Vintage Restore - Fritz Bracht Dovo #24

This is more a blade restore than anything else, I did clean up the scales and brass, but honestly it was rather easy...

This first pics show what I snagged off E-bay, minus the discoloration and the bad hone wear... I took that off and smoothed it out on the Buffers...
The true issue with this blade was the really bad frown that can be seen here...

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I actually measured this razor out before I started, a couple of things become interesting... This razor started out marked as a 6/8, I am really starting to think this means after it has been honed on many of these, as most of the NOS stuff I find has just a touch extra... This could also I guess be because of different measuring systems, or just manufacturing guidelines...
So the wide toe and heel were at 6/8+ and the frown was at 6/8 even...
Now the next step was to Bread-knife it, yeah yeah I know what half of you are going to say, and my answer is, "I like straight, even, tiny, bevels"...
I used the back of and old Norton lapping stone and did 90% of it in 3 minutes I timed myself doing this also... I took another 2 minutes on a DMT 325 to get it dead even... so we have 5 whole minutes and a blade that is at 6/8 and straight, but also dull as hell...
I then put 3 layers of tape on the spine, Holding the blade like you would a knife with the spine about 2 widths above the DMT plate, I started cutting a pre-bevel using heavy pressure, within a few minutes I could feel an edge starting. I use 1 drop of dish soap on the DMT when doing this stuff...
I dropped to the taped spine and started doing circles using heavy pressure.. burned through the 3rd layer of tape, pulled it, more circles 20 per side down and back on the DMT 325, burned through the 2nd layer of tape... Now I am getting a rather ragged edge forming, but an edge...
Very very very lightly I draw the edge across my Translucent Arkansas, at a very slight angle from dead straight down, it takes away the ragged feeling in 3 "Jointing passes"
Back to the DMT 325 with one layer of tape, I do 20 circles medium pressure per side, check the edge do 20 circles light pressure per side and stop...

We are here now with a rough bevel cut

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I switch to my "Problem Blade Bevel Setter" a Norton 1k using 1 layer of tape... 20 medium pressure circles 20 light pressure circles
Change tape, 5 heel forward laps 1 X stroke, 5 heel forward 1 X stroke very light pressure...
Spin stone 5 X strokes 1 heel forward, 5 X strokes 1 heel forward...
Pop arm hair test, stop...

Time involved 31 minutes...
Results: Dead Even bevel set...

So day two of this one...

Finish honing the edge starting with the Naniwa 1k and going 3-5-8-10-12K

Followed this with 15 laps on a CrOx bench hone and 10 laps on a CeOx bench hone... 50 linen 100 leather Illinois #827
HHT
20 minutes time for all this


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Also note the Balance shot, remember all this time I said "I didn't think of that"??? Most (yes even those choppers) Vintage razors will balance somewhere on the tang, not all but most...

SOTD

20 laps SRD Premium 1 while the lather sits

I love this razor :)
I have been hunting one for quite awhile, this is actually my 4th Fritz but there was always something that I didn't like on the other 3 so I sold them, this one has everything I like...

Final measurements just short of 6/8, so now a 6/8-
and a nice, even, tiny, bevel.... Time to do this, 51 minutes..

You can do this all kinds of different ways... The choice is always yours...

Thanks for the walkthrough of how you do it, Glen.

Beautiful work, Glen!

Nice save Glen. Looks as good as new. :tu

Ohhhhh, your anvil is so cute! Nice work BTW...

Thanks for the walkthrough Glen!

Just out of interest, what makes you decide on the Naniwa's versus the Shaptons? Is it how the edge is responding to the hones, the condition the edge is in or is it just what you happen to feel like using at the time? Or something else? :)

Thanks Glen! That sure is a beautiful razor, it deserved to
be brought back into service :)

- Scott

Thanks for the walkthrough Glen!

I think you just substantially shortened my time on the super dull razors.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Stubear

Thanks for the walkthrough Glen!

Just out of interest, what makes you decide on the Naniwa's versus the Shaptons? Is it how the edge is responding to the hones, the condition the edge is in or is it just what you happen to feel like using at the time? Or something else? :)

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It actually had nothing to do with the Dovo, IIRC I was also honing a 8/8 Friodur that day...
The Dovos are easy to hone, they are not picky in the least, I can get a great edge off of just about any set of stones with them...
Those big Henckles however are a bit picky and take a bit more finesse to get a smooth edge, sharp is easy, smooth takes a bit more talent with those...
The most consistent results with the big Henckles I have found for me, are the Naniwas, so the Dovo was just riding shotgun along for the ride..:)