Thread: pitting on my W&B

I have some pitting on this blade and need some advice for removing it. Or, do you think it would be better just to leave it as it is? This is my first project razor, and I will be making custom scales in a few days. Anyway, here are some pictures...

depends on what you want? pits don't bother me on personal razors. and if you continue to try to remove them, more metal is to be removed. but if you want that perfect finish, then you will need to take more off. i think it looks great as is. nice work.

vgod

good looking blade.
If you are just doing it for yourself, I would say it looks fine.
If you want to sell it, you may want to sand a bit more.

Originally Posted by netsurfr

good looking blade.
If you are just doing it for yourself, I would say it looks fine.
If you want to sell it, you may want to sand a bit more.

What grit sandpaper would you recommend? Would using sandpaper cause scratching? If it does cause scratching, would polishing with a felt pad on a dremel remove scratches caused by sanding?

I've never tried to take out pits that look that deep. I don't want to say regrind since I don't know, but that's what I'm thinking

looks like right now it may be somewhere near a 800 grit finish to me. if you went all the way to 2000 or more, you will get rid of a little more of the pitting but would not eliminate it all together. but you would get closer to a mirror finish on it. i would say go back to 320-400 and progress from there to remove the pitting as is. personally, i like the satin look and those are not bad pit marks if you are calling this a personal razor. i shave with some a lot worse off than that and they are fantastic.

spend the time on the scales. getting them pinned right makes a world of difference.

vgod

Originally Posted by Mike7120

What grit sandpaper would you recommend? Would using sandpaper cause scratching? If it does cause scratching, would polishing with a felt pad on a dremel remove scratches caused by sanding?

Nice razor, nice even bevel and spine. Shame about the pits but it happens.
Bruno's Handsanding How to post is worth a read if you haven't already.

Afraid that if you want the pits gone you'll have to go thru the progression of coarse to fine grits which will initially scratch the blade. The dremel and felt pad would be useful only for final polish in the endgame not for coarse grit scratch removal. You can use a dremel with drum or flap sanding discs but hand sanding will give you more control, as tedious as it is.
Keep us posted if you go ahead.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Nice razor, nice even bevel and spine. Shame about the pits but it happens.
Bruno's Handsanding How to post is worth a read if you haven't already.

Afraid that if you want the pits gone you'll have to go thru the progression of coarse to fine grits which will initially scratch the blade. The dremel and felt pad would be useful only for final polish in the endgame not for coarse grit scratch removal. You can use a dremel with drum or flap sanding discs but hand sanding will give you more control, as tedious as it is.
Keep us posted if you go ahead.

I was at a W&B yesterday with similar pitting for about 4 hours with 80 grit sand paper hand sanding it, and it reached a point where it just wasn't going down any longer - I fashioned a sanding drum for my dremel with 80 grit paper and Tuck tape, and put it on a very slow setting, taking frequent breaks - long story short, 30 minutes later the pits where gone, and I was back hand sanding, although now going through my progressions and not just killing time in from of the TV with 80 grit!

Of course, YMMV.

Mark

FWIW, a friend of mine that restores razors in that condition keeps a glass of ice water close by. If he is using his Dremel and feels the blade heating up he dips it in the ice water. I haven't gotten into the restoring of finishes yet so that is all that I can contribute. Good luck with your blade.

Originally Posted by vgod

looks like right now it may be somewhere near a 800 grit finish to me. if you went all the way to 2000 or more, you will get rid of a little more of the pitting but would not eliminate it all together.

Doing that won't even put a dent in it. You need at least 220 grit to even get started if you want that gone. Personally I wouldn't use a dremel. You would concentrate it mostly on that pit line and end up with a divot in the blade. I'd also personally regrind it, but most guys can't do that. Read all this: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...tials-faq.html