Salvaging F.W. Engles - Ideas...

I purchased this nice little F.W. Engels when I started straight razor shaving to have an inexpensive razor to practice stropping and honing. All in all, a great razor. After getting several other blades, I lent this one to a good friend who wanted to try straight razor shaving. With shame in eyes he told me two months later that he dropped it into the sink and chipped it.

Perhaps because my friend is a social worker who doesn't make much and has better things to spend money on; perhaps because I'm an engineer deep down; perhaps out of respect for the blade makers of the old, I'd like salvage this razor to usability even if its display days are long gone.

Any ideas what I could do... Obviously I could cut off 3/8" of the chip, smooth it, rebuild the bevel, hone it and call it a day. Any suggestion on how to do about doing it? Tools, technique, gotcha... Also, it carries the marking of silver steel. Anything unique about this alloy? What can I expect: extra hard, brittle? Since I never done anything simlar, if I look to cut, is it better to go spine to edge or the other way around.

In the end, this is a pet project - something new to do. I am not afraid to try anything and if I screw it up, I won't lose sleep over it. :)
Thanks,
Milan


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I would shorten the blade with the careful use of a Dremel with a sanding drum. But this can be a disaster if you don't take it slow and remember to keep the blade cool with repeated dunking in cold water to avoid overheating the metal.

Regards - Walt

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