Question About Gold Dollar Straight Razors

[SouthPhillyRazor]

Hello all! I recently made the switch from a shavette to a proper straight razor. I have 3 razors: Restored Butcher & Wade 9/16, Restored M. Jung 9/16, and a Celestino Fernandez 1902 Cuban Independence Commemorative 9/16. Since all of my blades are antiques, and most are restored, I am curious about buying a brand new razor to see how they compare. I can't really afford a new Boker or Dovo, but have heard decent things about Gold Dollar's razors. I realize this can be a point of contention, and I am not trying to start a debate about the quality of these razors. I have read posts by a lot of people who say that even a "shave ready" Gold Dollar razor needs some love before being truly shave ready, but I haven't found a thread where people describe what actually needs to be done to get a Gold Dollar ready to go.

MY QUESTIONS TO YOU:
Setting aside the debate over the quality of these blades (the price point is why my mind is made up), I am curious what model GD I should buy, and what actually needs to be done to these blades before use. I have stones (1000, 3000, 6000, 8000), Chromox (0.5 micron), and a hanging leather strop (As a former chef, I am good with a stone, but am still learning the strop). I've read that honing and stropping alone are not enough to get a GD ready to roll, so I really wanna know what I need to do to prepare a new blade.

 

[buca3152]

If you buy one from Amazon you will pay a little more but they come with an edge on them. You may also consider a ZY which is made by the same company which has an edge and has been modified. I would suggest that. Get one on eBay for $8 or.so. As far as steel goes imo they shave as well as they're honed like everything else. They also sit flat on the hone whereas gold dollars need to be honed heel leading at an angle or they won't sit flat because of the shoulder. I've gotten close to 100 shaves out.of one that I tested for longevity. The whole.thing here is it won't shave better or worse than your other razors. You don't need one but seems to me you want to.try one so be my guest.

 

[Slash McCoy]

You can do as much or as little (within reason) as you want, to a GD. Honing right out of the box can be problematic due to the pronounced thickened area at the edge near the stabilizer. The common remedy for that is to totally remove it. However you can also just work it down at the problem area, and begin honing with very coarse media to begin the bevel setting process. A very inelegant method is to simply HONE the darn thing, heel slightly leading, and ignore the stabilizer, just keep it off the hone. Begin very coarse. Maybe take a sheet of 100 or 200 grit wet/dry and stick it to a polished marble edge tile from Home Depot, or better yet a 12" x 3" x 3/4" piece of acrylic from TAP Plastics or ebay vendor bhent. You will use this acrylic for many things so don't mind the ten bucks or so it will cost. Anyway crease and tear the sandpaper in 1/3 lengthwise and secure it with a very very light application of 3M spray adhesive. Stretch the sandpaper tight and smooth as you apply it to the acrylic. Now you have a very coarse hone that is flat and will stay flat, with a replaceable surface, whatever grit you choose. Start with the 100 grit. When the bevel is about 80% there, switch to 400 grit. When it is nearly nearly there switch to 800 or 1000 grit. You will get that bevel set quick that way. Or rub rub rubadub rub on a 1k rock for 16 hours. Whatever blows your skirt up. When it starts to come in I suggest going to the burr method which will not only set the bevel but verify it so there is no quesiton about it and you will not be second guessing yourself whether to hone some more on the bevel setter or not.

Bevel set? Run the progression as usual. Finish as usual. Strop and shave. That is the quick and dirty way to make your GD shave ready. The bevel angle will be very obtuse, nearly 19 degrees. It will still shave though.

Want to take it to the next level? Get a dozen or so. Pop off the scales and do a full bore modification on them. Why a dozen? You will destroy probably 3 or 4 of them. One or two will be lemons that will give you problems. Onr or two you will damage nose or heel and make into shorty razors. Some will come out cosmetically flawed with deep grinding divots that you can't get out. That will leave you a small rotation of razors, of which you will probably PIF one or two, lend or sell one, and have one or two that you are really proud of, to keep for yourself. See the modification threads and especially the annual GD mod competition threads, for more detail, but essentially a full blown mod entails thinning the fat spine while aligning it and the edge together, thinning the blade and pushing the hollowgrind higher into the spine, thinning the shank thinner than the spine, removing stabilizer and shoulder, profiling the nose, fairing blade and shank together, making new scales, and lots and lots of hand sanding and polishing. Basically turning a $4 razor into a $300 razor. A $300 razor with $1000 worth of hand labor in it, actually. A well modded GD looks good, hones easily, and shaves beautifully. If you start with a dozen or at least a flat of 10, you won't be scared to try stuff. Start with one and you will either be too bashful with the power tools or you will shatter it immediately on sander or grinder or with the dremel.

Some guys like I said, just remove the stabilizer and call it good. This usually is done in such a way as to form a thumb notch. Jimps can be left or ground off, as you see fit, but if you just want the stabilizer out of the way, don't bother. Then just hone that thing. Without thinning the spine it will still have a very obtuse bevel but that's kinda okay. ZY razors have bevels over 20 degrees and guys shave with them.

