Thread: What is Restoration???

Seems that this is a catch all phrase in our "little corner of the world"..(this of course pertains to those of us that shave with these razors, not the people that just collect them)...

I am going to give some of my views first, and would love to hear about yours...

Hone: To bring the edge back to shave ready condition, the absolute minimum that can be done to make the razor usable again..

Edge Restore: A much more than basic hone, where the bevel needs to be broken down, and then carefully restored to a cutting edge then a shaving edge.. This would encompass, Chips, worn toes and heels, frowns even the actual grind geometry if needed...

Clean and Hone: The next rung up in the ladder, you use the bare minimum, to clean up the scales, and steel, then hone the razor... The only things that are removed are the active rust and built up dirt... The razor is functional but the age is left intact...

Clean, Light Polish and Hone: This would only add the use of higher grit sandpaper, steel-wool or a minimum of powered buffers to shine the steel..It would not entail digging out the pits... It would however take off patina.. You would not pop loose the scales

Vintage Restoration: This would mean popping the scales taking every piece apart, cleaning straightening and polishing the factory scales. Taking the the steel back to as close to the day it left the factory as possible, including taking out pits, if it doesn't remove stamps completly... Using as many of the original parts as possible, such as re-using those old bullseye washers..

Vintage Re-build: This would mean popping the scales taking every piece apart, cleaning straightening and polishing the factory scales. Taking the the steel back to as close to the day it left the factory as possible, including taking out pits, if it doesn't remove stamps completly... New pins and bearing washers, and locking washer, where applicable...

Custom Restore: Everything the same as a Vintage Restore only replacing the old scales with fitted new ones, the owner to pick, and design the materials used for this ...

Custom re-scale: Just what it sounds like, taking the factory scales off a perfectly good factory razor, and replacing them with custom made ones...

Custom rebuild: Same as a Custom Restore only allows for grinding, filing and modding of the steel to suit the owners taste...

All of these degrees of "restoration" would of course end in a shave ready edge, and tight, snug, centered pins...and would all start with a vintage razor...


(These terms are just what I personally use to describe these steps along the restoration path)

Nice breakdown there G Man.
Just semantics here as I know most people would define "Hone" as pretty much any edge sharpening but maybe need a term for the heavy lifting without other restoration ?.. Pretty sure I've heard you use the term "Edge restore" or similar. Those lovely razors we get that need time on a belt, DMT's or wet grinder to fix issues with geometry & other nasty edge conditions. Dunno , maybe I'm splitting hairs.

Glen, You have given a set of terms that appear to cover most if not all of the works I have seen.
It would be nice to be able to use such terms and have everyone on the same page when speaking of our works and likes.
I think that it would be a good idea to make a sticky of them.
Thanks you~
~Richard

Very clear and precise. Thanks Glen.

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Nice breakdown there G Man.
Just semantics here as I know most people would define "Hone" as pretty much any edge sharpening but maybe need a term for the heavy lifting without other restoration ?.. Pretty sure I've heard you use the term "Edge restore" or similar. Those lovely razors we get that need time on a belt, DMT's or wet grinder to fix issues with geometry & other nasty edge conditions. Dunno , maybe I'm splitting hairs.

Added !!! Thanks Oz

Nice breakdown, now you have me pondering what to get done to the ones I've sent you...

Very clear and concise.

I don't necessairly think the scales need to come off for a vintage restore, but I agree with the gist of it.

Also, I would file "custom restore" under "custom rebuild" - as currently written; they are essentially the same in spirit (at least as I see it); one mods the scales while the other mods the steel.

Well said. logical,straighrforward,and concise. Even I understood it!

I see sharpening and honing as two different steps. Sharpening is getting the edge built, cleaned up, fixed what not. And honing is the refinement of that edge for shaving.

But that just me.

When I see the word vintage, I'm thinking original finishes and all spared. Scales fixed and reinstalled, collars rebuilt or fabricated to original. I know this would be under that collector moniker but thats what goes threw my mind when I think of Vintage Restoration.