Are either of these Solingen razors worth restoring?

[stevetimko]

I'm bored with double-edged safety razor shaving and decided to try to plunge into straight razor shaving cheaply. On eBay I bought one straight razor from Solingen, brand unknown. The pitting on the blade edge didn't seem bad at first, then I thought about. So I bought a second Solingen, a Friedr Baurmann & Sohne, Comfort Not in the greatest shape, though.


Here they are:
Vintage ZARTINA 5/8 Straight Razor ZARTINA CUTLERY SOLINGEN GERMANY | eBay

Vintage Comfort 100 Straight Razor, Friedr Bahrmann & Sohne Solingen Germany | eBay

Do these look salvageable? Or is there a reason they sold so cheap?

 

[Doc226]

Both of those should be nice shavers, I would at most use a little Maas to clean up the blade a little and then hone and shave.

 

[Mike H]

I agree with Doc, a light cleaning and hone them up, or send them out for honing if needed. They should both be nice.

 

[stevetimko]

Thanks for the input. I got the one with no clear manufacturer today and it looks better than the pictures suggest. He said in the eBay listing it was sharp, but I couldn't shave my arm hair with it. It's got some work ahead of it. Now to find an 8,000 grit whetstone. . .

 

[Dan05]

I own a friedr baurmann and sohne, karbono. I’m currently restoring it. It is a superb shave so just in quality I’d be saving that one.


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[stevetimko]

I have a machinist friend who has fine grit whetstones but they're a half inch wide and 4 inches long. Will that work okay? An 8,000 grit whetstone is expensive, at least the ones I can find.

 

[Dan05]

I use lapping film to hone my razors. I have a couple of stones to get an edge or bevel or whatever, then I have lapping film to put on the finer touches. Cheap and effective. More money to spend on razors and brushes and soaps and scuttles and ........ well you get the point.


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[stevetimko]

Ah!. I can't be stopped. I bought a third razor today. Three straight razors in a week.
Another Friedr Baurmann & Sohne, Comfort, in the best shape of the three. $12 including shipping.

Vintage Wadsworth XLNT Straight Razor - Germany | eBay

 

[Slash McCoy]

Your best plan of action would be to first get a vintage razor that is already shave ready, from a verifiable and trustworthy vendor. There is sharp, and there is sharp
What you are looking for is not just able to shave arm hair. Your pocketknife should do that. What you want to see is the razor mowing down the tips of your arm hair when swept at least 1/4" above the skin. Learn to shave with a razor that sharp. Then you have a benchmark. Then you will recognize sharp when you see it, feel it, or make it. From there, the honing journey can begin, with a high probability of success.

You will not enjoy the shave off an 8k hone, even if done by skilled hands. You will be crippled right out the gate, using tiny hones.

Newbie Honing Compendium

All you need to get started honing crazy sharp edges on a budget, AFTER you learn to shave, with a razor already sharp.

 

[stevetimko]

Thanks. Any mail order sharpening services people recommend? I can't find one locally.

 

[Slash McCoy]

There are a few members here who take in honing. Post a "honemeister needed" thread in the honing forum.