CV Heljestrand MK 32

[pkrip]

Earlier this week I purchased (and am waiting on delivery) of a MK 32 in what I’m told is very good condition with ivory scales. I’m fairly new (several months) into SR shaving. I’ve been reading up on past threads among the Swedish steel fans here and came across some comments about the 32 being more suitable for “advanced” SR shavers only. Do you all find this to be true ? Below is a photo of what I’m expecting to receive shortly.

 

[alex1921]

Nah, you will be fine. Great razor from a great seller.

 

[pkrip]

Nah, you will be fine. Great razor from a great seller.

Thanks Alex. Yes, my first purchase from this seller and certainly won’t be my last. Will post updates and more photos in time.


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[Ice-Man]

You better off talking to @Polarbeard on this he is the chap that knows these razors better than anybody....

But I can and will say they are for the advanced straight user as they will bite and cut very very easy, i have one thats bit me a few times and they sure keep you on your toes that's for sure...

 

[alex1921]

Thanks Alex. Yes, my first purchase from this seller and certainly won’t be my last. Will post updates and more photos in time.


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Yeah I bought 2 7-day sets, Heljestrands, and some other razors from him. Great guy.

 

[Polarbeard]

You better off talking to @Polarbeard on this he is the chap that knows these razors better than anybody....

But I can and will say they are for the advanced straight user as they will bite and cut very very easy, i have one thats bit me a few times and they sure keep you on your toes that's for sure...

Actually I haven't much to add to Ian's post, it's very much spot on. What Ian didn't write, due to him being a gentleman, is that the razor you've bought is far from being in very good condition. You can shave with it but there's nothing left to hone if needed. About half of the Heljestrand thumb notch razors for sale are in this condition.

 

[pkrip]

Actually I haven't much to add to Ian's post, it's very much spot on. What Ian didn't write, due to him being a gentleman, is that the razor you've bought is far from being in very good condition. You can shave with it but there's nothing left to hone if needed. About half of the Heljestrand thumb notch razors for sale are in this condition.

Hmmm. Thanks for jumping in. Disappointing though. Dangers of impulse buys I suppose. Should be interesting getting to know this one.


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[MasterOfPups]

Although it may not be collector grade, if you spend a few minutes on a diamond plate to knock a bit off the heel stabilizers at about a 45 degree angle, you will still get a lifetime of use out of it.
Check out some of the Japanese straights on ebay to get an idea of what it would look like with the heel reshaped.

 

[pkrip]

Although it may not be collector grade, if you spend a few minutes on a diamond plate to knock a bit off the heel stabilizers at about a 45 degree angle, you will still get a lifetime of use out of it.
Check out some of the Japanese straights on ebay to get an idea of what it would look like with the heel reshaped.

Thanks and very interesting. I’ll definitely take a look. There’s hope yet...


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[Polarbeard]

Hmmm. Thanks for jumping in. Disappointing though. Dangers of impulse buys I suppose. Should be interesting getting to know this one.


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Thank you sir for being understanding. My intention was good but it's hard to tell bad news in a nice way. I get several pm:s every year from members asking me about Heljestrand razors. My answer is that once the blade is honed down to the rather prominent heel the razor has reached the end of its journey. Trying to hone it further than that will turn the heel to a nasty spike that inevitably will cut you. However as mentioned above the heel can be cut off but the blade wasn't made to perform optimally when being honed down further than to the heel.

Once again I'm sorry but there still are many shaves to be had from the razor.

 

[alex1921]

Not sure how he had listed/described the razor but based on your reaction it seems that you were not expecting a well used razor that you might have to be heel modifying etc. In that case I would reach out to the seller.

 

[Tester28]

There are some beautiful vintage straights out there but what holds me back is
not knowing their history....I don't have the expertise to see what's going on with the blade.

 

[pkrip]

Thank you sir for being understanding. My intention was good but it's hard to tell bad news in a nice way. I get several pm:s every year from members asking me about Heljestrand razors. My answer is that once the blade is honed down to the rather prominent heel the razor has reached the end of its journey. Trying to hone it further than that will turn the heel to a nasty spike that inevitably will cut you. However as mentioned above the heel can be cut off but the blade wasn't made to perform optimally when being honed down further than to the heel.

Once again I'm sorry but there still are many shaves to be had from the razor.

Thank you for the further explanation and no apologies needed. I’m fairly new to this forum but from what I can tell so far most are all very well intentioned and that’s how I approach all comments made. Anyway it’s also clear I have a lot to learn. I have a bit more to add on this particular razor that I’ll include in my response to Alex’s post. Thanks again.


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[pkrip]

Not sure how he had listed/described the razor but based on your reaction it seems that you were not expecting a well used razor that you might have to be heel modifying etc. In that case I would reach out to the seller.

Thanks. Now that you ask the razor was described as “near mint”. The seller gets a lot of good feedback on this forum (at least from what I can tell) but it’s starting feel a little bit of an “optimistic “ representation. I’m not sure what the norms are in the vintage world but this feels a bit off. Am I missing something? I’d be really curious to hear thoughts (polarbeard as well - and others of course) on this point. Happy to PM as well if that’s better.


