Thread: Modified Gold Dollar

Originally Posted by ischiapp

Great job. How to modify a GD66 to let it hone&shave smooth?

Same question: how-to-do??

I got lucky and the one I bought was straight and true. The blade edge was dead flat and the tang was not warped. Both of these problems do occur on this razor from time to time, in which case you have to straighten the tang and breadboard the edge. I doubt I would have gone to all that trouble if that had been the case. But as it was, this one was worth a little effort. The blade metal seems to be of good quality high carbon steel that responded well to some finishing work. It's certainly not a Dubl Duck, but it is what it is.

Well done!!
Ray

Originally Posted by Berthold

I got lucky and the one I bought was straight and true. The blade edge was dead flat and the tang was not warped. Both of these problems do occur on this razor from time to time, in which case you have to straighten the tang and breadboard the edge. I doubt I would have gone to all that trouble if that had been the case. But as it was, this one was worth a little effort. The blade metal seems to be of good quality high carbon steel that responded well to some finishing work. It's certainly not a Dubl Duck, but it is what it is.

What's more, I hear the heel sometimes protudes from the original scales and that it needs to be ground down in order to let the edge lie flat on the hone. All in all, Gold Dollars regularly require these little customisations before they work well. I have the time, patience and, to some extend, tools (Dremel) and skill to do that, whereas others do not even bother for the very same reasons.

GD 66s can be honed without any modification. Just hone it heel leading back strokes. Keep the blade on one side of the hone. Use only half of the hone.Most of them are short at the toe on one side slightly also. If you can raise the toe and rock it when you do the stroke you will get it all honed heel to toe. Then 10 x strokes heel leading per grit . This way you are by passing the shoulder and stabilizer that may prevent it from being honed straight on. Or grind part of the stabilizer off with a wet grinder or dremel.

Originally Posted by Laurens

What's more, I hear the heel sometimes protudes from the original scales and that it needs to be ground down in order to let the edge lie flat on the hone. All in all, Gold Dollars regularly require these little customisations before they work well. I have the time, patience and, to some extend, tools (Dremel) and skill to do that, whereas others do not even bother for the very same reasons.

Tried that once lol http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ect-razor.html

Originally Posted by kwlfca

Tried that once lol http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ect-razor.html

Woops! I removed stabilisers once with a Dremel and it worked out quite neatly, although not quite as neatly as I would have liked (some higher and lower spots). I'll practise on the Gold Dollars once they arrive.

I should have stopped long before that happened, but I was trying to round something out or something and then a piece flew off.

Maybe the junky steel is the reason why the stabilizers are so gigantic on them lol

You'd also have to re-scale the razor because the plastic one it comes with is junk.
Also, the "Gold Dollar" logo on the blade can (and IMO should) be taken off with nail polish remover.

How long does your edge last?

I actually dont have many problems with these or the scales. Most of the time when the razor hits the scales the true issue is NOT a bent tang, I have had about 50 and no bent tang that was bad enough to cause the blade to hit the scales, but rather the middle spacer in the scales being too long and pushing the scales out too far. You can simply unpin the razor and shorten the barrel part and re-pin it, alternatively you can open the razor, stick your thumb in the scales to space it apart, and sneak a fingernail file up on the end of the barrel part and shorten it. I think the razors dont look to bad once sand off the logo from the blade and scales and polish them.

That's a nice mod on a GD66, very clean looking. What did you use for the scales?

I've been mucking around with Gold Dollars for a while now, mostly 'cos they're cheap enough to learn on and there's something about customised razors that really appeals. Also it's nice to know that when all's said and done a cheap razor can be made to look and shave well, if you're prepared to work at it. Here's a GD100 I customised as a present a while ago;

It is about ten years now I am into straight razors and in all of this time I have read everywhere the worst awful words about Gold Dollar razors. They are cheap, they are crap, they are impossible to hone, shaving with them is a nightmare, they have the worst geometry ever.
So I decided to find it out myself and I bought a Gold Dollar Model 66. I want to see how bad this razor is and, first of all, I will try to hone it as it seems to be so far from being "shave ready". I received it this morning and the only thing I found out so far is that, yes, geometry of the blade is really bad and "factory honing" is quite "abstract". I quickly inspected the edge with my microscope and it looks like a saw instead of a razor's blade. I will hopefully post pictures later.
For the moment, let's start the "Gold Dollar adventure" and see what this will bring!