Ator Restoration

Hi Guys,
This is my first post.
I have been shaving (when time permits) with a straight razor (Dovo) on and off for about a year now. Following a conversation with a friend about this they had a dig around through some old "stuff" and produced an old Ator ERN Razor which they gave to me as a present. Never one to look a gift horse in the mouth, it was only when I got home and examined it, that apart from the obvious dirt and rust, there is a 2 - 3 centimeter (approx 1/8 of an inch) crack in the blade, the box it was presented in has a barbers name and city address on it and also a hand written date 1st of June 1932, so it has potentially, literally been through the wars! The scales are fine and the pins are still fairly tight. I am wondering if this blade might be worth restoring and if so is it viable to hone an eight of an inch or more off a blade?
Thanks,
James.

1/8" is a lot to take off a blade They are wonderful razors with that humpback spine and those wonderful rifle stock scales witch are Oh So fragile. Being that they are narrow bakelite There so easy to crack. Been there did that. They come in various widths. What is the width of yours?
If its the larger width Ator it might be worth a go at honing it out. If not sell it on the Bay cause a lot of poor soles like myself shattered Ator riflestocks. That's a guarantee.
J.M.H.O.

These are the blades specifications based on the numbers stamped on the blade; GM 142302
The blade measures 6/8 - round point.
Grind: 1/2 Hollow
Total weight: 1.9 oz
Total cutting edge: 2.75 inches

I think the larger Ators are 11/16" Knocking off 1/8" on a 6/8" wouldn't be my cup of tea. But what do you have to loose? Give a shot and get shaving.

Thanks Tarkus, I might just set it aside and keep it for a project to indulge in during winter.

Heres my little dance with ATOR riflestock scales
Attachment 143443
Gaah!!!!! :gaah:
And that was just by trying to de-pin it.

Ouch!
Here's the blade I got today.
Attachment 143444Attachment 143445Attachment 143446

Oh dear that is a loooooong crack.
The fact that its nearer the toe gives you a better chance at removing it. Since the blade looks toe heavy in the width.
I'd give it a go.

I'm inclined to agree with you especially when I keep seeing that date, on the box. I'd love to know it's history and ownership line.

Ator's are one of the sexiest razor/scale designs ever. Those embossed scales get my blood boiling!!!

I notice your a new member let everyone say hello in the Member Introduction thread.
Welcome to the forum
Tarkus (Darl)

That's one of the upshots the scales are the original (Embosed) on one side and outside of a bit of grime are almost perfect and as I said earlier the pins are still nice and tight. I also like the weight and thickness of the shank and spine. The back ridges on the shank are also in good condition.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by reverenddd

That's one of the upshots the scales are the original (Embosed) on one side and outside of a bit of grime are almost perfect and as I said earlier the pins are still nice and tight. I also like the weight and thickness of the shank and spine. The back ridges on the shank are also in good condition.

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If your bakelite scales are turning brownish some Mass polishing compound and a cloth will turn them back to black nicely.

Re: introduction, Will do when I figure out how. Thanks for all the help. I had heard the wet shave fraternity were a great bunch. I also have an old copy of Lynns video on razor restoration, I'll have to see if I can find it and get it converted to digital. I checked out a few youtube videos in the last couple of hours. When the time comes, this is really going to be a labour of love.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Tarkus

If your bakelite scales are turning brownish some Mass polishing compound and a cloth will turn them back to black nicely.

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A fine grade of toothpaste, or Mother's or Meguires, will do an adequate job if you don't have MAAS ( My favorite) Do not use Barkeeps friend or similar products as they will discolor your blade and may react with the scales. I tried it and lost!
~Richard
PS I like MAAS and toothpaste because they wash off easily!

I recently got an Ator too, it has a cracked/re-glued scales at pivot pin (which has been replaced for an ugly screw).. I have been thinking if I'd try to make a new ator (embossed) scales... anyone tried this , id I'd do it by hand it's msot probably not going to turn out nice,.. so maybe a scan and laser engraving (of the surroundings of the "ATOR" sign)?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by miha

I recently got an Ator too, it has a cracked/re-glued scales at pivot pin (which has been replaced for an ugly screw).. I have been thinking if I'd try to make a new ator (embossed) scales... anyone tried this , id I'd do it by hand it's msot probably not going to turn out nice,.. so maybe a scan and laser engraving (of the surroundings of the "ATOR" sign)?

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You might be better off just looking for a donor on the bay. Thats what those scales were in the picture, & I managed to shatter them regardless.
Lucky for me a good friend had a spare set and was kind enough to pin it as well.

thanks Tarkus, I'll wait to see how it looks like when I get it,.. if I try to decide now I will probably rescale, but defenitly change the screw... I was thinking of aknother way, maybe I could do the mold and make new scales,.. shouldn't be too hard I guess, not sure which plastic to use ... although a horn with Ator sign would be really cool, but horn would probably have to be heat-molded to get the sign..?

edit: huh another idea,.. a bit more technically advanced,.. what about 3d scanning and 3d printing... not sure how do those materials flex etc.... we'll see :)

As far as matching it nothing will come close to the bakelite look. It looks great but oh so scary to deal with. When I was de-pinning my Ator my friend said jokingly so will you be breaking them or will you send them to me to break. I thought he was kidding until the second when my drill shattered the scales. What makes those particular scales so fragile is that the width of those riflestocks are so thin. Talk about leading with your jaw.
Good luck and remember soft hands.
Har!!!

Hi again, the more I read about this subject, the more questions form! I'm now debating whether or not to take the slow route and hone the cracked blade back by 1/8th or should I save time and "breadknife" it flat with a "cheaper" low grit stone, then hone a new bevel?

I don't think there's enough days in the week to hone out an 1/8" I would definitely bread knife the crack out, then do your standard progressions to set bevel etc...

That's what I thought, but it's good to get the go ahead from someone in the know. Apart from my profile info, you can tell I'm new to all of this.

Besides the time involved with just honing it out like mentioned above, you also stand a better chance of Flexing the edge and making the crack run when honing...

Thanks for the heads up, Gssixgun.