Thread: Restoring a Joseph Allen Non XLL

This is coming along nicely - I'd never come across the use of vinegar on etchings before. One tip - on the final rounds of wet and dry, go spine to edge so that the scratch marks are more in keeping with how the blade would have been ground and polished originally.

Good idea UKRob, I have to do a final polish with autosol so I'll do that

Very clever on the vinegar use I will keep that in mind. Thanks

Originally Posted by nonick

Used vinegar to darken the etching. Applied with an ear bud, left for five minutes, rinsed off with water, and sanded back easily with 1200 paper.

Thanks for the tip, I often wondered how to do that. Great technique for darkening stamps. Have some blades that could use that.

Vinegar works, but will not last, try some cold bluing, for better lasting etches darkening. Geezer had a good post on applying and polishing, a while back.

You might want to think about a Satin finish, look up some of Wolfpack34 finished Sheffield’s’, it looks good on old razors. Yours is in good shape, take your time and use a large flexable backer 6mm foam and a cork, take it to 2k then Crocus Cloth.

For next time, try drilling the pins and saving the old collars, you can get the old ones and they do have character. Ajkenned4xm3 on EBay has some very nice reproductions

Good tip on the cold bluing. I have tried it myself with some success.
what grit of crocus cloth would you suggest after the 2k to achieve a satin finish?

Nice work on the Non Xll's NoNick..
Love the NonXll's.
Cheers.

Here is the etching renewal thread:
revealing-etchings
~Richard
PS I have learned, now, to blue the whole blade so that there is no shadow on it after sanding and polishing.

I use the fine, from Ace Hardware, sells for $2 per 9X11inch sheet, cut into 3X3 squares. A piece last a long long time.

After a 2k finish, back a cork with a 3X3 x6mm craft foam and do spine to edge strokes, over lapping about a ½ inch. Mike, Woldpack34 is the master of the satin finish. Look up some of his post and drool.