Is there still a use for these old and broken razors?

[Heljen]

Hello all,

I was wondering if there might still be a use for these razors. They have huge frowns, chips in the blade and full of rust. They are not of a special brand and have no sentimental value to me. So do they still have a use or can they be thrown away?

 

[TnutsShave]

Just at a casual glance, 2, 3, and from from the top would be salvagable. First, definitely not, and you could breadknife the last, but it would remove a LOT of metal. Do you have the tools/materials to do them yourself? They could be fun projects.

 

[Heljen]

Just at a casual glance, 2, 3, and from from the top would be salvagable. First, definitely not, and you could breadknife the last, but it would remove a LOT of metal. Do you have the tools/materials to do them yourself? They could be fun projects.

Well i have sandpaper and hones from 220 - 800 - 1000 - 3000 and 2 coticules so it could be possible. But don't think they are worth all the trouble to me. So might as well make someone happy with them.

 

[HLS]

Giving them away? Heck, I can make all of them shave. Send'em to me to play with. I'll give them a nice home.

Well i have sandpaper and hones from 220 - 800 - 1000 - 3000 and 2 coticules so it could be possible. But don't think they are worth all the trouble to me. So might as well make someone happy with them.

 

[ladykate]

I think they would be ideal candidates for 'Western Kamisoris'. The heavier blades would be ideal and make nice shaving additions to your collection. You can get quite aggressive when you are shortening/chopping/channeling blades like this.

 

[Heljen]

I think they would be ideal candidates for 'Western Kamisoris'. The heavier blades would be ideal and make nice shaving additions to your collection. You can get quite aggressive when you are shortening/chopping/channeling blades like this.

That really looks very nice. But I don't have the tools or skill to make them like that.

 

[Obiwan]

#4 is an easy fix to grind the heel out. Do you have a dremel? Here's a Gold Dollar I played with as an example.

 

[Heljen]

#4 is an easy fix to grind the heel out. Do you have a dremel? Here's a Gold Dollar I played with as an example.

I don't own a dremel yet but it's on my "to buy" list. . I'll be keeping the number 4 for myself. Just grind out the heel and sand it down. The rest is a bit over the top for me.

Amazing work on the gold dollar. looks stunning.

Anybody ever melted down old razors to make a new one? Or is that not possible?

 

[Obiwan]

Thanks. Just toying around with the GD for the first time. Polk around here and you'll see the real pro's work. As far as melting down, that's a no go IMO.

#3 is an easy keeper also.

Do you plan on shaving with these? If so, I'm glad to grind the #4 out for you. PM me if interested.

 

[Slash McCoy]

No, don't try to melt them down! I think you need about 2500f temp to melt most steels, depending on the alloy.

Frowns and chips are fixable, to a degree. You can breadknife the edge to straightness on a cheap carborundum or AlOx stone, then thin the spine down to match... the blade width and spine thickness must be within a certain range of proportion to each other because that determines the bevel angle. Then you might, if desired, sand down the edges of the hone flat of the spine so that it is round-ish again. Next, get rid of any steel intruding into the hone plane from the stabilizer, if present. Sand out any rust or blemishes. Rough set the bevel and check the bevel angle, correcting if needed. Do final polishing then rescale if desired, and do final honing. Lots of work, but enjoyable work, and you end up with a razor that you can shave with. To many folks it isn't worth the effort. To others, it is, and offering your unwanted razors to those who like to mess around with them is a great idea. Don't toss them unless they are cracked or seriously seriously damaged.

 

[weizemanner]

A lot of really good carving knives are made from damaged straight razors. http://www.littleshavers.com/RazorKnife.html

 

[JHCC]

At last the shank, in one complete rod, received its final heat; and as Perth, to temper it, plunged it all hissing into the cask of water near by, the scalding steam shot up into Ahab's bent face."Would'st thou brand me, Perth?" wincing for a moment with the pain; "have I been but forging my own branding-iron, then?"

"Pray God, not that; yet I fear something, Captain Ahab. Is not this harpoon for the White Whale?"

"For the white fiend! But now for the barbs; thou must make them thyself, man. Here are my razors- the best of steel; here, and make the barbs sharp as the needle-sleet of the Icy Sea."

For a moment, the old blacksmith eyed the razors as though he would fain not use them.

"Take them, man, I have no need for them; for I now neither shave, sup, nor pray till- but here- to work!"

Fashioned at last into an arrowy shape, and welded by Perth to the shank, the steel soon pointed the end of the iron; and as the blacksmith was about giving the barbs their final heat, prior to tempering them, he cried to Ahab to place the water-cask near.

"No, no- no water for that; I want it of the true death-temper. Ahoy, there! Tashtego, Queequeg, Daggoo! What say ye, pagans! Will ye give me as much blood as will cover this barb?" holding it high up. A cluster of dark nods replied, Yes. Three punctures were made in the heathen flesh, and the White Whale's barbs were then tempered.

"Ego non baptizo te in nomine patris, sed in nomine diaboli!" deliriously howled Ahab, as the malignant iron scorchingly devoured the baptismal blood.

from Moby Dick by Herman Melville, Chapter 113 - "The Forge"

 

[tomjr]

1 & 2 i would make shorty's the rest could be saved IMO.

 

[life2short1971]

The second blade from the top may actually be ground that way. There were a few that were. The one I would say has the least hope is the one with the big chip followed by the one with the funky heel. the rest aren't the worst I have seen.

 

[mdunn]

Without extreme action... No. Yes. Yes. Yes. No.