Thread: Rolls Razor

Picture of blade & handle. The Rolls Razor has given me smoth shaves, and I enjoy using it on occasions. I have about a dozen of them.

You are lucky one.

I just got one, and had my first shave with it today... and it was SUPERB! I keep seeing here not to slap the blade on the hone, which makes sense.. but the instructions clearly say to use the strop pretty quickly.. the instructions state 60 double trips per minute... how can I NOT slap the blade when doing it that quickly on the strop? Or does it not matter as much on the strop side?

I've been shaving daily with a Rolls since the early seventies. I get very good comfortable shaves with it. The blade I've been using all these years finally wore out a few weeks ago. So I've started in on a new blade which I've had for many years waiting for the first to give up the ghost. I agree with the post cautioning about not letting the blade slap down on the stone. You also have to clean the stone so it doesn't get choked with steel filings from the honing process. Also resist honing until the blade begins to pull or otherwise indicates that it's time to hone. You need to strop at least as many strokes as you would use on a straight.

I have used one a few times and they are a decent razor and 1 razor that is easy to grab here in the uk.

I've been seeing more and more turn up at local antique places, may just pick one up if it is in good shape, or get a few and parts them.

I just recently picked up three of them. I like them because I find them so interesting but I haven't been able to get them sharp enough to shave good.
Any ideas on what I might be doing wrong.

I don't think I've ever seen one that was used so much that the blade "used up"! I'm curious to see how short your blade is after using it for 40 years. You mind posting a pic of your blade?

Originally Posted by jascas

I've been shaving daily with a Rolls since the early seventies. I get very good comfortable shaves with it. The blade I've been using all these years finally wore out a few weeks ago. So I've started in on a new blade which I've had for many years waiting for the first to give up the ghost. I agree with the post cautioning about not letting the blade slap down on the stone. You also have to clean the stone so it doesn't get choked with steel filings from the honing process. Also resist honing until the blade begins to pull or otherwise indicates that it's time to hone. You need to strop at least as many strokes as you would use on a straight.

I just counted up and I have 7, 6 of which are in their box or case and one in a leatherette case that has a little pouch on it to hold a spare blade.
I bet I have about $75-100 in each of them.
I tried honing one on a felt pad w diamond then CrO2-
with the bar on it went fine but I found its best to use the RR strop other wise your gonna bugger your strop making the flip with the bar on it-
What I find harder to do it to use a RR hone and not let it slap???
I get a slap even when I go slow?

Mark

I don't have access to a camera right now. However, the "used up" blade has been eroded away from the bail more than 3/16 going towards 1/4. This changes both the thickness of the edge and also the angle against the face because the gap behind the bail has grown so much. No doubt the blade could still be sharpened, but the shave would be uncomfortable enough that I'm happy to use the spare blade I've held on to all these years.