Thread: Recent W &B wedge purchase, which way to go??

There is no rite or wrong.
Personally I'd like to see that razor like a mirror with new scales ...

Originally Posted by JOB15

There is no rite or wrong.
Personally I'd like to see that razor like a mirror with new scales ...

And there is a part of me that wants that as well JOB15 but then there is a part of me that is like, man that looks pretty nice the way it is I should leave it alone. I like posting questions like this because usually you get a lot of answers all different and it gets me to thinking and sometimes takes me in a different direction than I had planned. Thank you for the input

The answer to your question depends on how much you value aesthetics of the razor. There is significant hone wear which is reflected in the uneven bevel - this cannot be undone, but you could send it for a re-grind which will even up the whole blade. On the other hand, if you're happy with the appearance as it is, simply cleaning as suggested earlier will improve things. I suggest that you tape the spine before any further honing.

Yes I plan on taping the spine when I hone this one. I am no expert UKRob just asking from what I think I remember reading awhile back. But I thought I read a post that talked about honing a wedge to correct poor/improper honing that would then give you even bevels and such.

Why not use it , as is for a while, then inthe future do it up..
Concerning that fat bevel near the toe end, I would just add an extra centimeter of tape to the corresponding spine area when honing....

It's a little hard for me to see in the pictures but I suspect the scratches you see where left by the grinding wheel of the maker. It was called a glazed finish and IMHO the most common finish found on the old blades. The mirror finish was called a crocus finish. Here is a picture of the two finished for a side by side comparison. Are you capable of doing either finish by hand? Probably not. Removing the hone wear present on your blade by hand would be a long and tedious process. Most folks who hand sand work from heel to toe so the scratch patterns run that way. You razor was ground from the blade back to the bevel. There are a few folks here that have mastered the glaze finish by hand and finish with the scratch pattern running in the correct back to bevel direction. I think GSSIXGUN posted a how to here somewhere. Also Wolpack34 does a wonderful job with the hand done glaze finish.
Your comment about 0000 steel wool on the scales. That will leave a hazy finish. Follow with a polish like Mothers or MAAS to bring back the shine.
My suggestion to you to start would be to disassemble the scales saving the collars for reuse. Clean up the scales, hand polish the blade with Mothers polish and maybe some 0000 steel wool. The 0000 will scratch the blade so don't lean on it too heavy. Reassemble, add a couple layers of tape to the spine and hone. I'm sure it will be a great shaver and a good looking minimalist restore.

Originally Posted by karlej

It's a little hard for me to see in the pictures but I suspect the scratches you see where left by the grinding wheel of the maker. It was called a glazed finish and IMHO the most common finish found on the old blades. The mirror finish was called a crocus finish. Here is a picture of the two finished for a side by side comparison. Are you capable of doing either finish by hand? Probably not. Removing the hone wear present on your blade by hand would be a long and tedious process. Most folks who hand sand work from heel to toe so the scratch patterns run that way. You razor was ground from the blade back to the bevel. There are a few folks here that have mastered the glaze finish by hand and finish with the scratch pattern running in the correct back to bevel direction. I think GSSIXGUN posted a how to here somewhere. Also Wolpack34 does a wonderful job with the hand done glaze finish.
Your comment about 0000 steel wool on the scales. That will leave a hazy finish. Follow with a polish like Mothers or MAAS to bring back the shine.
My suggestion to you to start would be to disassemble the scales saving the collars for reuse. Clean up the scales, hand polish the blade with Mothers polish and maybe some 0000 steel wool. The 0000 will scratch the blade so don't lean on it too heavy. Reassemble, add a couple layers of tape to the spine and hone. I'm sure it will be a great shaver and a good looking minimalist restore.

Those are both stunning blades karlej. Thanks for the great input.

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