Worth doing anything with?

lagaffe

lagaffe

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Got a bit done with my latest eBay purchases. No photos of the razors inside the boxes, so asked the guy for some. He came back and said they were in great condition, 'just need sharpening' - so I checked his feedback (100% with a few 'lovely razor' comments), thought 'what the hell' and bid/won. Oh dear - caveat emptor.. :oops:

They arrived very quickly (won on Tues, arrived Thurs), but aren't quite in the condition described. One has a hairline crack on one side along the top of the blade:

IMAG1039.jpg



whilst the other has a repaired chunk out of the point (though is otherwise in great nick):

IMAG1043.jpg


So - is the cracked one worth doing anything with (other than saving the scales & binning the blade)? And should I leave the other as it is, or grind the end back to a 'normal' round point?
 
I'd certainly have a go at cropping the second one: why not go for a square or a spike? :twisted:

As for the one with the crack, dunno. What does it sound like if you run your thumb across (not along!) the edge? If it sounds "dead", then I guess that's what it is ... though it's a funny place for a crack. Very much a borderline case, so maybe the easiest course of action is to hone it and see whether it's worth pursuing.
 
Actually, that might be an idea... :D

I'll clean the cracked one up and hone it and see how it performs - it's worth a try; the seller said "I WAS TOLD THAT THIS RAZOR BELONGED TO MICHAEL WILDING THE FILMSTAR OF THE 1940s" I looked him up, and he suffered from epilepsy all his life, so I doubt he'd risk using a straight just in case he had a fit whilst shaving :lol: If it really WAS his, I'd have thought he'd have had something a little better than a no-name razor given his status!
 
What's the best way to grind the end of this blade? