Straight Razor Acquisition Thread

[exocet]

Just received the Revisor 8/8
the blade is shorter than a casual straight. Horn scales, I like it a lot, can't wait to try it
very good service from Revisor BTW.

 

[camoloc]

nice piece there!!!!

camo

 

[James_c]

Recently picked up these 2 Joseph Rodgers and sons razors, one appears to be bone or ivory scales. The other has military razor on the blade although half hone now.
Any more info on these or where to look would be appreciated.
Also one by R.Masons who I know nothing about.

 

[RumpleBearskin]

From ugly duckling...


To elegant swan ...


My Drew Dick, 80-layer twisted, O2 edged, near wedge in blond horn with a pewter wedge is on its way to me... Love it!

 

[Yaron]

Kikuboshi 8600, waits for my time to clean it, new scales from G10 material a and honing

 

[Eastcoast30]

Not a razor ...
Just in from the UK, a home for those razors that don't have their own coffin.

 

[Cleanface]

Ordered one just like it from UK. Must be the same guy

 

[Yaron]

New beauty one the way. the photo is terrible, but i think the razor will be nice. It awaits cleaning, new scales and of course honing
Pechika 302 yasuki steel

 

[Ice-Man]

I’ve been shaving with a straight for 8 months now. I had promised myself that I would spend a full year using vintage razors to find out what I liked before springing for a brand new razor. So didn’t quite make it to a year... this arrived today, will be testing it soon!

View attachment 1268538View attachment 1268539

Koraat 14 2.0 Full Hollow with tough beard option

Very good choice love Koraat razors

Can't have enough of a good thing. Nice Dubl Duck!

That's one icon I don't have and would buy if the right one comes up.

One will come along when you least expect it but you want the 4 they all shave nice

 

[Frank Shaves]

Wade & Butcher Magnum Bonum just over 1 inch wide near wedge with translucent blonde scales. First 1 inch chopper. After hunting for 2 months, found it on eBay. Took it completely apart, cleaned the blade and scales with wet/dry sandpaper and steel wool.

The razor came with brass pins and silver washers which I assume means the scales had been re-pinned, but my best guess is that the scales are original. There is one dark spot on the inside of the back scale near the hinge pin that would not come out. I assume this is just a natural discoloration of the horn.

Biggest challenges were removing the active red rust (visible on the before photos), and cleaning up the etched "Magnum Bonum" lettering.

I covered the etched lettering with tape during the sanding, sacrificing the leftmost and rightmost edges of the background to remove deep pitting - felt like the right compromise. After removing the tape, I gently sanded the lettering, mostly using 3000 grit sandpaper. The lettering was still quite visible and looked good. And then at the very end I gently rubbed the blade with steel wool and the etching just faded - more than I wanted or expected - and for this I will have to answer to the gods of straight razor restoration. The moral of the story is to tread lighter than you think on etching.

I am also not happy with the choice of washers, and plan to replace the total of six stacked and pivot washers with just two smaller outer washers - too much jingle jangle.

That said, the Magnun Bonum is a beautiful razor and I am fortunate to have found it!

Before:

After:

Etched lettering:

 

[stone and strop]

Well done!

 

[2bit_collie]

Wade & Butcher Magnum Bonum just over 1 inch wide near wedge with translucent blonde scales. First 1 inch chopper. After hunting for 2 months, found it on eBay. Took it completely apart, cleaned the blade and scales with wet/dry sandpaper and steel wool.

The razor came with brass pins and silver washers which I assume means the scales had been re-pinned, but my best guess is that the scales are original. There is one dark spot on the inside of the back scale near the hinge pin that would not come out. I assume this is just a natural discoloration of the horn.

Biggest challenges were removing the active red rust (visible on the before photos), and cleaning up the etched "Magnum Bonum" lettering.

I covered the etched lettering with tape during the sanding, sacrificing the leftmost and rightmost edges of the background to remove deep pitting - felt like the right compromise. After removing the tape, I gently sanded the lettering, mostly using 3000 grit sandpaper. The lettering was still quite visible and looked good. And then at the very end I gently rubbed the blade with steel wool and the etching just faded - more than I wanted or expected - and for this I will have to answer to the gods of straight razor restoration. The moral of the story is to tread lighter than you think on etching.

