Thread: My second razor (several images)

A few weeks ago, I decided to hit the local "antiques row" in search of straight razors and assorted paraphernalia. Only one store had any selection, most of them from King Razor, although there was one made in Solingen. All were pricey ($45-65), and he didn't seem willing to move much.

One of the stores wasn't open, so when I was out doing other things yesterday, I stopped by. The results of that visit are below.





I recognized "Eskilstuna" from some ads in the classified section and some discussion on the boards, so I thought it would be worth a shot.

You can see there are some very light scratches on the blade. I tried buffing them out with a 3" cloth wheel and CrOx on my watchmaker's lathe at fairly low speed. It didn't really have any effect, so I'd probably need something a little more aggressive. However, it did clean out the gunk nicely. (Pictures are pre-buff.)





Now, I'm a rank beginner at all this, having shaved with a straight for all of two weeks. However, even right out of the cabinet, the blade was pretty sharp, and I thought I might be able to manage a light hone myself. It was marked at $33, but he was discounting everything 20%. I didn't bother bargaining.

The grind is rather more hollow than my current razor, a King "Czar". (Yes, this is only my second.) It makes a really nice "zing!" when I rub it across my thumb.



Now, there are a couple minor issues with the scales. The blade doesn't center quite right, and the pivot pin isn't particularly tight. I'm not all that concerned about the off-centeredness, because I can deal with it easily when closing the blade. I'm thinking I might be able to tighten it with a light touch in an arbor press. Any thoughts on this?



I pulled out a 1000/6000 Japan stone, also used for watchmaking applications, and began honing, scrupulously following the videos I've watched of Lynn. I was wishing I had an 8k stone, but since I didn't, I figured more time with CrOx would probably suffice. I finished with CrOx on the Filly strop, then the strop itself. Tried it on my arm, and the hairs were popping off!

I'm going to try it out tomorrow morning. Did I do okay?

Cheers!

Fred

A Mk 31 is a great razor. You should love it.

You lucky (@#*#$. Helji's are sweet shavers, the 31 is pretty sought after, although those don't look like the usual ivory to me... But I'm not very good at identifying. Scales look too thick, wedge looks too cheap. And the warp...

It would explain a lot if the scales weren't original. My calipers tell me the distance between pin holes is 0.050" less on one side. In that case, I won't feel guilty if I decide to tackle a scales project in the future!

The blade itself seems in good shape. Not a lot of honing wear on the spine. (Like I'm some kind of expert or something...)

Fred

Heljestrands sure are sweet... I keep hoping I will stumble across a good one for a decent price, but no luck so far.

Yes, razors by C.V. Heljestrand are some of the best. You can tighten the pin by lightly tapping it with a 3 or 4 oz. jeweler's hammer which I'm thinking you might have. I've seen it done with a large serving spoon as well. Put the side with the logo against an anvil or a vise and very lightly tap the pin.

Try opening and closing the razor and if it doesn't center lightly tap the side away from where it wants to hit the scales. This is what I was taught and it has worked for me. You have to go light or you can bend the pin or worse yet crack the scales.

Jimmy, great advice about the pin! I decided not to take the chance of missing the pin and hitting the scales, and used my staking tool. Worked like a champ. See below.

Can you explain what you meant about adjusting the scales? I wasn't sure whether I'm supposed to strike the scales, the pin, or the tang.



In case anyone cares, here's the lathe setup I used for trying to polish up the blade and scales. That's a bar of CrOx in front.



I'm glad to hear I picked a winner. Pure luck, that. But I really did think the blade sounded too cool during the thumb test to pass up!

Fred

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

You lucky (@#*#$. Helji's are sweet shavers, the 31 is pretty sought after, although those don't look like the usual ivory to me... But I'm not very good at identifying. Scales look too thick, wedge looks too cheap. And the warp...

I took a closer look at the scales, and they're definitely man-made. I'm not sure how to tell the difference between celluloid and some other kind of plastic. And I agree that the wedge looks cheap. It wasn't blended smoothly into the scales either.

I have some scraps of cocobolo and some other exotics out in the garage. It may be time to head to the bandsaw...

Thanks for all the input!

Fred

This staking tool - very interesting device.
I'll try to find something like this.

Originally Posted by manah

This staking tool - very interesting device.
I'll try to find something like this.

Look under "watchmaker staking" on eBay to find one of these. If you are not actually doing watchmaking, probably any one will do. They are kind of expensive, but brand new they are outrageous!

They are very handy for small work like this, and provide a lot of control over hammer blows. The stakes included with the set allow for a variety of options - flat, round, concave, all in several sizes. The anvil also has several holes drilled in it. Very handy!

Fred