Thread: Does this look restorable?

Hi:
I just picked up this razor yesterday in my small-town antique shop, and I'd like to make it my first restoration. Its a Norton Cooperative Cutlery Society, Sheffield blade. Condition looks decent, no pitting and very little discolouration, but as you can see there is a good size chip. Scales need replacing, but I'm not concerned about that. Do you think getting rid of the chip leaves enough steel to work up a good edge?

I'm also wondering whether anyone has info on Norton Cooperative? There is virtually nothing on the web, and they are not listed in the SRP database. I did manage to find out that Norton Cooperative occupied, in 1919, a building in Sheffield that is now a pile of rubble, but no info on what years the business started and stopped production.

A good lesson ahead for you. The chip will hone out.
Our library has a great deal of useful information:
Straight_Razor_Place_Library


Restoration

~Richard

Looks like 4/8" blade. Chip can be removed by breadknifing the edge and resetting the bevel. Or by honeing which will take longer. Either way you are going to lose some steel.

just eyeballing the picture, if you were to get the edge of the blade above that chip, your bevel would probably be in contact with the shoulder of your razor. This can have an impact on honing and will probably need to be corrected in addition to removing the chip...

The blade is 5/8, and the chip is about 1/16, so hopefully the remaining steel will still let me get a good hone. TwistedOak, thanks for pointing out the possible shoulder problem - I'll watch out for that. Right now my plan is
- get rid of the chip using the side of my 800 water stone; if that is too slow I might try the bench sander;
- make new scales
- polish and hone the blade.

I'd like to keep the 'Chieftain' marking on the blade - what would you suggest to protect it?

Don't use a motorized sander, if that's your thought, look up some of the restoration process threads there is a very good way to get that chip out by using a low grit hone, that won't hurt. A lot of threads actually they will help your progress very much, but as big as that chip is , it might get into the shoulder. Tc

OK, thanks Tc, - I'll scratch the sander idea. I've read lots of the honing advice (enough to help me get my new Dovo Special shaving beautifully) but only a few videos on restoration, so I'll dig in to the material on honing out chips as soon as I have some spare time.

if possible don't bread knife the blade, use a 45 degree angle instead of a 90 degree on the hone. When you get the chip out you will have a lot less work honing if you already have a bevel started even if it's way to steep.