What should I do with this razor to get myself set up?

BarbaGnosa · May 12, 2013

Five months into double edge shaving, I just picked up a Bismarck Registered straight razor at a flea market today for $15. I've been working my way up to exploring straight razors, and there it was, looking as if it just might be a diamond in the rough, under all that gunk and rust, and probably a good deal. Let's see... now I just need to figure out how to get it and myself up and running. I've already read through the SR forum stickies, but am hoping for some personal guidance.

I'd like to use the razor to teach myself straight razor shaving and maintenance. The razor needs to get into good shaving condition, and I need to set myself up with whatever I need to hone, strop, and maintain it. While I'm very price sensitive, I seek quality, value, and performance, and equipment which I can grow with. Learning from my experience with DEs, where I got the simplest kit to start, I think I'll go a little up market this time, and get something which might take me beyond the first rank newbie level.

The razor seems in good condition after 20 minutes scrubbing with Bon Ami, a kitchen scrub sponge and toothbrush. The scales are in excellent condition -- no observable problems, uncracked, unstained, parallel. After my initial scrub, I see no rust and have removed all the gunge and most of the black staining which had covered it. The blade still has a few blemishes: some shallow black pitting on the hollows and black staining on the tang, heel, the shank spine ridges and underside (see photos below, and full resolution links at the bottom)

Ideally, I'd like to clean, hone and strop it myself. How can I clean these stains, and how essential it is that this be done? I'd like the blade to be in as good condition as I can get it, as cost effectively as possible. And, if doing it myself may not be the best way for me to go, who can do it and for how much?

If it's like my experience with double edge razors, chances are good I'll pick it up quickly, enjoy it, will acquire a few more, diverse razors of various levels of value, purchased inexpensively, and will end up becoming a straight edge evangelist to friends and family.

Thanks very much,

BarbaGnosa

PS: is this the best forum in which to have posted this message? Would it have been better suited for the Straight Razor Shave Clinic? I originally posted to Restoration & Razor Making How-To's and then noticed that forum seems to get posts once every few months....

HIGH RESOLUTION
https://dl.dropboxusercontent.com/u/4220802/Bismarck Registered/IMG_1140.JPG

Krodor · May 12, 2013

worst things you point out that I see on there w.r.t. shaveability are the "shallow pitting" on the backside. I'd actually be most concerned about the dark spots on the bevel/edge in the third pic. they'll hone out, but the rest of the stuff has nothing to do with shave-worthy-ness to me...all the other stuff is just vanity / for show. I'd personally argue that you've done all you can do without getting really really deep into a lot of work regarding the beautification (that pitting looks pretty deep on the back).

you're new to this, so use this razor as your starter and just get shaving, from here, all the looks and stuff can be dealt with later. I wouldn't mess with it in the beauty dept., myself. I have plenty uglier ones than that that are great shavers. Get it honed by someone who knows what they are doing ASAP and get that bad boy slapped up against your face and shave. It'll be great.

Learn to hone later, when you know what a good shave feels like.

Krodor-classification (FWIW): Good score, good cleanup, that's a hone-and-go as-is from here.

global_dev · May 13, 2013

pitting is typically relative to the blade. those look a bit deep for the blade.

the only real way to get rid of the stains and pitting is to sand them out.

i think the carpet is showing bad optics on the edge.

to really do a honing from bottom to top requires a vehicle with enough grits to get you through from setting the basic bevel to basic finishing, ~1000 to ~8000 grit.

of several things to consider, here are the most important IMHO

1) make sure the bevel is set, but don't ruin the bevel angles in the process ( that is spine and edge must be aligned for ~17±2 degrees base on spine wear and edge wear)
2) don't move up in grit until you have removed the scratches from the previous.

that's pretty much it as far as basics.

global_dev · May 13, 2013

BarbaGnosa said:
Ideally, I'd like to clean, hone and strop it myself. How can I clean these stains, and how essential it is that this be done? I'd like the blade to be in as good condition as I can get it, as cost effectively as possible. And, if doing it myself may not be the best way for me to go, who can do it and for how much?

If it's like my experience with double edge razors, chances are good I'll pick it up quickly, enjoy it, will acquire a few more, diverse razors of various levels of value, purchased inexpensively ]

up front cost of straights are relatively larger compared to DEs, especially as you want to fix them up and make them pretty. sheets of sand paper from ~80 to ~1500.. lots of time sanding, polishing, and then the honing process which while sometimes time intensive requires the proper grits. and then you see someone who wants to take a dremel and mis-moves and CRACK!

the process is either therapeutic or frustrating to me depending on the day.

BarbaGnosa · May 13, 2013

Thanks, global_dev and Krodor, for the detailed insights and guidance.

As Krodor sagely advises, it would make more sense for me to learn to hone once I know what a good straight razor shave feels like. I think I'm going to take Krodor's advice and get shaving asap to get the experience and get comfortable and competent shaving with a properly honed, shaveready SR first, before investing further.

I'll have someone who knows what they're doing hone it for me and get it shave-ready, and simply disregard the stains and pitting. I'll get enough stropping supplies necessary to shave with it for the next few months until I have deeper experience to see how I'm liking it and how jazzed I am to make further investment.

From what I've seen on B&B, WhippedDog seems like the popular, price-conscious choice for honing and supplies. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again,
BarbaGnosa

global_dev · May 13, 2013

BarbaGnosa said:
Thanks, global_dev and Krodor, for the detailed insights and guidance.

