Just getting started, looking for suggestions.

[Clayw]

Hello Everyone. Just getting in to SR'z, honing etc. I don't want to mess up the SR I just bought, so I thought I would get some "cheap" razors to practice with so I'm not out a bunch of money if I screw them up. I just picked this up on ebay for $7.99. Can you suggest some tools and equipment I'll need to get to be reasonably successful?

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[dundak]

Personally restoring razors and maintaining an edge on a razor are apples and oranges. The basics to maintaining a razor are more easily mastered, require less time and money. You only need a strop and one stone to maintain a razor. Restoring requires quite a bit more than the above. You might want to post in one of the restoration threads.


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[Clayw]

Personally restoring razors and maintaining an edge on a razor are apples and oranges. The basics to maintaining a razor are more easily mastered, require less time and money. You only need a strop and one stone to maintain a razor. Restoring requires quite a bit more than the above. You might want to post in one of the restoration threads.


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Wasn't t necessarily looking to restore (but if it happens great) , or are you saying I need to start there with this one?

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[MilkCrate]

Sandpaper 600 through 2500 grit. Start out with the coarse and work through to the fine. Each step up will reduce scratches. Can start with Mothers mag and wheel polish to clean up the steel. Before the sandpaper then see what you need. Can also use 0000 steel wool to put a shine on it too. Meguires car wax for the scales. Lots of elbow grease. That’s my method.

You can use a dremel with steel wire brushes and buffing pads, but make sure it’s adjustable speed and don’t stay in one spot too long. I clean mine up without the dremel.

For honing, start with lapping film. It’s cheap and easy. See the Newbie Honing Conundrum thread for that.

 

[Slash McCoy]

I can't see what you got there. All I can tell is that it is a vintage razor. You don't have to "restore". You can just hone and go. Assuming you at least have some experience shaving. It is VERY difficult, frustrating, and confusing to try to learn to shave with a razor that you are trying to learn to hone on. Serious. You are much better off starting with a shave ready razor from a reputable seller. Basically that means a member here, (everybody wants to keep their reputation so a member won't claim to be able to hone if he can't) or a seller that multiple members will vouch for. EVERYBODY SAYS that their razors are shave ready. It is the new buzz word. Most fleabay sellers dont know what it even means. Most sellers don't even shave with a straight razor. Half of them don't shave their faces at all, being women. I strongly suggest starting with a shave ready razor. Learn to shave and learn how a shave ready edge looks, feels, and behaves on the face. Learn how the razor works. It is not as simple as a beginner thinks. Then you know what you are looking for as you start honing.

Hang out here. Post. READ! Absorb knowledge and the shaving lingo. Get a good background. When you think you are ready to start honing, I recommend The Method , AKA The Newbie Honing Compendium. If you FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AND DO NOT SUBSTITUTE STUFF OR OMIT STUFF OR FREESTYLE IT, exactly and precisely, you will get a good edge at least by the second attempt. Maybe the first. And you don't need several hundred dollars worth of rocks, either. The Method will give you an insanely sharp edge, but one that feels comfortable on the face. A better edge than a pro will give you. There are other ways of honing that many find more enjoyable, more challenging, more traditional, whatevah. That's cool. The Method is tailored to (1) the newbie, and (2) the shaver who wants the sharpest razor possible.

If you could post a better pic, we could tell you if it is likely that your razor will be worth honing or not. Probably is. There are members who take in honing, who will give you a reasonably shave ready edge, for a reasonable price or even free. Some guys just love to hone.

How many shaves in are you? Do you have a strop? Brush, mug or bowl, shave soap? Alum block? Styptic pencil? Without these essential supplies there is no point in trying to shave. You MUST strop before shaving. You MUST make a proper lather on your properly hydrated face. You will only be punishing yourself if you just pick up a razor and start scraping it across your face.

Tell us about your other razor. Who you bought it from, new or vintage, brand and model. Pics are good too. This board feeds on razor pics.

 

[Twelvefret]

My suggestion is to find the highest grit at an auto parts store and work backwards. Don't start with 600. Less is more. Don't use a Dremel for the reasons that it may effect the temper of the metal, from what I have read.

Find a wine cork or piece of hose to wrap the wet/dry sandpaper around. If you cannot get a clean blade, move to lower grit. Watch your hands and fingers.

Mother's Metal Polish and 0000 steel wool is helpful.

