First Stab at a Straight Restoration.

[REP]

Started my first straight refurbish today. I found this old beater on e-bay and the seller was nice enough to sell it to me for a whopping $5.00. She was so nice she hurried me through the whole transaction. Well you got to start somewhere and yes I have as usual picked a fight with the badest man in the room. Well here it is do you think I can save it? It is a vintage razor with the only marking being Patent Tempered Steel. It would be interesting if anyone knew anything about the razors maker or history etc. Wish me luck and you might need to through a prayer or two in there too.

 

[mdunn]

if the photo is saved on your computer, goto the 'go advanced' option when you post, and then click on 'manage attachments' down the bottom, and browse to it

 

[mdunn]

I dont like the looks of that big patch of rust that goes along the edge for a wee way, but you could always try and do it yourself.

I wrote up a wee tutorial about DIY razor restoration for just such an occasion

 

[Luc]

+1 on Dunny's tutorial. That's how I did mine. Sandpaper is your friend. You might want latex gloves to do the work...

 

[REP]

Well unless someone with more experience can give me the confidence to take it further I would say that I am ready to reassemble. Forgive the photos but I don’t know where the tri pod is. I was able to get all the rust off the blade even at the edge leaving no real disfigurement. I was surprised at how nicely it cleaned up as I really just got this razor to practice on. Anyway there are still slight signs of where the rust use to be and here is where my know how ran out and my instinct said stop. As for the slabs; they cleaned up and polished out probably better than new. All I need now is a source for replacement pins etc. My thanks to everyone’s advice and input that lead to this enjoyable undertaking. Hooked? Well let’s just say my next two victims’ are on their way.

 

[mdunn]

nicely done!

 

[REP]

Thanks; but where do I get the part and pieces to finish the restore?

 

[tob1303]

What precisely did you do to re-shine the blade like that - was it simply starting at a 200 grit paper and going up and up and up one step at a time until reaching like 2000 grit...or did you do something else?

 

[DSB]

Thanks; but where do I get the part and pieces to finish the restore?

Here is one source for pins:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/523001/201166.htm

 

[REP]

What precisely did you do to re-shine the blade like that - was it simply starting at a 200 grit paper and going up and up and up one step at a time until reaching like 2000 grit...or did you do something else?

One of the tools I used in different applications of other hobbies back in the day was a graduated polishing compound. (www.Brownells.com) Look for No.555 Polishing Compound “Color indicates grit”. This is much like wet or dry auto finish sandpaper in that you start with coarse grit and work your way down to a very fine finish.
In this application I personally like the compound better than sand paper for a couple of reasons. One is that you are polishing with a wheel or as I prefer on small items such as this a Dremel tool. This is less labor intensive and gets in every nook and cranny or couture of whatever you are polishing. Another and just as important; this approach is not too aggressive. Things are happening but not at a rate that often lends to going too far or cutting to deep to fast if you will.
One more thing I should mention here is SAFETY. These blades are very sharp and introducing a Dremel or 8”-10” polishing wheel hitting 2 or 3000+rpms can be a disaster. I recommend no skimping on SAFETY gear or PPE along with a well considered approach. Proper gloves and face gear are a minimum here.
Hope this helps!

 

[REP]

Here is one source for pins:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/523001/201166.htm

Thanks this is good info.