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[Ice-Man]

Hope this help just a bit.
when buying razors look at the heel stabilizers are a very good mark to go by, if the edge is close to the stabilizer put it down and walk away dont buy. I have used mine that is in mint condition with a good amount of life left to give you a good idea what to look for, I have put a red line to give an idea the more below the red line the better the closer to the red line the worse it is if you look at the picture you will get the idea.

As you can see there is not a lot of give in a razor before its life is over and you need to modify it so use this as a guide when buying straight razors, as I'm passing on what I was told when I was new here just over 2 years ago by a very wise man well more of a mentor but without him knowing....

Hope this helps and serves you well in your new journey into straights but one thing I will add never be shy to ask any question even if it sounds silly to you to us it is part of learning and we are here to help no guide you into the darkside of shaving where men are men and chicks dig scars

Regards and Welcome..

 

[pkrip]

Thanks ice-man. Very clear (and now overwhelmingly obvious on what to look for!). Interesting that a razor in all other aspects may be in very good shape but if not sufficient on the blade wear there's a much more limited life span. I'm still assessing this one but its looking like its not what I expected. Thanks for the offer of asking quesitons. This forum is an incredible resource and folks are generous with time and advice. And hey, if I knew chicks dig scars I would have started this a long time ago!

 

[Ice-Man]

Dont get me wrong it can be modified to go longer, by removing some of the stabilizer its more of a guide so you know what to look for. Hell I have loads in a draw that's junk that I bought when I first started on this journey....

Yes they can be modified and put back into action I love the challenge the hours I have spent in front of the TV sanding blades & making scales its a big learning curve if your into that the best place to look is here in this thread

 

[Srdjan]

The advice given regarding grinding the stabilizer off is correct, but this is probably not the easiest task for a newcomer. I would suggest looking up some videos on YouTube about fixing up Gold Dollars, because they usually require stabilizers ground off, in order to hone properly.

The razor probably had some chips on the edge, which prompted the previous owner to grind the edge off. Yes, the razor is sadly not in great shape, and looks incorrect, but with a little corrective honing it will shave beautifully once again. It is my view that this razor is nowhere near the end of its lifetime, unless it won't take and hold a shaving edge.

Regarding the remark about it being an "advanced razor wanting to bite", I'd suggest a trip back to the stones, say from 3-4k and up. Finishing stone can really make or break a razor's edge, so it may be worth exploring a few different options.

 

[pkrip]

The advice given regarding grinding the stabilizer off is correct, but this is probably not the easiest task for a newcomer. I would suggest looking up some videos on YouTube about fixing up Gold Dollars, because they usually require stabilizers ground off, in order to hone properly.

The razor probably had some chips on the edge, which prompted the previous owner to grind the edge off. Yes, the razor is sadly not in great shape, and looks incorrect, but with a little corrective honing it will shave beautifully once again. It is my view that this razor is nowhere near the end of its lifetime, unless it won't take and hold a shaving edge.

Regarding the remark about it being an "advanced razor wanting to bite", I'd suggest a trip back to the stones, say from 3-4k and up. Finishing stone can really make or break a razor's edge, so it may be worth exploring a few different options.

Thanks. Agreed it’s likely there was some chip that required the excessive grind. I’m still of the feeling that it’s not “near mint” as I believed it to be (mostly my fault for not knowing what to look for). I’m inclined to work worth the seller on exchanging for something else. The option of grinding off the stabilizer while fortunate that there are options in this regard, not exactly what I was expecting on having to do and also way above my current skill set. Thanks again and I’ll post updates here once I figure out exactly what to do.


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[Polarbeard]

Hope this help just a bit.
when buying razors look at the heel stabilizers are a very good mark to go by, if the edge is close to the stabilizer put it down and walk away dont buy. I have used mine that is in mint condition with a good amount of life left to give you a good idea what to look for, I have put a red line to give an idea the more below the red line the better the closer to the red line the worse it is if you look at the picture you will get the idea.

View attachment 1023024

As you can see there is not a lot of give in a razor before its life is over and you need to modify it so use this as a guide when buying straight razors, as I'm passing on what I was told when I was new here just over 2 years ago by a very wise man well more of a mentor but without him knowing....

Hope this helps and serves you well in your new journey into straights but one thing I will add never be shy to ask any question even if it sounds silly to you to us it is part of learning and we are here to help no guide you into the darkside of shaving where men are men and chicks dig scars

Regards and Welcome..

The above is a superb explanation and an equally good illustration. Ian may have bad judgement in choosing his mentors, but his judgement and knowledge when it comes to straight razors is impeccable. Then again it came a Luke Skywalker out of Yoda.
So @pkrip if you are to contact the seller regarding the razor just copy Ian's very illustrative photograph of an indeed pristine 32 and tell the seller what kind of settlement you want. As stated it's shaveable, but the heel is honed down.