 

[Clayw]

I can't see what you got there. All I can tell is that it is a vintage razor. You don't have to "restore". You can just hone and go. Assuming you at least have some experience shaving. It is VERY difficult, frustrating, and confusing to try to learn to shave with a razor that you are trying to learn to hone on. Serious. You are much better off starting with a shave ready razor from a reputable seller. Basically that means a member here, (everybody wants to keep their reputation so a member won't claim to be able to hone if he can't) or a seller that multiple members will vouch for. EVERYBODY SAYS that their razors are shave ready. It is the new buzz word. Most fleabay sellers dont know what it even means. Most sellers don't even shave with a straight razor. Half of them don't shave their faces at all, being women. I strongly suggest starting with a shave ready razor. Learn to shave and learn how a shave ready edge looks, feels, and behaves on the face. Learn how the razor works. It is not as simple as a beginner thinks. Then you know what you are looking for as you start honing.

Hang out here. Post. READ! Absorb knowledge and the shaving lingo. Get a good background. When you think you are ready to start honing, I recommend The Method , AKA The Newbie Honing Compendium. If you FOLLOW DIRECTIONS AND DO NOT SUBSTITUTE STUFF OR OMIT STUFF OR FREESTYLE IT, exactly and precisely, you will get a good edge at least by the second attempt. Maybe the first. And you don't need several hundred dollars worth of rocks, either. The Method will give you an insanely sharp edge, but one that feels comfortable on the face. A better edge than a pro will give you. There are other ways of honing that many find more enjoyable, more challenging, more traditional, whatevah. That's cool. The Method is tailored to (1) the newbie, and (2) the shaver who wants the sharpest razor possible.

If you could post a better pic, we could tell you if it is likely that your razor will be worth honing or not. Probably is. There are members who take in honing, who will give you a reasonably shave ready edge, for a reasonable price or even free. Some guys just love to hone.

How many shaves in are you? Do you have a strop? Brush, mug or bowl, shave soap? Alum block? Styptic pencil? Without these essential supplies there is no point in trying to shave. You MUST strop before shaving. You MUST make a proper lather on your properly hydrated face. You will only be punishing yourself if you just pick up a razor and start scraping it across your face.

Tell us about your other razor. Who you bought it from, new or vintage, brand and model. Pics are good too. This board feeds on razor pics.

The razor is an Althofs Gold Seal. It's is not my inventing for this be my regular razor, or even in my rotation. Just practice honing.

I have been shaving with a DE for about 10 years. Brush and soap for over 20. But when it comes to SR, I have shaved once, on Friday. I figure I would rather practice with a "cheap" razor than my new razor. My regular razor does not need honing yet, and won't f or a while. I figure that gives me time to practice so I don't mess it up when the time comes.

The razor I will be using regularly is a Hart Steel 5/8". I bought it new from Classic Shaving in January, and paid to have it honed before it was shipped to me. I have a beginner strop that my wife gave me as part of a practice set for chrismas. As I get better, I will pick up a much better quality strop. I'm kinda eyeballing an Illinois #127.

The first picture is the "honing practice" razor. In the second is the blunt edge practice razor (front left) and my actual razor (right rear) as well as some of my supplies and , accouterments in the back ground. The last picture is the listing for my regular razor from classic shaving.

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[SliceOfLife]

Personally restoring razors and maintaining an edge on a razor are apples and oranges. The basics to maintaining a razor are more easily mastered, require less time and money. You only need a strop and one stone to maintain a razor. Restoring requires quite a bit more than the above. You might want to post in one of the restoration threads.


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And more than that, restoration is a big tent. I consider myself capable of "restoring" razors. Meaning I can rescale, sand out pitting, fix chips, correct geometry, etc. But no one would EVER confuse one of my "restorations" for a new razor. I make my razors shave good. I don't make them look good. The skills going into that are ENTIRELY separate.


As for the razor in question. It's got a lot of pitting, so some aggressive hand sanding is in order, but otherwise looks like it's pretty straight forward fix. Get a decent quality wet dry in the 100-240 range and a couple finer ones... maybe 400 and 600. Sand the crap out of it by hand checking every now and then to make sure you are doing it evenly (not wearing the center/toe/heel faster than the rest). After maybe 15-45 minutes of doing this and several changes of paper, you should have a mostly clean razor that has lost a mm or so of depth... then you even the spine out on a coarse hone and set the bevel and you're ready to hone.

 

[Twelvefret]

There is a seller I have used three times. I've seen the befores and afters. He uses the original scales when possible and makes everything look new. Quite an artist. However, he also has a boat load of equipment.

 

[Clayw]

There is a seller I have used three times. I've seen the befores and afters. He uses the original scales when possible and makes everything look new. Quite an artist. However, he also has a boat load of equipment.

We'll see. If I don't mess it up to badly, maybe I'll look in to being it restored at some point.

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