Thread: Restoring a B.J. Eyre & Co Challenge, looking for some advice

+1 on starting with a HIGHER grit.
80 will take FOREVER to get the scratches out!
You can always go down if it is not cutting through like you had hoped or expected.
Take it S L O W and have FUN!
GOOD LUCK

edit: Oh yeah... be CAREFUL around the etching if you want to keep it. DO NOT go near that with 80 grit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Originally Posted by Jullmg

Just star with higher grits and assess if you need lower grit depending on how much pitting you want to remove. Just remember, the lowest grit you you, the longer/harder it will be to back up to a shinny polished razor. If it is your first restoration I would suggest to be easy on yourself and not to remove all that 150 year old deep pitting.

I took a stab some weeks back at restoring an F.A. Koch http://straightrazorpalace.com/custo...e-restore.html and I have the general feel for the process. I'll probably start cranking on this guy tomorrow with a 300-400 grit and see how it goes.

Originally Posted by Chevhead

+1 on starting with a HIGHER grit.
80 will take FOREVER to get the scratches out!
You can always go down if it is not cutting through like you had hoped or expected.
Take it S L O W and have FUN!
GOOD LUCK

edit: Oh yeah... be CAREFUL around the etching if you want to keep it. DO NOT go near that with 80 grit!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I'll definitely be careful around the stamp on the face of it. It is engraved incredibly shallow, so I'll take my time on it for sure. I might be able to get away with a 600 or 800 grit on the face of the blade followed by some Mother's. Guess I'll find out tomorrow when I start on it.

Hope it goes well for ya!

While I know that there is rust on the razor, why start low on the sanding? Try just using some MASS or Mothers Mag Wheel polish on it to see what you have before you begin!

If you don’t like what you have after spending some time with the polishes, then start at about 400 grit on the spine, but I’d advise using no lower than 600 grit on the blade, and only if you don’t like the look of the blade after some time with the polish!

If you start using the polish with crumpled newspaper it goes faster as the paper has an abrasive in it! Also, don’t give up on the polish when it turns black as it’s still able to work!!

Also if you put a dab of liquid soap such as dishwasher soap on the blade, then rinse off the residue from the polish, then dry it you will see a much better view of your progress as the residue blocks what’s below!

A mirror finish isn’t necessarily the best! Many out there like to leave a little history behind!

Have Fun!

I hadn't thought about using a newspaper to apply the polish. I had been using cotton rags up to this point. I'll see how that works out tomorrow and figure it out as I go.

Originally Posted by Jonah

I hadn't thought about using a newspaper to apply the polish. I had been using cotton rags up to this point. I'll see how that works out tomorrow and figure it out as I go.

You can also use some 0000 steel wool, but there again you may not want to get very aggressive! You may like what you find left behind!

Originally Posted by cudarunner

You can also use some 0000 steel wool, but there again you may not want to get very aggressive! You may like what you find left behind!

Excellent common-sense advice. Low-grit sandpapers can never be undone, and the entire sanding process requires a level of patience that I know I don't possess. Proceed with caution and respect....