So do it like you feel it.

Recently GD introduced a new line of razors that have a more acute bevel angle and better overall finish and refinement. These razor model numbers begin with "W". You should find them much easier to hone, and probably better shavers once honed. They also cost a lot more, but still pretty cheap. Me, I prefer my modded GD66's.

 

[SouthPhillyRazor]

Thanks for the responses! When honing a razor, I was told to keep it flat on the stone, with the edge and spine touching the stone. I am curious if the grinding of the spine that results is an issue? I use very light pressure, so I'm not grinding it down super hard. I like how the spine acts as a guide for the bevel, but I am concerned with damaging the razor. Is there an alternative method I should use to avoid touching the spine to the stone?

 

[buca3152]

Spine is the guide. Edge and spine on at the same time. Some blades need a rolling stroke. Which means some of the spine is touching the stone at all times just not all of it though. Honing freehand is more of a technique for knives. If your new to honing than get a few zys. Get your learning on them before you approach your more valuable razors.

 

[Slash McCoy]

What Bill said. A ZY is cheap hone fodder, and fewer issues than a standard GD. I don't like them to shave with, myself. Just preference. But it will be easier for you to hone than a regular GD. The "W" series would be even easier, though, I believe.

Yes, the spine gets worn whether through normal honing, or thinning the spine deliberately, for that matter. With the stock GD, thinning the spine is IMNSHO a considerable improvement, because it does allow a more acute bevel angle. YMMV.

The spine MUST touch the hone, in order to hone it as designed. As the spine wears, don't you think that maybe the edge wears, as well? By design, they both wear, more or less in proper proportion, which keeps the bevel angle more or less the same for generations, if you just hone normally. ESPECIALLY with a razor that has a very beefy spine relative to blade width, you should not "take it easy" on the spine. Just hone. It will all work out just fine.

 

[Seraphim]

Do not use “very light pressure” when setting a bevel, especially on a GD. Setting the bevel requires bulk material removal. It is not a delicate task. I use a 600 grit diamond plate to set bevels on GDs.

Light pressure is for when you are final finishing the edge on a 60,000 grit Sukiyaki Japanese natural hone, using only the tears of a geisha to wet the stone.


And, it is my opinion that GDs, once properly honed can hold their own against 95% of the razors out there.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Here is an example of a modified Gold Dollar #66. I dropped the razor when it was nearly finished, and broke a huge chip out of the toe, and had to reprofile it as a shorty. Bevel angle, when honed, will be about 16-3/4 degrees I believe. For more examples, check out the annual GD mod competition threads. Lots of great work there. FWIW there is a Novice division where a newbie can compete with other first time modders.

 

[buca3152]

Hello all! I recently made the switch from a shavette to a proper straight razor. I have 3 razors: Restored Butcher & Wade 9/16, Restored M. Jung 9/16, and a Celestino Fernandez 1902 Cuban Independence Commemorative 9/16. Since all of my blades are antiques, and most are restored, I am curious about buying a brand new razor to see how they compare. I can't really afford a new Boker or Dovo, but have heard decent things about Gold Dollar's razors. I realize this can be a point of contention, and I am not trying to start a debate about the quality of these razors. I have read posts by a lot of people who say that even a "shave ready" Gold Dollar razor needs some love before being truly shave ready, but I haven't found a thread where people describe what actually needs to be done to get a Gold Dollar ready to go.

MY QUESTIONS TO YOU:
Setting aside the debate over the quality of these blades (the price point is why my mind is made up), I am curious what model GD I should buy, and what actually needs to be done to these blades before use. I have stones (1000, 3000, 6000, 8000), Chromox (0.5 micron), and a hanging leather strop (As a former chef, I am good with a stone, but am still learning the strop). I've read that honing and stropping alone are not enough to get a GD ready to roll, so I really wanna know what I need to do to prepare a new blade.

Why not start a thread in the honing forum to get more replies. The advice is pretty much generic, you will be required to do the same thing whether you have a gold dollar, zy vintage etc.

 

[Badgerstate36]

From what I understand, out of the box GDs typically require the bevel to be set and the spine straightened a bit. Its not a big deal but they typically do need some love
Id also echo not taping the spine when you hone it. Im not a fan of doing that with any razor because if you think about it, taping the spine prevents it from wearing, so as you hone the razor, it changes the bevel and as the tip wears, the spine doesnt, so it changes the angle, to the point where the edge is no longer being sharpened.

 

[PMH]

You will use this acrylic for many things so don't mind the ten bucks or so it will cost. Anyway crease and tear the sandpaper in 1/3 lengthwise and secure it with a very very light application of 3M spray adhesive.....

I'm trying to figure out what kind of adhesive spray to use, there are several different kinds from 3M. Spray mount, Display mount, Re mount, Photo mount, Super 77? What do you use?

 

[Slash McCoy]

Hmmm don't know. I just get what they got at home depot but super 77 does ring a bell. I am away from my workbench and won't be home for a few months. But any of them should work.

