Thread: Restoration Strategy and Ownership Philosophy

Recently, I have been thinking a lot about straight razor restoration and what it means to own a vintage straight razor.

With respect to ownership, I don't believe we really own our straight razors, I believe we are merely borrowing them from history. You are paying for the privilege of being the curator and caretaker of a beloved piece of history. I have a 180 year old razor that passed through generations of hands making who knows how many pit stops in an attic, desk drawer or antique shop along the way. And given care, it has another 180 year path to make because it is in nearly as good of condition as when the first gentleman acquired it.

There will come a time when somebody in my family who does not care about the razors I loved and cared for will sell them. They will go back into the pond for another to acquire and care for as the next custodian.

And so, I believe I have an obligation to care for these razors in a manner fitting of the historical artifact they are. I am not saying put them in a hermetically sealed glass display case, I am just saying I should remember that they will be in another generation's hands at some point. Don't we all love to find a razor from 1860 that looks like it was just manufactured? Somehow some way that razor survived the abuse of time and made it to us. Then we get bragging rights on SRP as to its acquisition and shavability while all of our friends get green with envy.

This actually leads me to my second topic, which is my restoration strategy, and in particular, how far do I go in my restoration.

My approach varies based on the age of the razor and the initial condition of the razor.

So here is what I do:

If there is irreparable damage to the scales (e.g. scales are broken), they will be replaced. I will start by trying to find an appropriate vintage set to mate with the blade. If I can't find an appropriate set, then I will consider making a new set. If there is no damage, I keep the set of scales the razor has with them. If they can be buffed, I will buff them. If I will lose a nicely acquired patina by buffing them, I will leave them alone.

Next I consider the age of the blade when I decide how far, if at all I will buff the razor. Older razors from the 1800's usually have acquired a nice grey patina that I personally fine appealing. So if there is not rust or other damage to the blade, I will do a light buff using my finest compound and then go on to honing.

If a blade is from the 1900's, I usually find them to have some/most/all mirror buffing, and so I will buff those back to a mirror finish. The same goes for an 1800's blade if that is the state I receive it in.

If there is any rust on the blade, I will remove the rust, and then determine what I will do next based on the overall state of the blade. If it is an older blade and any blemishes left by the rust can merge well into existing patina, then I give an overall buff to clean and blend the blade. If not, then I will do a full mirror buff on the blade.

So in the end, I am very much Ok with leaving a razor in some vintage state if it can tolerate it functionally and aesthetically.

I would be very much interested in hearing other people’s thoughts and approaches.