Restoration is a quite discussed concept (see architecture) and different approches are possible.
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Restoration is a quite discussed concept (see architecture) and different approches are possible.
I think it depends. To me, some blades don't need any work. They wear their age well and part of the attraction of the blade is the feeling of age. Other blades need only minor work. Others beg for full mirror polish and new shiny scales.
IMO, they should be shined up as much as possible. If there is anything more than a couple dots of black pitting - gone, gold wash included.
Even if I buy a brand new Dovo again I'd be tempted to polish away the factory grind marks.
Mark
I'm not always a fan of the BRIGHT! SHINY! NEW! approach to razor restoration - sometimes a good original restoration, or a satin finish with rustic scales are called for IMO.
That said, I don't like black spots, but will tolerate some minor to moderate pitting if the pits are cleaned and polished.
Mark
I'm not quite understanding what the question is?? From the poll options it could be a few things. Care to elaborate?Quote:
Originally Posted by clavichord
hey, as long as I can shave with it, it's restored enough. I actually kinda dig razors that look older and beat up but shave well. (kinda like a sleeper in racing)
+1. I polished some a bit but I never remove much metal. I usually try to "stabilize" them and I remove rust that could be harmful but that's it. Btw. all my razors are in their original scales (I am a lucky bastard, I have some with minor cracks but they hold fine).Quote:
Originally Posted by jockeys
+1....Thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelph
Lynn
Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelph
+2 Good, it wasn't just me, I think maybe we are missing something in the translation here....Quote:
Originally Posted by Lynn
I don't know how to answer that either. I think it really depends on the condition of the individual razor and how I feel about it. Some I would go to the trouble of 'restoring' while others would be as jockeys said, "good enough to shave with". :shrug: I tend to lean toward original scales even horn with flea bites and stable cracks in the wedge end. (not in the pivot area) OTOH, some of the restores I have seen in the show & tell are phenomenal.
OK, english is just my 4th language (after Italian , Spanish and Latin), so I apologize for not being clear..:( .. but I try to do my best daily.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelph
I just want to say that restoration started to be analized in detail during the XIX century, when the relationship between present buildings and ancient ones started to become difficult (what could be destroyed to make new space?). At the beginning of the XX c. the question was extended to arts and then to common objects from the past, adapting to new fields principles elaborated by architecture. OK, this is an historical overview.. With the poll I just wanted to investigate which are your tastes when restoring a razor or buying a vintage razor. And a poll is always a simplification of real things.
So now I have just to apologize for the new errors in the paragraph above.
Noting what I have highlighted in the above quote, if it is a mistake due to the fourth language I apologize ,,,,,,,, but that is the characteristic of the best restorers IMHO . :DQuote:
Originally Posted by clavichord
If I am understanding this correctly, the question is should we restore razors or leave them be ???
First there are two types of razor collectors out there.
The first group, most of us here at SRP, and the other shaving forums, are shavers first and foremost, and collectors second..
So our blades must be free of any active rust etc: or they could actually be dangerous to use in our pastime... So I would say yes to most restoration... Taking it as far as each owner deems they would like to... Personally I want clean, bright, shiny, steel on my face....
The other group of collectors out there are mostly after the vintage scales and razors, so they would look at restoration as a bad thing, because they want to keep the razor as original as posible...
Two totally different points of view on the same subject matter...
Exactly, and the poll is intended to count persons among both types of razor collectors and collect opinions.
I understand what sort of information you're interested in collecting, but I can't vote based on those parameters.
Each razor is different for me. I have no rigid set of guidelines which constitute how I view all straight razors I own. Some I have designs on restoring them to as close to mint condition as is possible. Others I'm more than satisfied with when I clean off any obvious residue or crud, hone the razor and shave with it leaving any and all patina/oxidation intact.
Chris L
A good question but, the group here is naturally going to swing toward at least minimal restoration if only for safety/health reasons....Quote:
Originally Posted by clavichord
LOL or even better I am against restoration I only buy NOS Mint
razors :roflmao:roflmao:roflmao
Thanks, Chris L, very clear! The space for comments is for this:explain different positions, or positions impossible to be mapped by the poll.