 

[maclean3]

I was at Lowe's a few months back looking for several supplies when I happened to notice Loctite brand spray adhesive. It's available in Light, Medium and Heavy bond, I bought a can of the Light and it's been working fine for lapping stones on w/d. For heavier abrasive, reprofiling work, the medium might be worth considering. I believe it was about $7 per can.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I was at Lowe's a few months back looking for several supplies when I happened to notice Loctite brand spray adhesive. It's available in Light, Medium and Heavy bond, I bought a can of the Light and it's been working fine for lapping stones on w/d. For heavier abrasive, reprofiling work, the medium might be worth considering. I believe it was about $7 per can.

What does w/d mean?

Sorry for not knowing.

 

[Ice-Man]

What does w/d mean?

Sorry for not knowing.

Hi Chan Eil Whiskers W/D means Wet and Dry sanding paper hope that helps Sir!!!!

 

[maclean3]

What does w/d mean?

Sorry for not knowing.

Hi Chan Eil Whiskers W/D means Wet and Dry sanding paper hope that helps Sir!!!!

Jim, sorry for missing your question: Ian is correct (don't tell him I said that ), wet/dry.
I've still got four GD 66s sitting untouched in the back room, someday I might try to make something resembling a decent razor out of them. I swear two of them are nearly kamisori ground, the other two look like they were ground by a blind monkey.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hi Chan Eil Whiskers W/D means Wet and Dry sanding paper hope that helps Sir!!!!

Ah, yes, thanks. Seems obvious now that you told me.

 

[cpcohen1945]

Basically turning a $4 razor into a $300 razor. A $300 razor with $1000 worth of hand labor in it, actually.

PMFJI --

To me, that sounds like a good reason to save up for a Dovo or Boker -- if what the OP wants to shave. For "skill development", the Gold Dollar sounds like an excellent choice.

I worked on a few vintage blades, with frustrating results. Then I got a hand-honed Dovo, and started to understand what "sharp" meant.

. Charles

 

[psfred]

Gold Dollars generally have very good steel, they are just too fat and that stabilizer on the 66 model is a pain. I grind it down using a pink wheel on a bench grinder -- requires fairly stable hands but it will drop it down below the bevel plane and make honing easier.

They do tend to be warped a little, which is a pain on the convex side -- thinning will fix that, but then you need to grind the relief higher to avoid excessive spine face width.

In my limited experience, when you finally get a decent bevel set and polished, they shave very nicely and the steel is quite hard. The "fat" bevel angle is nice for beginners as it gives a little milder shave.

Ugly, big and clunky, but hold a good edge, great razors I think. And a fully modded one isn't ugly or clunky either.

Vintage razors are all over the map -- some were junk from the factory, I've found at least one completely unused with a crack in the blade, and some were improperly tempered. And that's ignoring the condition they are in when found, often with the edge rather battered. Can take quite a while to get one back to shaving condition,

Modern new ones are made exactly the same way as the vintage ones for the most part -- drop forged from high carbon steel or stainless alloy. Hand made ones ground down from solid stock may or may not be better -- forging the basic shape saves a lot of steel if you are making any real number of blades, it's hard to beat the efficiency of a one strike drop forging for the basic shape. Some are probably cold forged these days, even cheaper.

That doesn't mean modern razors are better or need less work to make them excellent shavers though.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Gold Dollars generally have very good steel, they are just too fat and that stabilizer on the 66 model is a pain. I grind it down using a pink wheel on a bench grinder -- requires fairly stable hands but it will drop it down below the bevel plane and make honing easier.

They do tend to be warped a little, which is a pain on the convex side -- thinning will fix that, but then you need to grind the relief higher to avoid excessive spine face width.

In my limited experience, when you finally get a decent bevel set and polished, they shave very nicely and the steel is quite hard. The "fat" bevel angle is nice for beginners as it gives a little milder shave.

Ugly, big and clunky, but hold a good edge, great razors I think. And a fully modded one isn't ugly or clunky either.

Vintage razors are all over the map -- some were junk from the factory, I've found at least one completely unused with a crack in the blade, and some were improperly tempered. And that's ignoring the condition they are in when found, often with the edge rather battered. Can take quite a while to get one back to shaving condition,

Modern new ones are made exactly the same way as the vintage ones for the most part -- drop forged from high carbon steel or stainless alloy. Hand made ones ground down from solid stock may or may not be better -- forging the basic shape saves a lot of steel if you are making any real number of blades, it's hard to beat the efficiency of a one strike drop forging for the basic shape. Some are probably cold forged these days, even cheaper.

That doesn't mean modern razors are better or need less work to make them excellent shavers though.

Could you explain the part I added bold to? Everything else makes sense to me, but I can't get my head around that part.

I understand the shoulder and stabilizer grinding part, but not the spine part.

Also, just curious, what kind of and size of bench grinder do you have, and do you see a small mini grinder as up to this task?

Thanks, and happy shaves,

Jim