Thread: Getting started in restoration work

Guys and gals,

I have been around in this forum for awhile now and have amassed quite a collection of razor (80+). Approximately a quarter of them require some if not complete restoration. I have some of my finer razors needing some restoration work due to my own negligence. What does someone need to equip themselves to begin restoration work themselves.

Joshua.

To begin? Not much. Piece of cloth and polish, like blue magic. To do it well?
This is a good start:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...wers-here.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...tion-work.html

I think that the biggest step has been said many times. That would be at the time of purchase. What you are trying to restore is as important as how. If I could start over, I would start with the simple things, like some good deep cleaning projects, where the razor were in relatively good condition but just needed a good deep scrub and then a polish. Then progress into more and more complicated projects. Joel's link is a ton of great reading and education. Go slow and be safe!

Folks,

I will post some pictures of some of the razors requiring work for evaluation.

Good call. Take it one by one. Helps build the skills up and you don't have to aquire everythign all at once.

If it goes beyond "just a polish" then start with one that you can live without - because sometimes the first attempt does not have the happiest outcome.

Pictures.

The order of the pictures is a good order to start with. The frame back has some rust right near the edge that could be deep. I would definitely start that one with a bevel set to make sue you are going to be able to hit good steel before you get a bunch of time into it, The wedge is going to take a while. I always use a wine cork split lengthwise to back my sandpaper so I am less apt to "dig holes". It is also important to watch the lines of your razor, that is to say you don't make subtle chafes to the shape of the blade. Keep the line where the side of the blade meets the spine crisp. There is also two surface planes on the tang, one where the stamp is and a ver small one at an angle below it. Try not to blow that line away either. It seems like small and simple things but they will make the difference between nice and wow.

P.S.
Feel free to PM me.

You have some solid razors there, though that 2nd one kind of scares me. Like RezDog said, try and maintain the definition of the lines (shoulder(s), bevel area, etching..). Let us know how it goes.