As Krodor sagely advises, it would make more sense for me to learn to hone once I know what a good straight razor shave feels like. I think I'm going to take Krodor's advice and get shaving asap to get the experience and get comfortable and competent shaving with a properly honed, shaveready SR first, before investing further.

I'll have someone who knows what they're doing hone it for me and get it shave-ready, and simply disregard the stains and pitting. I'll get enough stropping supplies necessary to shave with it for the next few months until I have deeper experience to see how I'm liking it and how jazzed I am to make further investment.

From what I've seen on B&B, WhippedDog seems like the popular, price-conscious choice for honing and supplies. Any other suggestions?

Thanks again,
BarbaGnosa

BST or hobbyist subforums right here

xuzxuz · May 18, 2013

1) Pittings.
Deep pittings with oxidations will remove metal from razor. Can't do anything about that easily.
You can remove the black color by using simichrome/MAAS/Bluemagic or some other metal polish.
You can dab that on a piece of leather or buffing cloth or felt or cotton swap and keep rubbing till they disappear.
If you have dremel and some polishing tips, you can use them as well.

2) Honing, you can go to the hones/honing section of the forum and ask there.
If you've never gotten your SR honed, you can ask and someone will probably hone her up for you if you pay shipping both ways.
If you give me PM I can do it if you'd like.

I think it's the right approach that you are trying to restore that razor on your own.
There's plenty of material here and other SR forums. If you have further questions, feel free to ask.

Thanks and good luck.

bhorsoft · May 18, 2013

I wouldn't worry too much about most of the pitting. Like others have said, I have uglier razors that are great shavers. The pitting that will be an issue is the pitting on the blade edge. That will take some somewhat aggressive honing to get that edge smooth and sharp. Certainly something you can do yourself with the correct progression of stones, some time, and some patience. If you are new to honing, send it out to someone to get it properly honed. They can get the job done and you will have a reference as to what a properly honed razor feels like when shaving with it.

BarbaGnosa · May 18, 2013

Thanks for your wisdom xuzxuz (on metal polishes for spot removal) and bhorsoft (on dealing with pitting).

I've decided to follow Krodor's advice: since I'm a rank SR newbie, get the blade well honed by someone capable, so I can experience how a properly honed SR feels and and functions. Then I'll have a starting baseline for comparison. Also, it'll give me a couple months of SR shaving experience to develop and evaluate my skills and level of commitment before investing further.

Hillbilly has graciously offered to hone it for me for free, and has sent me a loaner for a couple weeks to start with. I've purchased a double strop kit (with grits, oil) from WhippedDog, and have all the lather equipment (brush, mug) and wetware from DE shaving. As a matter of fact, I'm going to my POBox now and hope they're all here so I might have my first SR shave today. Let's hope.

hillbilly · May 18, 2013

If ya get the razor it is stropped and ready. Its a butt ugly old Torry but it shaves great. Good luck.

BarbaGnosa · May 18, 2013

Thanks, Hillbilly! Couldn't get to the post office today, so it'll likely be Monday.

BarbaGnosa · May 23, 2013

The SR has landed! FINALLY picked up Hillbilly's loaner Torry SR today. It appears to be a close cousin, in very similar shape, as my own Bismarck Registered. I'll be posting news about the inaugural shaves if not tomorrow, then by the weekend.

BarbaGnosa · May 27, 2013

My first straight razor shave, in honor and celebration of Memorial Day (among so many things).

After reading Whipped Dog and Chris Moss (Leisureguy's) guides, and watching Lynn Abrams World of Straight Razor shaving, preceded by five months of double edge shaving, I was ready. The prep paid off -- as it tends to.

I used Hillbilly's graciously loaned shave-ready Torrey, which I stropped on my new Whipped Dog strop prior to showering. I went two days without shaving to give myself something easily seen to shave. My prep was my usual:

put my mug, brush, and the razor in the sink and fill with hot water to soak while
I shower,
during which I wash my face with my exfoliating cloth, then
at the sink a Musgo Real Lime Glyce pre-shave lather with my hand, then
generate a lather with Mystic Water Maestrale (one of my favorites).

The only change today: I don't usually shave wearing a bathrobe or taking photos.

Some grip fumbling, forgetting to stretch my skin, and hand confusion, but surprisingly never any fear. With a deadly blade at my face, concentration was deep and the flow delicious. I made two passes: WTG and ATG -- I would have done ATG but was unclear how to do that on my neck, and on my cheeks, with my boxed in beard, it didn't really fit so well. I gave myself two tiny weepers (mid left cheek?! and just beneath the right corner of my jaw) and a little light razor burn on my lower neck -- probably from pressing to hard. All in all a surprisingly damn fine shave -- with a baby butt shave smooth right cheek!

Aftershave: the alum block rub was clearly called for and stang refreshingly on my neck in the obvious spots, followed by ASB, a rub of Burt's Bees salve on the lips and irritated spots. I stropped again after the shave, oiled the blade and marveled at it all.

Thanks especially to Hillbilly for his excellently honed loaner SR, and Larry@WhippedDog for his advice and strop, Krodor, global_dev and everyone for your input and thoughtful guidance.

I'm reposting this to the Straight Razor Shave Clinic for all to enjoy.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/348220-Oh-man-what-a-FIRST-STRAIGHT-RAZOR-shave!

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What should I do with this razor to get myself set up?

BarbaGnosa

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xuzxuz

bhorsoft

BarbaGnosa

hillbilly

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