ERN RAZOR

I found this ERN razor at an antique shop today and it seems to be in very good condition, I think it is a full hollow ground 6/8. But for some reason the scale seem to have been attacked at some stage as if it has been filed a little around the pin at the razor end which can be seen in the lower photo, I find this strange.

It is not shave ready and I am attempting to sharpen it with my Belgium coticule stone that is shown in the photos as it is the only stone I have. I then strop it on chromium oxide on some balsa and then on my linen and leather strop. I have done this about 3 to 4 times with no luck in getting it sharp.

This does the world of good on my already professionally honed razor and another razor I purchased from an antique shop but I just can’t sharpen this ERN (will hardly even take my arm hairs off) with this method, I guess I have to buy some more stones or get it professionally honed?

Thanks.












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Nice find, ERN razors use to be very good.

How do you use the coti? If you only use it with water only you are just doing the finishing step and you will probably never get even close to shave ready.
To get it back to shave ready the bevel should be reset followed by a full honing progression, this can be done with the coti you have (I suppose you have a slurry stone?) but it isn't easy the first times and yiu will probably need several tries before you get it right. You can find more infor of honing with a coticule here : http://www.coticule.be/


I would suggest to send it out for honing, and maybe some new scales and you will have yourself a very nice razor.

Yes, you definitely have to set the bevel. Can be done with your stone (which looks lovely, incidentally) but as Zephyr said it's generally not a quick process at the first attempt.

Thanks for the replies.

Yes I just use water on my coticule, can I use something else; I thought using another medium would clog the pours of the stone and I will not be able to remove it later?

Not sure if it is a slurry stone, its listing on the webpage I purchased it from was a: “Corticule Selected Bout” and was recommended as a great maintenance stone for my razor which is what I wanted it for.

Unfortunately as I just use this stone for maintaining my already professionally hone razor I have no idea about the “full honing progression, this can be done with the coti you have” or setting the bevel.

But I am pleased to hear it can be done on the one stone I have.

Well I sort of knew about the full progression as I have seen ‘you tube’ videos relating to this but I did not know it could be accomplished on just one stone and I thought you had to have to spend a fortune on a full array of stones from low grit to high.

Thanks Zephyr for the website link with the videos, interesting. I will try to give this ago but I just hope I do not destroy my stone and the razor in the process being a beginner.

To do the full progression on your Coti you will need a slurry stone ( a slurry stone is just a small piece of a coticule that you rub against your stone to make slurry) to make the slurry you need to "lower the grit" of your stone to make it cut faster and be able to set the bevel. Through the progression you gradualy make the slurry thinner or dilute it, this is basicly the same thing you do when moving up to a higher grit on syntetic stones.
There are people out there that swear to Coticule only, personally I prefer using a 1K to set the bevel and either use the dilucot method on the coti from there or only as a finisher after the 8K.

Read up on Bart's site and watch his videos and you should do fine, but as I said, be aware that you might need a few tries before you get ot right, learning to hone on a Coticule can be quite tricky, but OTOH, some have found it easier than syntetics.

Good luck :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Zephyr

To do the full progression on your Coti you will need a slurry stone ( a slurry stone is just a small piece of a coticule that you rub against your stone to make slurry) to make the slurry you need to "lower the grit" of your stone to make it cut faster and be able to set the bevel. Through the progression you gradualy make the slurry thinner or dilute it, this is basicly the same thing you do when moving up to a higher grit on syntetic stones.
There are people out there that swear to Coticule only, personally I prefer using a 1K to set the bevel and either use the dilucot method on the coti from there or only as a finisher after the 8K.

Read up on Bart's site and watch his videos and you should do fine, but as I said, be aware that you might need a few tries before you get ot right, learning to hone on a Coticule can be quite tricky, but OTOH, some have found it easier than syntetics.

Good luck :)

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Oh when I purchased my stone it came with another small stone (I think as a bonus stone) and was wondering what it was for.

So I guess this is the slurry stone you speak of?

Learn something new every day, thanks. :)


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I have seen guys use the smaller stone including the video link you sent me and I just thought it was for lapping the main stone 1st in order to make it flat before they started honing.

It’s all starting to make sense now.

Ok, I watch the videos and gave it a go the best that I could being the first time at using the slurry stone on the main stone and then adding more and more water.

I did not expect the razor to be any better when I finished so I applied less slurry to the main stone again and went more lightly at it before adding more water and thereafter just using my light maintenance technique on the stone.

I then put it on the oxide and then stropped it.

Well I’ll be the son of a monkey tail, it is not only sharp but it is the sharpest razor of the 3 that I own and therefore gave the cleanest less skin aggravating straight razor shave I have ever had.

And to think less than 12 hours ago I did not even know what a slurry stone was even though I had one in my ownership.

Hmmm, I have a lot to learn. :)

That's great news, congrats!

Keep practicing, and take a look at the honing section in the wiki.

Isn't it a great feling to shave with a blade you honed yourself?

Well done. Great feeling isn't it? I'm sitting here smiling at you (on the internet:)).