Thread: restoration challenge or call me crazy

I got this one with the idea I could salvage it. But I now don't have the time to do it. So hear is the challenge. I will send this to who ever thinks this can be made into a presentable shaver. Once it is made into a presentable shaver it will be given to the monthly SRP give away. So is anyone up to the challenge or tell me I am crazy?

















Tim

Oh good Lord. #3 looks like the previous owner gnawed on it like a pencil.
I am convinced it cannot be made flawless again, there's simply too much metal to remove. If it were a wedge I'd say maybe, but as such the best one could do is scoop out the rust from the craters and slap some nice scales on it.

I think it could be made presentable and shaveable. There are a lot of scares on that. The smaller ones probably could be removed with patience and time. The larger ones. Hell I'd incorporate something in the scales to tie the two together.

Perfection is nice but a flaw is often the most beautiful thing.

For scales I probably use a burl type wood like is used for pipes like Nording etc. Use the scalloped edge for the bottom of the scales.

I am a newb and have no equipment to do it, but would love to try. Thats a pretty razor.

My experiance (very limited) tells from the photos that you posted shows deep pitting if not all the way through at the edge. By the time you are done grinding and sanding you will have a paper thin blade, this I know from experiance. I got a razor that I thought had some minor pitting so I proceeded to "clean it up" what I did was open up a can of worms, I ended up loosing the blade. I don't think this one is worth it but I've been known to be wrong before. Just my opinion.

Dan

Ouch, pics No.3 and 5 put the fear in me. Not for me!

Pitting on the “off” side can be removed (that part of the spine seems thick enough) as well as the “pock marks” on the front side tip… and if too deep to risk changing the geometry of the blade can be left alone to give her some character and instead, the surface scratches on the blade polished off to matte or mirror finish... (don't want moisture getting into the holes then a drop of CA will fill them up then smooth to the razors concave with fine w/d sandpaper).
The “hole” through the edge near the point can be ground out (breadknifed).
Pitting in the worked spine can be “smoothed” with a Dremel sanding drum... if no Dremel then paper wrapped around an old "C" size battery or some other cylindrical dowel and hand sand.
Remove the scales to clean up rust in the pivot area.
Scales appear to be solid and don’t seem to need much but soap, water and a good polish.

She is in bad shape but the steel at the edge is good and the scales are usable… a tall order but very doable.

Of course, you never know exactly what you have... till you have it in hand.

Hmmmmm that is a challenge alright...
and no I am not volunteering.....
I will offer one piece of advice to whoever steps to the plate on this one....

The edge !!!!
Before you take all the time and effort to pretty it up, you need to break down the edge, and reset a bevel, then check that steel under magnification to make sure you have clean solid steel... There is no sense in doing hours and hours of work before you are sure that the edge isn't swiss cheese under there....

Good idea Tim !!!!

I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that if anyone can do it Bruno can!
I'm not volunteering Bruno of course, he can do that for himself if he wants!

Thanks for the vote of confidence, Mark

But looking at the razor, I doubt that all the pitting can be removed. It would mean significantly weakening the spine. And the pitting in the middle between edge and spine might well mean that you end up sanding through the blade. It's a hollow ground, so there is almost no meat on the blade wo work with.

The toe is also pretty busted, but the shaped spine means that you cannot simply cut the point off the razor. You'd have to cut almost 1 inch off the blade to make the spine decorations end properly.
I am not saying it is impossible to restore this blade.

But I am fairly certain that it is impossible to remove ALL pitting and still have a functional blade left.
And it is a bit pointless imo to put in all the effort and still have a damaged blade.
So I am going to pass on this opportunity.

The edge also needs to be reworked significantly, so I would instead offer this as a honing challenge, and use it as a pass-around blade for newbies. It is probably still a good shaver with enough work on the edge.

Well Singlewedge seems optimistic, so I am going to send it to him and see what he can do with it.
I like his attitude.
I would also like to thank everyone for thier input. This was just a spur of the moment hair brain idea.

Thanks
Tim