Thread: Restoring a PUMA

Got the coffin box and the razor for $25 CDN. I Will try to clean up the scales and make the razor shave ready, but am asking for some advice before I start.

I will go through the usual steps to remove rust and corrosion. Should/ how much tape should I use when I hone out the chip near the heel?

How can I deal with the brown stain on the scales?

If you have suggestions for issues I haven’t mentioned, please add them too.

I'd use two layers of tape till chip was almost gone then switch to one layer. Then you can go with no layers if that is what you want to do. As for the stain i usually just use fish soap and an old tooth brush to clean. If that doesn't work I will use scrubbing bubbles. Could try just some polishing compound and a rag and see if that removes it. If you don't want to remove the scales to clean it qtips and pipe cleaners work to get inbetween the scales. Hopefully someone else will come along with more info.

I'd be surprised if that blade is savable at all, and I definitely don't think it would be worth the time and effort it would take. You'd probably have to hone well above the chip, because that corrosion on a full hollow is likely to make the edge continue to crumble away.

Yeah, the good news is the box is worth what you paid. The rust on the edge will be hard to get past. Devil's spit eats right through on those hollow grinds.

The chip looks like the least of your worries.

I would get very aggressive with the side of a course hone, vertical with no tape just to see how narrow you have to get it to get past the rust.

You could tell really quick if anything more would be a waste of time.

IMO razor is not worth restoring. However the box is very nice and worth the money ALSO you could probably re use the scales if you wanted. Always nice to have spare scales around

Is the rust mirrored on the other side & do the scales smell of camphor? Could be cell rot.

Sand off as much rust as you can, oil & close the blade. Don't open it for a week. If it rusts again the scales are toast.

Here's how you fix the edge if the steel is sound:
https://straightrazorpalace.com/adva...l-setting.html

I used my Dremel abrasive pads on the black stuff. Turns out it wasn’t corrosion after all, just some kind of stain that seems to come off fairly easily. I guess I lucked out on that.

I will have to be careful to avoid damaging the etching when I go after the stain on that side of the blade. I was thinking of masking the etching with tape or clear nail polish to help protect it before going after the stain some more.




The scales are in good shape and do not appear to be celluloid. I’m not able to get them to show clearly in a picture, but they have a pattern that almost looks like a grain.



I had seen that post by Glen about removing a chip, but wasn’t able to locate it right away. Thanks for providing the link Onimaru.

Those scales are celluloid made to look like ivory. If they are off gassing then the blade will continue to rust. I'd do as posted above and if the scales are bad you can always save the inlay and make another set of scales.

Originally Posted by DZEC

I used my Dremel abrasive pads on the black stuff. Turns out it wasn’t corrosion after all, just some kind of stain that seems to come off fairly easily. I guess I lucked out on that.

I will have to be careful to avoid damaging the etching when I go after the stain on that side of the blade. I was thinking of masking the etching with tape or clear nail polish to help protect it before going after the stain some more.

The scales are in good shape and do not appear to be celluloid. I’m not able to get them to show clearly in a picture, but they have a pattern that almost looks like a grain.

I had seen that post by Glen about removing a chip, but wasn’t able to locate it right away. Thanks for providing the link Onimaru.

I would urge you to put that razor (closed in the scales) in a Ziploc bag then seal it and leave it/kind of like what was recommended before and then leave it there for 7-10 days and see what's happening.

What do you have to lose? Give it a go.