Thread: Shall I keep sanding?

I picked up an old razor a few weeks back and attempting my first true restore on it. The blade was quite badly rusted & I don't have any power tools to buff the pitting out so it's all going by hand. So far I have put about 14 hours of sanding with 180 grit into it. Now I know there are a few bits where I'm never going to get the pitting out but I want to know if it's worth sticking at it to get the lighter stuff around it out. Considering the state it was in when I picked it up I'm happy to leave it with some character marks, but am just after other peoples opinions.

Also, does any one know anything about this razor? Age, quality etc. It's a NeverRust from Germany. That's all I know.

Thanks in advance.

It's really a personal opinion as to how many battle scars you'd like to leave. I base my decisions on how deep they are. Is sanding them out going to compromise the integrity of the blade? Or will it just take a couple extra hours?

I too have no power tools, so I feel your pain (mostly in the knuckles of my index fingers ) I can't tell how deep they are on the back, but I'd give it another go.

Hope this helps a bit.

Keep in mind that this is a hollow ground by the looks of it.
This means it is actuall possible to sand through the blade, if there is pitting on both sides (if the pits are deeper than half the blade).
Even if it is one sided, you risk destabilizing the blade. And if you sand away too much locally, it's just plain ugly.

It's really a judgement call. Some blades can be saved and restored completely. With others, like yours, you just try to salvage what you can and leave it at that.

I'd leave it as is. I've broken a couple hollow grounds trying to restore it that extra step.

Originally Posted by jcsixx

I'd leave it as is. I've broken a couple hollow grounds trying to restore it that extra step.

Yeah see here for what happens if you sand too much:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...shed-last.html

That part just fell off.

Thanks guys
I'll stop now & just start working my way up the grits. The last thing I want is to break as I definitely don't have the skill or tools to reshape anything that I may break.
Thanks again.

Does anyone know anything about this brand? I can't seem to find anything about it on Google.

I have an old Joseph Elliot that I've been sanding and it looks very similar. Mine is a wedge but I don't quite have the experience to know when to stop and when the pits are just too deep.

I think I'll try a bit more but I imagine it won't be perfect at the end.