My first mini-restoration

[Ockham]

Ok, nothing to gloat about, but just wanted to share my first cleaning with more than Maas.

I received a razor I bought on ebay a few weeks ago... she seemed very nice and shiny, and in a very good shape. And she was, except for some tarnish and pitting on the tang, some little water marks on the blade and a dark spot on the blade (didn't look that bad on ebay pictures).

But, as I was examining her, I discovered that the dark spot on the blade was on the right and left side, at the same high, and was the result from the blade entering the wedge when closing!!! As a consequence, the point was a little damage (round point), like it had little spikes or dents. So, ahead with handsanding: first I did the point with 400 grit, then 600, 800 and 1000, and then the tang with the same method. I didn't want to sand the mark left on the blade by this situation (the blade have a very nice etching) so I just used Mass to get rid of most of it, and polish the rest of the blade to almost mirror finish.

I solved the wedge problem by sanding it from between the scales. That was quite a long job, but actually the razor closes nicely (actually I didn't want to rescale it because I like her actual scales, and when it was rescaled - I think so because the scales are original but I couldn't think of a razor coming new having a so bad wedge - one scale "broke" near the pivot pin; I didn't know if it could survive another rescaling).

Next free time I'll hone it.

P.S.
The first two pictures are coming from the ebay description (sadly I forgot to take pics before cleaning); I took the last two (the blade after cleaning with Maas and the etching).

[Leon]

This is the "Le Grelot" some folks here were trying to grab at eBay, right?

Congratulations

[floppyshoes]

Cool, do you have the other 2 (3 in reality) musketeers? Does anyone know if it was a part of such a set (Athos, Porthos, Aramis and d'Artagnan)?

[Ockham]

@ Leon: Yep you're right... it is the beauty indeed. And as I understand, we were many from SRP to look at this one. I was waiting a little before cleaning her, and try my hand before at a less "beautiful" german (beauty is in the eye of the beholder so no absolute judgement intended) razor. It turn out that I wasn't that clumsy after all.

@ Floppyshoes: unfortunately I don't have other musketeers razors... and I don't know if this one was part of a set; it was the first time that a saw such a razor and have not seen another one, or similar one (luckily for my wallet).