First mini-restoration project

[Derwent]

So...decided to restore the razor I inherited from my father, only to find out that it is quite something special (pre-war Puma 6/8...) so I've decided that an expert will restore that one, as I really don't want to damage anything.

However, me being me, I've watched a lot of razor restoration videos and I'm itching to get my hands dirty...so I have bought several old razors in need of TLC, and none have cost more than 25 bucks and none have sentimental value so I won't cry if I ruin one.

First cab off the rank is an Eskilstuna 5/8 from Edv Neiström.

Basically in fairly decent condition apart from a couple of fairly nasty rust spots, but it cost me ten bucks so here goes...

The steel on this thing is hard as all fury!!!
A good hour with 120 grit silicon carbide wet and dry has cleaned the rust off, but hardly touched the pitting...
I know at some point I will be removing the scales and will have a go again, but for now I've left some pitting and given it a run through the grits to 800 and a touch up with Autosol.

It looks OK, but not perfect.

Will do for now.

I think the edge is slightly bent maybe... one side doesn't want to hone near the toe but hones in the middle nicely.
Flip it over and that side hones the toe just fine.

I only have a 1000 grit Japanese synthetic and an old small natural hone possibly Arkansas of unknown grit.

I haven't got a proper strop yet, I'm using an old leather belt.

So far I've got it popping arm hairs like a champion, but failing the HHT and it pulls when I try to shave with it.
I got a shave though.

I'll be using this one to learn honing until I can make it sing, then it will be a user and eventually I will dismantle it and clean up the tang properly and get those rust pits out whatever it takes.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Yup, Eskilstuna’s are hard. A 3x3 inch piece of 6mm craft foam, (any craft store or Walmart) wrapped around a synthetic wine cork and 3X3 in. Wet and Dry will save your fingers and give you 4 sides of paper to use. You can use every inch of sandpaper that way.

But sometimes you just need to decide to leave some pitting, I have seen guys sand completely through a blade trying to “remove” a pit. You don’t remove a pit, you remove all the surrounding steel.

You should try to get all the active orange rust out of the pits, a quick vinegar or Evaporust soak and scrub with a stainless-steel toothbrush will get it all out of the toe.

Most razors have some warp, some more than others. Ink and a rolling X will get a warped razor honed fully. Ink will tell you when you are making full contact on the bevels. Once fully honed, it will shave just fine.

BTW two 3x3 pads of 6mm craft foam make a great platform to work on a scaled razor one pad under the blade, one under the tang and the scales at 90 degrees to the edge between the two pads. A paper towel under the pads catches all the mess and there is no pressure on the scales.

When you press down on the razor the edge gets buried into the foam pads and it is much harder to cut yourself. I remove the edge of any razor I do repair work on especially sanding. You can sand right up to the edge.

Looks good.

 

[Herrenberg]

Yup, Eskilstuna’s are hard. A 3x3 inch piece of 6mm craft foam, (any craft store or Walmart) wrapped around a synthetic wine cork and 3X3 in. Wet and Dry will save your fingers and give you 4 sides of paper to use. You can use every inch of sandpaper that way.

Great tip! But why synthetic wine cork? I ask because only like 1 in 40 bottles I open has one of those.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

You can use a natural cork, wine cork, but synthetic corks are square at the ends and you can, when wrapped with wet and dry sandpaper, sand into the corner where the blade face meets a stabilizer.

I bought a gallon ziplock bag full of cork and synthetic at a garage sale for a dollar. I see them for sale in bags all the time for craft projects.

I suppose you could cut of one end square and use it with the same results.

 

[Frank Shaves]

Great tip! But why synthetic wine cork? I ask because only like 1 in 40 bottles I open has one of those.

I have one synthetic cork that it is softer and more elastic than natural corks and, therefore, seems to adapt better to the concave grind of blade faces when held parallel to the edge.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

6MM craft foam is easier on the fingers for most sanding, but without the foam you can get into corners.

A quick 600 wet and dry sanding will make a razor pop, when buffed with Green Stainless compound on a sewn wheel, followed by a loose wheel with Zam compound, you don’t need much.

 

[WhiteRabbitAgain]

I'm curious as to what the blueish-greenish discoloration underneath where the rust was removed is. Is it a particular type of or stage of oxidization? Is it the same as the blue-green patina that develops on carbon steel kitchen knives?

I am in the beginning stages of polishing up old cheap ebay straights and these little details trip me up and I can't move forward until I understand them.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Like on the toe of your razor, photo?

That’s Devil’s Spit rust. The rust changes chemically to an aggressive black rust and bubbles over the surface, it also eats deep into the steel, an indicator that it has rusted for a long time or chemically with cell rot gas.

It is very hard, in a random pattern, (why it is called Devils Spit”) and must remove a lot of steel to remove it all or decide to live with it.

If it is near the edge the steel will “rot” and be unable to hold an edge.

It is a different type of rust from black patina that forms on a knife, or tools that can protect the steel from active red/orange rust.

White, and especially faux Ivory vintage scales are always suspect for Cell Rot in my book.

I avoid any razors with any cell rot indicators.

 

[Derwent]

I'm curious as to what the blueish-greenish discoloration underneath where the rust was removed is. Is it a particular type of or stage of oxidization? Is it the same as the blue-green patina that develops on carbon steel kitchen knives?

I am in the beginning stages of polishing up old cheap ebay straights and these little details trip me up and I can't move forward until I understand them.

The blue-green is just the colour of the towel reflecting on the blade.

The pitting still left is black.

At some point I will depin and really get all the pitting out.

I've picked up another almost identical Edv Neiström as well, no real rust but some funky honing at the toe.

Will make a nice matched pair eventually.

 

[Derwent]

Like on the toe of your razor, photo?

That’s Devil’s Spit rust. The rust changes chemically to an aggressive black rust and bubbles over the surface, it also eats deep into the steel, an indicator that it has rusted for a long time or chemically with cell rot gas.

It is very hard, in a random pattern, (why it is called Devils Spit”) and must remove a lot of steel to remove it all or decide to live with it.

If it is near the edge the steel will “rot” and be unable to hold an edge.

It is a different type of rust from black patina that forms on a knife, or tools that can protect the steel from active red/orange rust.

White, and especially faux Ivory vintage scales are always suspect for Cell Rot in my book.

I avoid any razors with any cell rot indicators.

View attachment 1470617

It was ten bucks, so even if it only became a practice consumable, it was worth the money.

I've been shaving with it and living with the pits...

Have just got another old razor to shaving sharp, so this one can get some more attention shortly.

Do you think these are celluloid scales?
If they are ill get some modern arcrylic in ivory and make new ones for both Edv Neiström razors I have.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

“Do you think these are celluloid scales?”

Yup, that razor was put on a wire wheel for a reason. Brown rusty collars are a cell rot indicator. They are nickel silver, they should not rust.

White, faux ivory and translucent are the most notorious Cell rot candidates. Horn is cheap and easy to work and finish.