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.

It's nice to hear of people like yourself that have an appreciation for the history of the objects we collect. I am in a very similar state of mind. I do not perform any work on my razors unless they need the work to perform properly and safely. Once I obtain a razor is becomes mine in the sense that I can do anything legal I wish with it and there isn't anyone that can stop me. In this way I applaud your restraints. I have a high regard to the items history and feel privileged to be able to add to that history, which is why all of my razors are in use.

Originally Posted by Alembic

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.

Agree 100%. Well said!! I generally go with a full sanding/restoring of the blade to a mirror finish unless the patina is really really uniform across the entire blade. For the scales, I like to keep them original. They don't have to be perfect, but need to retain their functionality and look nice with no massive chips or worm holes. When replacement is needed, I tend to make them myself out of materials that I already have rather than ordering something that is of an old style.

I take great pride and get huge satisfaction from taking a rusty pitted blade with dirty scales and restoring it to gem. The closer to being "irretrievable" the razor is, the greater my satisfaction.

Excellent discussion. I'm also a recovering car nut, so this is similar to the restore vrs. customize/hot rod discussion. I'm on the side of if it is historically significant, or in good condition, restore it gently. If not, have at it. In the end, it is personal choice, but I agree we should always be aware that there is such a thing as going too far.

I believe in trying to keep some historical signifigance such as minor pitting, etching, etc. but also believe that I want to make it truly mine for the time I have it in rescaling it. Best of both worlds for me and of course it depends on the blade and scales. Just my 2 bits

Originally Posted by Catrentshaving

I believe in trying to keep some historical signifigance such as minor pitting, etching, etc. but also believe that I want to make it truly mine for the time I have it in rescaling it. Best of both worlds for me and of course it depends on the blade and scales. Just my 2 bits

This is definately a personal preference thing with no judgment either way. I was mostly interested in other people's views on it.

The only place I get a little emotional on it is when somebody takes a really nice vintage razor that has neither the skills to restore or value for the razor and starts grinding the blade or some other horrific method of restoring or customization. At that point, I would respectfully ask them to consider throwing the razor back in the pond and getting a new Dovo or some other razor to try that on.

But at the end of the day, it is really none of my business what somebody does with their razor, and I have to remember that.

Originally Posted by Alembic

The only place I get a little emotional on it is when somebody takes a really nice vintage razor that has neither the skills to restore or value for the razor and starts grinding the blade or some other horrific method of restoring or customization.

I haven't really seen that strategy in the short time i have been watching the straight razor world (1.5 yrs, admittedly very short). Do you see it often?

Originally Posted by globaldev

I haven't really seen that strategy in the short time i have been watching the straight razor world (1.5 yrs, admittedly very short). Do you see it often?

No - not often, but I have seen it and have played taps to mourn the death of what was once a beatiful vintage straight razor.

More often I see ones that are brought to modern condition where they could have been left in vintage condition. Note I say could have - not should have. As I have stated, that is a personal preference and I cast no judgement on that strategy.

I'm definitely one of those who feel that mirror finishes belong on new razors or vintage razors that haven't been throught the ringer.My T. Hessenbruch;Not rusted but far from polished:

Just about all of my other vintage razors look similar with the nice patina.

If I had the skill, equipment, and patience to put mirror finishes on all my restored razors, I would

Since I don't, I shine them up as best I can before I get bored and risk flinging the razor across the room with the buffing wheel. Recently, I've even left some blemishes and minor pitting on some blades, because I just don't want to exert the effort to remove it

One thing that I am firm on is making each razor my own by introducing exotic wood, horn, and ivory to home made scales, unless the scales are vintage ivory, or so cool, minty, and unique that they warrant keeping. Too many old scales are just so boring! And then I just have a cool old razor, not a razor I made my own.