Thread: Restoring a Cheap Antique Shop Razor

Yep. I wouldn't have taken away from the toe. Trying to keep the same width (as much as possible) across the entire blade is what is normal. When not much blade is left it's hard to correct the heal. A diamond file or plate would have been enough to correct any work you did. No need for power tools. Look up some of the work Outback has done. It's all done by hand.

Now find another junker to work on or try to get a bevel set. Nothing should keep you for setting the bevel except experience or bad steel. It takes a special ground razor to be less 3/8 or less so I won't be surprised if it will never shave.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

I think you could have left the toe alone & there was no need to grind away on the tang & stabiiiser as that part of the razor shouldn't touch the stones anyway. Possibly you could have just curved in a bit deeper bringing the heel further forward.
You may have been able to correct that slight frown in the honing process. Don't think a belt sander was necessary.
Just accept that you won't get an edge all the way to the heel with something so worn..

If you start your sharpening at about 45º & gradually lower it you'll save some spine metal.

I have no idea how you would get that much of a frown out in the honing process.

This should be a good learning piece for you.
The stabilizer that you tried to reduce the thickness on. The sharp edge it had originally is a plunge line. Typically they are kept quite crisp. To keep them that way either your bit or your blade has to be in a fixed position. Tile it so you are push against the back edge of the plunge line then push down. The speed of the tool needs to be dead slow.

Originally Posted by rickytimothy

I have no idea how you would get that much of a frown out in the honing process.

Really minor frown on that one. Easily fixed with a diamond plate.

https://shavelibrary.com/w/Honing_a_damaged_blade

I did recently post a repair similar to yours, in the "Butchered Blade" thread, in the workshop. Its in the last two pages. 468-469.

There's all kinds of junkers n clunkers that we've done in there. A look thru, might give ya some ideas and ways to maybe improve on them. On your next one.

I learned most of my skills from others here, as well from the library. From there I've learned to come up with some new ways of restoration that none others has tried. I'm always experimenting, looking for better, faster ways to restore by hand, with very limited use of power tools, of course.