Thread: W&B restoration

Long time reader first post in the forums.
Hi all, I have an 1880's Wade and Bucher blade>(attatched img).
Is it possible to polish the blade and remove the rust and save the etching? I have read about soaking the rust in a mix of baking soda and water, or wd-40, has any one had any experience with it, and if so what were your results? The rust does not appear to be active.
I have asked on #srp and all though the rust appears to be harmless and would not affect the shave, I would like to get the bes estetics and functionality from this blade as possible.
for tools , they are all hand tools
120, 240 grit paper(I also need to get finer grit paper too ) , and never dull wadding.

Thank you in advance for your thaughts and opinions

Lots of information here:
Straight Razor Place Library - Straight Razor Place Library
~Richard

Richard,
Thank you, I have been looking at Hand sanding a blade - Straight Razor Place Library , and would like to do it all by hand , I read power tools can kill a blade. DO you have a recommendation how to start, ie : what grit I should Try first or just go to polishing compounds ? Whoever

Welcome to the forum

Wow that has A LOT of hone wear.
#1 step is to make SURE you can get a good edge on it. Nothing makes you go crazy faster than doing a TON of work and not being able to hone it to a usable blade.

Originally Posted by Chevhead

Wow that has A LOT of hone wear.
#1 step is to make SURE you can get a good edge on it. Nothing makes you go crazy faster than doing a TON of work and not being able to hone it to a usable blade.

Right, lots of time on the 1k :-) I was think the other way, make it look pretty, then hone it, not hone it, make it pretty and color it red at the same time
If I put an edge on it , then try to clean it up I will most likly bleed all over it.

Originally Posted by whoever

Right, lots of time on the 1k :-) I was think the other way, make it look pretty, then hone it, not hone it, make it pretty and color it red at the same time
If I put an edge on it , then try to clean it up I will most likly bleed all over it.

You do what you want.
Not that I have done the same.
BIG WASTE OF TIME FOR ME
YMMV

Originally Posted by whoever

Richard,
Thank you, I have been looking at Hand sanding a blade - Straight Razor Place Library , and would like to do it all by hand , I read power tools can kill a blade. DO you have a recommendation how to start, ie : what grit I should Try first or just go to polishing compounds ? Whoever

Ooh, hard question!!!
I would start with about 220 grit wet dry with a bit of wd-40. Bend small pieces of the paper over the spine and sand with your hand behind the spine and your thumb and forefinger on the paper over the blade. (Saves a bunch of cuts!) sand end to end and go to the next grit. and so on.
Then when about 800 grit use a cheap eraser t as a sanding block and go edge to spine.

and a good place to save money and time:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...storation.html

~Richard

Thank, I have been reading other posts on restoring and tring to preserv the etching , and those razers seem to have more darkening , and they sugges to start with a plishing compound and see if that got the results the OP was after. Would that be going the wrong direction in this casei or is that just another way of doinc it? This may seem like I keep asking the same question different way , I just want to make sure I have it right because there is no going back. It may be me but th more i stare at it the more it looks to me to be darkening with very little non active rust at the end of the blade.
I have also read of people have sucess with tumblers , I just don't have one, if any one done, feel free to chime in.

That etch will disappear very quickly if you touch it with sand paper. Personally, if I had that blade, I would hand polish it and call it good.