Thread: Modified Gold Dollar

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

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

PS -- I wonder:

. . . Is the "O1" tool steel in the Hart razors really tough to hone?

not really, pretty straightforward in my opinion (at least the part that was good on the one razor I have experience with).

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

Is there a trade-off between:

. . . long-lived edge and
. . . ease of honing ?

That's another thread, though.<g>

I don't think so, although I've seen it from mostly inexperienced people on other forums making it sound like it is.
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.

Originally Posted by cpcohen1945

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.

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.

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. 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.

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.

No skill, just patience, . . .

You're not giving yourself enough credit.<g>

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