I am also not happy with the choice of washers, and plan to replace the total of six stacked and pivot washers with just two smaller outer washers - too much jingle jangle.

That said, the Magnun Bonum is a beautiful razor and I am fortunate to have found it!

Before:

View attachment 1274914

View attachment 1274915

After:

View attachment 1274916

View attachment 1274917

Etched lettering:

View attachment 1274913

Really nice job Frank! The etching is still there, I’ve blotted out etching much worse than that (not bragging, but its a fact).

 

[Frank Shaves]

Thanks, @2bit_collie! I am actually wondering if the 3000 grit sandpaper is safer to use on the etching than the steel wool. If people would send me their etched Sheffields, I could answer the question.

 

[2bit_collie]

Thanks, @2bit_collie! I am actually wondering if the 3000 grit sandpaper is safer to use on the etching than the steel wool. If people would send me their etched Sheffields, I could answer the question.

Its a good question - some applications of abrasive seem to wipe out etching, others don’t. Not sure I know the trick, but I imaging you want to apply the abrasive with a hard backing to avoid having it cut into the the valleys of the etching.

 

[dabrock]

Received my first real SR today, just a Dovo Best Quality razor, and I have a Bizmark coming from a local B&M store this week. Nothing special but I'm excited to start working with a real straight and seeing how it differed from my AC SS shavette.

 

[Sniperx]

The wool may be dipping into the etching and cleaning the black out or rounding the micro edges wearing it away. For any relief work you should try a more rigid backing, a light touch, and a fixed media like super fine paper. This will allow it all to “float” over the etching instead of digging into it.

Think of it as lapping a surface instead of polishing. No pressure points, keep the surface flat and even.

Of course if it’s chemically etched it’s so thin there’s not much you can do to not damage it. Grab some polish and Q tips and do your best.

To bring out the etch you could try some permanent marker. Rub it into the etching well and wipe off the excess. The recesses should remain black. If you don’t like it, alcohol and a rag will wipe it off instantly.


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[Sniperx]

Wade & Butcher Magnum Bonum just over 1 inch wide near wedge with translucent blonde scales. First 1 inch chopper. After hunting for 2 months, found it on eBay. Took it completely apart, cleaned the blade and scales with wet/dry sandpaper and steel wool.

The razor came with brass pins and silver washers which I assume means the scales had been re-pinned, but my best guess is that the scales are original. There is one dark spot on the inside of the back scale near the hinge pin that would not come out. I assume this is just a natural discoloration of the horn.

Biggest challenges were removing the active red rust (visible on the before photos), and cleaning up the etched "Magnum Bonum" lettering.

I covered the etched lettering with tape during the sanding, sacrificing the leftmost and rightmost edges of the background to remove deep pitting - felt like the right compromise. After removing the tape, I gently sanded the lettering, mostly using 3000 grit sandpaper. The lettering was still quite visible and looked good. And then at the very end I gently rubbed the blade with steel wool and the etching just faded - more than I wanted or expected - and for this I will have to answer to the gods of straight razor restoration. The moral of the story is to tread lighter than you think on etching.

I am also not happy with the choice of washers, and plan to replace the total of six stacked and pivot washers with just two smaller outer washers - too much jingle jangle.

That said, the Magnun Bonum is a beautiful razor and I am fortunate to have found it!

Before:

View attachment 1274914

View attachment 1274915

After:

View attachment 1274916

View attachment 1274917

Etched lettering:

View attachment 1274913

My polishing post above was a reply to this.


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[Frank Shaves]

I only wish that I had read about the benefits of a hard backing/fixed media before I had worked on the etching. Hopefully, there will be a next time.

 

[Sniperx]

I only wish that I had read about the benefits of a hard backing/fixed media before I had worked on the etching. Hopefully, there will be a next time.

Try to bring it back out with the marker.

The markings are quite wide and shallow, that’s why they cleaned out so easily.

If you do the markup technique, don’t press hard during clean up or you start cleaning out the etching again.

Don’t be too hard on yourself, it looks like it’s still there, it’s just the contrast between the black tarnish and the silver steel is gone so it looks worse than it is.

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[Frank Shaves]

By marker, do you mean a Sharpie? Should I wipe the excess with a dry cotton cloth?

If I try the marker, I will first try a small area.