Thread: First Restoration Help--Advice for Next Steps

Trying my first restoration. Here are the before pics:


After some initial advice, I've got the blade cleaned up from the rust after an Evapo Rust soak, followed by some 0000 steel wool, and then some Mother's polish. It's definitely an improvement:



I'd like to take it a bit further, but I don't want to lose the etching. The blade is relatively smooth, so the stained portions, I fear may be devil's spit (especially the large discoloration on the backside of the blade near the toe). I really don't want to get into that, especially where it is located as I think that could wreck the blade if too much metal got removed.

I have a full range of wet/dry sandpaper and a can of WD 40. I haven't bought a buffer, but there's a HF in town so I could go get a cheap set up.

I don't want a mirror shine necessarily, but I'd like to get it a bit better looking than what it is. Looking to you blade savants for some guidance on the next steps. Thanks!

Im not the most experianced in these things but i do know it dont take much to get into the etching. Id work it with some 2000grit carfully and then polish and pin. The little scars and marks show its age. Dress it in horn and you got a winner.

But dont do anything i say until someone else comments.

If it were me id be done with the blade at this point. I am an advocate of letting the blade look its age. You did what I like to call a 'dirty polish'. The rust is cleaned up, shes kinda shiny. I say let it be.

Jerry gives solid advice here, honestly that is one good looking W&B and they don't all have to be show queens. I personally don't really care for the full mirror look on old razors. If you don't like that dark spot on the back here is something that may help lessen it, 2000 grit wet/dry and wd40 on a wine cork. Start at the spine and go toward the edge. Not in a scrubbing motion just straight strokes down, then pick it up off the blade and spine to edge again full length of the blade. This is time consuming but 2k scratches will polish out by hand with Mothers mag polish.
Or scales and pin job then hone and shave if you have any questions holler and we will give the best advice we can to guide you along. A buffer is not needed IMO, I do everything by hand and yes it is time consuming but end results to me are just fine and I appreciate the work put in.
What scale material are you going with? Original or something wild ?

Originally Posted by ejmolitor37

What scale material are you going with? Original or something wild ?

I've got some black horn blanks on the way--studying up on that too!

Nice choice. They should look good on it. I know there a great post somewhere here with detail instructions on how to make horn scales. Look around for it. Or someone put in a link. That beyond my abilities. Now where is that "ANY" button. Ha.

Here you go: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-way-i-do.html

I believe you've done a great job as she is.

Gasman is right there is a great tutorial around. Horn is surprisingly easy to work with. Shaping can be done easily with half a pair of scissors. Be sure to keep your scales stuck together while shaping. Makes life easier. I learnt that the hard way

Originally Posted by sqzbxr

Here you go: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...-way-i-do.html

Yep! Thats the one I was talking about. It helped me!