Can these be saved?

[The Don]

Hi All,

A friend of mine was given a few items for Christmas this year from his uncle. They've all been in his family forever, so there is a fair amount of sentimental value attached to them. All three are fairly rusted, but are any of them salvageable? The top one is an H.C. Wentworth (Germany), middle is JA Henckels (Germany), bottom is Peerless (Rochester, NY).

Thanks,
Don

 

[robellison01]

Yep, those should clean up good enough. They probably won't look brand new, some pits will remain, but they can be cleaned up and put back into service. I would start off with a metal polish and see how that works.

 

[JonM]

Depending on how "new" you want them to look, these should all clean up fine. I don't see any chips in the blades and the rust doesn't appear too deep. I'd recommend starting off with polishing by hand before going any further. If you're still not satisfied, it may take some light sanding to clean them up (how far you go with this is entirely up to you). Personally, I like to keep a little character in vintage blades. If you do resort to sanding, be sure to use automotive sandpaper. They can be found at most auto parts stores up to around 2000 grit. Just be sure to progress through the various grits starting at the lowest grit needed to deal with the amount of rust on the blade (and don't rush the progressions). Also, if you have to sand, you'll likely need to unpin the razor too. So, that's something else you'll need to consider. Restoring razors can be a pretty deep rabbit hole. Just how far down it you want to go is up to you.

 

[tomjr]

they do look salvageable.

 

[Doc226]

Sure, great DIY projects, start with about 120 sandpaper and go to 2000. Don't move up to the next grit until all the scratches from the previous ones are gone.