Thread: how much wear can a razor take before it is retired?

So far i have two razors, one of them shows signs of use. by signs of use i mean on the edge of the spine there is a flat spot just under 1/16th of an inch, my guess from honing. is there a way for me to tell if it needs to be retired or should i just send it with my other razor to the honemeister to find out. thank you for any information. adam

Adam, chances are it is okay but to be safe if you were to post a photo of the blade you would get more assured advice. Properly honed and cared for a razor should last longer than the owner.

Jimmy is more than correct. A razor should long oulast its owner and pretty much the next owner after that. They are made of hardened steel and should last at least 100 years with proper care and even longer with more than proper care. I am presently shaving with a Frederick Reynolds, circa 1850's, with horrible spine wear but it is still shaving after all these years.

Don't give up on any razor until you have exhausted all avenues. That covers a lot of territory. Always find out what the members think. That's why you are a member here.

here are the best photos i have of the razor i was talking about, the material over the spine feels amazing in your hand, not too sure what it is thought, sorry i don't know how to make them smaller,

as i was reading some other posts, i thought i would mention i did not put thoughs scratchs on the razor. i have been using edged tools for close to twenty five years and i have more respect for them then that.

There should be no problems with that. It does look like it is a bit smaller than it started its life though. That razor would look nice fully restored, looking at that one photo, imho.
I will defer to the experts though.

I find a lot of blades with those scratches on ebay. People spend 5 minutes with a dremel or low grit sandpaper, then give up.

I see no problems with that razor at all. I picked up a boker a few days ago and it is much the same as yours.

+1 on complete resto!
Do EVERYONE a favor and get it restored. Its not that it isn't a great razor as is, but it makes everyone's day when we see a razor that has been brought back to perfection, and bokers are most always worth it IMHO.

the material over the tang looks like Mother of Pearl. very common on that style blade.

Speaking of "that style blade" had anybody else noticed that EVERY covered tang razor is shaped EXACTLY like that, from each manufacturer?
Does that mean the wonderful Boker is using the same steel as my slovenly Wilbert?

adam,

I'd say your Boker is just hitting its stride. If it can be sharpened, it's completely usable. The wear on the spine says that its been used well; use it well, too.