First of all, very nice work. I can tell you that I went through an awful lot of blades before they started coming out like that, and what I've found is that with few exceptions, there's no substitute for elbow grease anyway. There are certain stages that can be sped up with a dremel and EXTREME care, but you're never going to avoid spending a lot of time hand polishing unless you get a tumbler.

Quote Originally Posted by dnullify View Post
What sucks is knowing that you can't get to the pivot area with any efficiency without snipping the pins...

...I've got a dremel and a cloth wheel, but I have no idea what it does, and am reluctant to find out.
About those two bits I quoted, don't be afraid of re-pinning. It's MUCH easier than it sounds. The first few times I re-pinned I used some Dovo replacement pins that were already flattened on one side for easy pinning. What I discovered pretty quickly was that pinning is so easy that they weren't worth the trouble or the money. A little brass rod from the hobby shop and some washers from microfasteners, and you'll be pinning like a champ in no time. You can even get small ball peen hammers for VERY cheap from several suppliers.


That cloth wheel is for buffing. Used correctly, it can really take your hand polishing a step further. However, they have a nasty habit of catching on the slightest burr, or God forbid, on the edge. When that happens, you can easily turn your razor into a seriously lethal projectile if you don't have things secured properly. Dremels can be great for razors, and I regularly use mine to help with restorations, but you need a steady hand, a light touch, and VERY good safety habits because even a very small misstep can destroy your razor or worse.