Filework question?

How difficult is it to do filework by hand on a razor? Or should I try a dremel? I have a Torrey that has about a half inch long and an eighth inch deep area of severe errosion/pitting on the spine. There is a significant loss of material there. I figure the only way to hide that kind of damage would be to remove it artfully. Like with some of those cool spine scallops I see on older razors.

So, hack away at it with a nicholson file, dremel, or take it to the grinder? I've read filework guides, but they tend to be focused on small pretty little patterns using diamond files. I need to move major metal here and tiny diamond files aren't gonna cut it!

With a hardened razor you most likely won't remove much material with any file, but if I were to use a file it would be a diamond just for the hardness. I wouldn't do file work on a spine of a finished razor. If you want to the fastest way would be a dremel with an abrasive wheel. Abrasives are the easiest way to remove hardened steel and motorize them they will remove it faster. Just remember that when using a dremel they are the fastest way to screw something up.

-G

+1 on the above. After a razor is initially heat treated in the factory a regular file is going to do pretty much nothing. The best way to do any reshaping is grinding IME. But as deighaingeal said, there are many things that can go wrong. Starting with personal injury, busting or damaging the blade, or ruining the temper on the blade by getting it too hot.
If you decide to go down that path I recomend you have a respirator, safety glasses and a leather apron at least.
Having said all that, have fun though, I just spent my afternoon doing it.
Grant

I have done file work with nothing more than diamond files. If you don't have a lot of patients I wouldn't recomend it. Doing it by hand with a diamond file will be very slow and possibly not accurate. If it is available, I would recomend using some sort of mechanised abrasive.