I have two blades and one side of the face gets the blade lapped on the original strop ( with the left over Rolls stropping paste that is still on the strop ) and the other stropped on Dovo Black ( which is supposed to be around 1 micron ).
New Improved 21st Century Rolls Razor!!
- Thread starter mjclark
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- #62
I agree that although the methods are the same, these Rolls blades behave differently to straights.
Tonight I tried a blade finished on CrOx before stropping in the case with FeOx.
Predictably, it was not as unnecessarily sharp as with 0.3u film, but it was considerably smoother on the first shave.
Tonight I tried a blade finished on CrOx before stropping in the case with FeOx.
Predictably, it was not as unnecessarily sharp as with 0.3u film, but it was considerably smoother on the first shave.
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- #63
Tried some of the original Rolls strop paste on a clean home-made strop.
It's unmistakeably got ferric oxide in it, (who knows what grade?) as well as some kind of leather conditioner, so our use of feox is close to Rolls original intentions.
Now let's see what that paste can do.
It's unmistakeably got ferric oxide in it, (who knows what grade?) as well as some kind of leather conditioner, so our use of feox is close to Rolls original intentions.
Now let's see what that paste can do.
What does the blade look like alone?
Well Dovo Black won my little shave-off. Very interested to here what a fresh application of the original Rolls Strop paste does for your shave.
Well last night Dovo black vs the original strop was won by Dovo Black. This afternoon the Dovo Black shave was more mellow and felt better than last night and beat out the other razor stropped on FeOx. I may take the loosing razor back to 1 micron paper with paper underneath and foam outside the case, then Dovo Black and then just a plain leather strop. I will strop the Dovo and the plain leather inside the case. I want as much as possible to be inside the case or it kind of defeats the purpose of the Rolls Razor. Original edge outside the case, upkeep inside.
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- #67
I think this should be the motto of the Rolls Renaissance.
As with straights there's so much room for variation in the edges and of course YMMV.
The Darwin had a double sided strop, so there's another possibility...
I was thinking about just that thing. I will be taking the " loosing " blade back to 1u with paper and foam, then to Dovo Black and then to plain leather. If it works it would be easy to make the Hone Side fit either side or make a new leather strop that can be flipped.
That is jumping the gun a bit however as I do not know how the Dovo / plain leather blade will shave yet.
Who else has theirs shaving pretty well? What combo? Some blade trading may be in order!
I think I will re-hone these razors with 2 strips of tape ( or 1 .. or none ) instead of three to make sure that when I am lapping in the case that it is actually doing it fully. That may be why I am getting different findings than others.
Dovo Black won again today.
Dovo Black won again today.
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- #70
No tape is working great here, and it's less hassle.
I ended up with one layer of tape. I like to tape the blade to a handle. Makes it easier to hone.
Kudos to the OP on being able to bring a Rolls Razor back to life. It shows some real ingenuity.
Its a shame that with all the RRs out there that so few of them are usable because of cracked hones and dry strops. I have one like that, and despite it being pristine on the outside, even with the velvet case and paperwork, I can't use it. It seems like replacement parts would be easy to make for these, but so far as I know, nobody has done so.
Its a shame that with all the RRs out there that so few of them are usable because of cracked hones and dry strops. I have one like that, and despite it being pristine on the outside, even with the velvet case and paperwork, I can't use it. It seems like replacement parts would be easy to make for these, but so far as I know, nobody has done so.
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Regarding the broken hone: I read an article about restoring a broken hone using epoxy. It looked quite doable. If you're just going to use lapping media though, a piece of wood in the proper shape seems to work.
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By watching and waiting on Da'Bay you can pick up a Rolls for spare parts for under $12 delivered. Now if only someone would sell a plastic razor case or Rolls strop paste for less than I can buy a very nice complete razor for : (
Well I must say there has been an interesting development. Over the last few shaves the Rolls Strop Paste razor ( I just refreshed a NOS strop with a bit of Lubriderm and went with it ) has become more comfortable than the Dovo Black.
Anyone tried the Rolls paste vs FeOx? I suck mixing and putting pastes on strops. I always think I need way more than I do. I even had to redo the Dovo Black one twice to get it right : (
Anyone tried the Rolls paste vs FeOx? I suck mixing and putting pastes on strops. I always think I need way more than I do. I even had to redo the Dovo Black one twice to get it right : (
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- #76
Weirdly I am just about to test freshly applied Rolls strop paste (thanks to PJGH) vs feox so I'll report back.
In the reverse situation to my experience with straights, chromium oxide doesn't seem to work well at all with the Rolls blades, whereas ferric oxide is perfect.
I've also decided after tonight's shave that the best finisher for me on the Rolls blades outside the case is 0.3u lapping film over paper.
Follow that with case stropping on feox and you have the recipe for an incredibly sharp blade which will settle in nicely with subsequent stropping and shaves.
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I've been using modeler's plywood I got at the hobby shop to make my Rolls test strops. It's very stable and comes in the right thickness (I think it was 1/8 inch, can't remember for sure), and is very stable and easy to work. The surface holds various grits quite well. Haven't tried FeOx yet, but plan to!
Interesting read, may just have to revive my RR.
With the past two shaves the razor honed on .3 micron ( 2 pieces of paper and foam to finish ) and FeOx has become The Razor. The Rolls paste razor is still shaving well and may be handicapped by there not being enough paste but it is what it is. Until I / We come up with something else to try the FeOx is how I will be preparing my Rolls Razors.
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