There's nothing sexy about shaving with something that looks like it belongs in the landfill. That said, each restore is unique. The razor is a template from which the final art will spring. As Glen points out, those that wish to collect for the sake of collecting alone and not shaving will not want to see the original piece tampered with, but some razors which could benefit from a little resto might be hindered by too much. One thing I like about the way the patina is rising back up after a few years on my W&B is that you can tell that although the metal was buffed to a shine before I used it, there was no harsh grinding of the metal. She's aging very well indeed.
X
I chose "as new" because that's how I prefer them. That being said though, I have no problem keeping a razor all original if it is in decent shape. I rarely find the ones I like in good enough shape though! I pretty much agree with what others have said about the SRP demographic. There are mostly 'users' rather than 'collectors' here, so it may be a very biased poll!
Thanks for voting, Philadelph.
..but at the "end" of the poll YOU could say that X% of members are mainly collectors and Y% mainly users, even if I do not completely agree with this reading.Quote:
Originally Posted by Philadelph
I do not like new razors, old razors are more pleasant to me. But restoring the razor I try to keep its original form and make it cleanerly, as possible.
Well Im totally confused now, so I'll just say what is on my mind. I like stuff to look new and I usually keep it looking that way. So if I buy a Vintage razor reguardless of the condition, Im gonna send it out to have it blinged up.
I like to bring razors back to shaving condition with minimal changes. Mostly what I mean is that I remove as little metal as possible. I used to just use MAAS and qtips/toothpicks, but I bought my first abrasives for cleaning purposes just this week; grades 0 through 0000 synthetic steel wool. My goal for now is to remove as much staining and as little metal as possible and put on a shaving edge.
I have to say, I'm not really a fan of mirror finishes, though. While there is some amazing work done by members of the forums to make blades look like new (or even better than new), that's just not my thing... for now.
Difficult to vote on this one…I am both a collector and a user.
Those I find in already in good condition I will only clean the obvious crud (if any) that shouldn’t be there. However if in bad condition like excessive rust etc then I will go to town with the restore and take it beyond original… mirror polish and all.
But we all know there are "gray areas" when assessing a razor and it has to do with brand, condition, value and many other factors... and sometimes it is worth it, to leave a razor as-is even if it has a few spots.
I'm really torn on this one. I love the patina on an old vintage blade and would like to keep that look but there is something in me that makes me want to try and restore the razor to as close to it's original condition as possible. I would only rescale a razor as a last resort and would try to keep the scales faithful to the original.
I fix anything functionally related or recurring.
Rust... anywhere? It's gone.
Spine or edge uneven? I'll be fixing that.
Patina? Hell no, I like patina. I sometimes remove it if it's making reading the stamp difficult. But otherwise, no way.
So far I've only rescaled one razor, and I didn't do very well... so I can't say that I fix all loose or damaged scales, but I plan to once I have the time to improve my method.
The one exception to my method is really my Morris... because if I removed all the pitting there wouldn't be any razor left. :P
This one was difficult, as it depends of the condition of the razor, but:
Working with razors doesn't differ from working with old handtools, furnitures, mechanics etc etc which i'm also deeply involved: I'm trying to keep them as original as possible. I remove rust, fix if it's broken and that's it. I think old items look better when they carry their patina and age proudly. I'm mostly shaver, not a collector.
Have to say that i've seen many tremendous and beautiful restored razors with new scales and all here in SRP, but that is not my case. I do not have enough imagination or creativity for such artwork. I leave it to them who have the skills.
I'm just wondering. Did the old vintage blades like Wade & Butcher have a mirror shine on them when they were new?
Most of the old near wedge blades with “frosted” etch were mirror polished.Quote:
Originally Posted by Miner123
Those that I have seen without etching were not mirror polished.
But later when hollow ground blades with black etching were popular the blades will have grind-marks.
But of course, there were always a few exceptions.