Slash, thanks for the buy in coins tip. Much easier than digging through eBay.
Super Cheap Gold Dollar Razors
- Thread starter Robster
- Start date
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
No problem! I want to support the guys who are giving us the best prices and good service. Let them make their profit from volume, not markup. Better for us! So how many dozen are you getting?
If my first one turns out ok, I will be getting some more. Not sure about dozens, though. Anyone know if those strops are any good? 2 bucks to give to potential converts as their first strop seems hard to pass up. Even if it only lasts long enough for them to decide if they like straight razor shaving, it's good.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Good idea to start with several. You are likely to mess up on the first one. Especially if you use a dremel.
I actually just ordered a few of those cheapie strops, just to include in a kit containing shave-ready GD66, diamond-pasted balsa, strop, and maybe an el cheapo Chinese badger brush. Complete kit... just add mug from the kitchen, a puck of VDH from the drugstore, and hot water. And whiskers of course. I will report when I get a chance to examine the strops. I won't be home for another month or so. Maybe less. Don't know. Anyway I thought a kit of razor, brush, balsa and leather strops ought to sell. I will put a couple on the bay and see what I get for them before hawking them on the forum.
I guess great minds think alike.
i already have my first gd. Working on a vaguely dovo palisander shape ( I love the look of that razor).
i already have my first gd. Working on a vaguely dovo palisander shape ( I love the look of that razor).
I have a GD 66 that was honed by Stefan (mainaman), I love the damn thing.
Man Loner16, I am really not trying to pick on you but you keep asking / saying things I feel I need to answer. " Good Steel " as referred to when talking about blades ( razor, knife ect ) would be a steel that holds an edge for an appropriate amount of work when properly heat treated. Several people on this forum have documented 40+ shaves from a GD with no honing needed, only stropping between shaves.
As the the exact steel used, my very rough guess is that it is W1. I arrived at this conclusion by grinding the edge of a GD and comparing the spark pattern with W1,O1, 1095, 52100, 1084, 1075, 5160 and ATS-134. As I said, it is a rough guess and not very scientific but you can tell a good deal about a steel with this method. Just for fun I will be annealing and heat treating a GD66 in the near future just to see how much warping I get. I plan on using the temperatures used for W1 when I do this.
Well, I'm glad that someone saw fit to answer, or should I say, attempt to answer my question.
So, you're telling me you can identify steel alloys by the sparks thrown off a grinding wheel, without knowledge of the heat treatment the steel was subjected to? If so, you're far more talented and intuitive that any of the Diemakers I worked with, and many very gifted... But, so goes the disinformation and misinformation that passes for fact on the internet!
When someone can factually identify the alloy a GD is produced from, please respond.
Can I tell you the exact carbon and alloy content, absolutely not, and I never claimed to be able to do so. Can you roughly tell the carbon content, yes. Can I take files hardened to 50, 55, 60 and 65 on the Rockwell C scale and know ( within a few points ) how hard the steel is? Yes. Is this the know all, be all of testing? Not even close. Does that FACT that they are made of a high carbon steel, hardened to around 60 on the Rockwell C scale and are able to hold an edge for over 40 shaves for multiple people tell me they are of good steel. Why yes, yes it does. Obviously that is not enough for you, it is for me.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
Let's cool our jets a little, Loner. I think Cefus did qualify his answer by stipulating that it was a rough guess derived from the spark pattern. He did not state that he was certain, or that this method is definite and absolute. The spark pattern will not necessarily tell you what steel alloy a sample IS, but it will definitely point out some that it is NOT. And his answer is probably the most definite and accurate answer you can expect. Except mine. I just happen to know what these razors are made from.
The suspense is over. All will now be revealed. Listen carefully.
I don't think anyone this side of Ningbo actually knows what alloy the GDs are made from. Except me. I licked my GD66 and it tastes just like the bar of O-1 I have on my boat waiting to be turned into the next $1000 masterpiece of the custom straight razor world. And so, I hereby and authoritatively conclude that Gold Dollar steel is actually O-1. YMMV.
The suspense is over. All will now be revealed. Listen carefully.
I don't think anyone this side of Ningbo actually knows what alloy the GDs are made from. Except me. I licked my GD66 and it tastes just like the bar of O-1 I have on my boat waiting to be turned into the next $1000 masterpiece of the custom straight razor world. And so, I hereby and authoritatively conclude that Gold Dollar steel is actually O-1. YMMV.
Dang I forgot the taste test!!!!
And here, finally, we have the correct answer. But I'll qualify that answer with the disclaimer that I doubt that many in Ningbo know (or care, which is even more telling!) either...
Could very well be HRS... But, backyard metallurgy by hobbyists can fool alot of folks on the innanet!
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The 100s 200s and 208s are quite nice for the pittance of a bump in price. I know there are others also. Nicer scales and the finish is a bit better. But if you really want a fancy W&B restored with new scales then by all means drop $350 to $500. Or get that thiers issard but it wont be anywhere near what you will pay for a GD. Its as functional as any other razor. No frills but functional. ANd to think that a $200 to $300 razor comes with a factory edge? So you spend the money and it doesn't shave out of the box? Ridiculous.
Loner,
I will be glad to send you a GD if you wish to send it out to a lab for testing? BTW, what would you consider a " bad " high carbon steel for a straight razor keeping in mind that it has to perform as well as these have been proven to perform?
My training and experience was with cutting edges designed for various metals of varying thickness, in compound (mostly) and progressive dies. Very different from an edge to apply to one's face. I confine myself to making recommendations on what I know .. It's too bad others on the internet do not do likewise. There would be much less conjecture, and downright BS, dispensed as fact...
That said, if "good" and "bad" steels are so easily defined for you, please carry on .. My qualifiers as to whether or not I can believe the info generated have already been answered.
so guys - this may be one of those dumb questions... which GD do you recommend, the stainless or carbon blades? recommendation based on edge holding, sharpness, ease of honing (for a newb), stropping, anything else you feel is relevant. thanks.
seems the most popular GD is the stainless so I went ahead and bought some of those to play with, pretty cheap too, <$4AUD each including shipping to Oz
I saw this earlier and forgot to reply to it...which GD is stainless? I thought they were all carbon steel.
Slash McCoy
I freehand dog rockets
That is probably carbon steel. A #66? That is not stainless. The Chinese ebay vendors don't know any different. They call it stainless because it is shiny and they need to fill the page up with enthusiastic verbiage. Sort of like all the brand new vintage razors, strops, etc. I know of no stainless steel alloy that will rust as quickly as a GD66 will rust. AFAIK they have only one stainless model and they are currently not in production.
But don't be discouraged. Nothing wrong with carbon steel razors! Go for it! GD's rock! And if you doubt me on the steel, just wipe one down in acetone to remove all traces of oil and leave it out in your yard overnight. It will rust. A lot.
thank you Slash
I thought the 66 was SS, my mistake. suppose it doesn't really matter too much as I'm just wanting them to hone my honing skills. I don't shave with a straight but want to give it a go.
I thought the 66 was SS, my mistake. suppose it doesn't really matter too much as I'm just wanting them to hone my honing skills. I don't shave with a straight but want to give it a go.
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