Joseph Rodgers restored with Paua Abalone scales

[rambus007]

This blade took me about 4-5 hours of buffing! It had lots of rust all over the blade as well as pitting. Fortunately the stamp on the tang was very deep so I was able to remove 99% of the pitting. Sorry I forgot to take the before photo but trust me it looked bad.

I chose to rescale this one in blue Paua abalone because the blade was worthy of nice scales. I also lined my clear acrylic wedge with brass and did the bullseye on the pins. The blade centered exactly with even resistance through the blade rotation. I'm very happy with this restore. Enjoy the pics!

One thing I am puzzled about is the fact that there are a couple of very thin micro-cracks on the edge of the blade. I didn't even notice them until I did my final buffing on white rouge. I thought they were deep scratches but sure enough they show up on the opposite side of the blade too. I went ahead and honed the blade with two pieces of tape and it still took a fantastic edge. The shave was smooth as well. Has anyone ever had this issue with their blades? Are there any problems that could arize down the road with these cracks?

 

[sleekandsmooth]

oh wow that is very beautiful thanks so much for sharing that picture set

 

[rambus007]

Here's a close up of the cracks. I took this using my iphone and was able to zoom in on the cracks. There are two that are visible in the photos. It sounds really bad to hear that a blade has cracks but my shave was good so perhaps it's not that bad after all.

 

[mdunn]

Delicious!

If the cracks dont show up in the shave test, then you should be fine.

 

[Zephyr]

Great work Terry, turned out beautifully!

 

[rambus007]

oh wow that is very beautiful thanks so much for sharing that picture set

Delicious!

If the cracks dont show up in the shave test, then you should be fine.

Great work Terry, turned out beautifully!

Thanks guys. My wife thinks I should sell it to pay off some bills.

 

[touchdowntodd]

i DREAM of some scales like that for a nice straight

 

[Takezo]

That's a really nice looking razor -- those scales are pretty dazzling. Good luck on the sale and sorry to hear that it's gotta go. Wish I had the scratch for it.

 

[DrColossus11]

I really like the look of that razor! How hard is the Pau shell to work with?

 

[Legion]

Sweet!

 

[rambus007]

I really like the look of that razor! How hard is the Pau shell to work with?

I found easier to use than G10 and similar to acrylic in terms of cutting, sanding and polishing. It's more flexible than and 10 times more expensive than acrylic though.

 

[DogHair]

One thing I am puzzled about is the fact that there are a couple of very thin micro-cracks on the edge of the blade. I didn't even notice them until I did my final buffing on white rouge. I thought they were deep scratches but sure enough they show up on the opposite side of the blade too. I went ahead and honed the blade with two pieces of tape and it still took a fantastic edge. The shave was smooth as well. Has anyone ever had this issue with their blades? Are there any problems that could arize down the road with these cracks?

Nice work on your Rodgers.

I have a nice etched Wostenholm with a similar crack in the blade. It's never been a problem. I always expect something to happen while I'm shaving, not sure what, but it doesn't.

 

[rambooze]

nice work dude!
looks phenomenal

 

[honed]

Love that smiley blade!

And the scales are really unique, nice job

 

[Greyfox]

 

[rambus007]

Nice work on your Rodgers.

I have a nice etched Wostenholm with a similar crack in the blade. It's never been a problem. I always expect something to happen while I'm shaving, not sure what, but it doesn't.

Thanks for chiming in. I'm sure this will give the buyer some reassurance as well as myself if I choose to keep this blade.

nice work dude!
looks phenomenal

Love that smiley blade!

And the scales are really unique, nice job

Thanks guys!

 

[dirtychrome]

Nice job. That wedge is a nice complement. I never would have thought about using the clear with the shell. I see this and realize its a natural!

 

[rambus007]

Nice job. That wedge is a nice complement. I never would have thought about using the clear with the shell. I see this and realize its a natural!

Thanks! I pondered the wedge material for about an hour and finally decided on clear acrylic to match the clear top surface to the abalone. I considered acrylics, g10, horn, micarta and wood but felt the clear with brass shim was the best look.

 

[expre]

The scales on this straight razor belong in a display case. Where did you acquire the scales?

 

[rambus007]

The scale materials are from Masecraft supply.