Thread: My first ebay Shumate buy

Hi,

I want share my first ebay buy. I found this in the hour of auction. It is a shumate 333 straight razor, St. Louis MO USA.

It had some surface rust on the blade, I thought the scales were interesting. I tried to clean it up a little but the pitting is a bugger. After cleaning, I honed it. It took an edge well. Not at first. I need persuading.

I'm thinking I may ask my brother if he can clean up a little better with his buffer or simething. All in I have a few hours of time and $12us.

I'm waiting on a Boker. I think I'm getting hooked on this.

- Mike

Very nice find. Shumates are fantastic shavers - I love me some American steel.

Nice score ! Yes, buying straights can be addictive, but it's so much fun soon you will have a nice collection and wonder where you will put them

Nice score. If you need some support in dealing with your RAD, well good luck with that!

Originally Posted by mbrando

I'm thinking I may ask my brother if he can clean up a little better with his buffer or simething. All in I have a few hours of time and $12us.

Has you brother put a razor to a buffer before? If not, I wouldn't ask him to do it. The odds of him trashing it are too high.

pitting = personality. If it shaves well, just part of the aesthetic.

If your brother takes it to a dremel, be sure he takes safety precautions with eyes, neck etc. - many funny stories on this site of the wheel projecting a blade across the room at high speed, which wouldn't be funny if they projected the blade at unprotected flesh.

Hi,

Thanks for positive responses. I'm going to give a try shaving in the morning. I agree the pitting does add character to the razor. I'll have to think on it. But yes, my brother has done many refurbished razors. He's the one who introduced me to straight razors and this web site. Either way, I plan to use it to shave so tomorrow will tell.

Thanks,
Mike

Hi,

Shaved with my Shumate this morning. It went well. I'd say as good as my La Grange. So I'm thinking I'll just leave it alone pits and all. I like it.

I did notice that when I stropped the blade on a hand towel, the tip grabbed a bit. Looking closer there is a little teeny tiny pit on the sharp side of the blade near the nose.

I did notice it shaving, but it bugs me that it does not glide when stropped on clothe. Since the imperfection is right smack on the edge, I think it can honed out. I'll start at the bottom 220 and back up through the ranks.

- Mike

What's up Mike? Nice score on that razor. As long as the active rust has been removed that pitting should be no bother. I am sure your bro can hone that chip out and give ya a nice bevel to work with. Have fun shave well.


Peter B

Originally Posted by no1slacker

What's up Mike? Nice score on that razor. As long as the active rust has been removed that pitting should be no bother. I am sure your bro can hone that chip out and give ya a nice bevel to work with. Have fun shave well.


Peter B

Hi Pete,

I was talking to Tony about it he said you were on SRP too. He seem to be doing a pretty good job of converting people from cartridge razors to Straights.

Back to the Shumate, all act rust is gone. I used a little Blue Magic metal polish cream. It works like magic. It had a soft satin finish from when I had worked with a 1500 grit paper. The polishing cream brought it to a high luster quickly.

At first I was not sure how well Blue Magic would work. I was trying to fine flitz locally in the store but no one around here carries it in the store, So I figured I try the Blue Magic.

Cheers

- Mike