steel bit. The tang ate the drill. I tried another and it finally cut through(read burned through)with lots of cutting oil. So I figured that while I had the blade unpinned and in the shop, why not give the blade a preliminary buffing. By no means was this a complete job just a quick one with some caswell black. Next it was back inside and to the hones for another pyramid starting with 20 on 5k and 8k,then 35 on 16k and 20 on chrome oxide bench strop. The shave was again a first rate 3 pass BBS. I like these razors their first shaves were all good. Fit and finish isn't great compared with top name razors but for the price you can't really expect it to be. Since I didn't have much trouble re-drilling the tang I'd say there isn't much we can't do to these razors in the shop,but let me point out the tang was hardened. I'm sure the posibilities are already going through your minds for some of you and I can imagine the evil grins from here. So here are a couple of pictures of #100

I've had some that I can drill the tang, ans some I cannot, even after trying to anneal it.

Thanks for the write-ups!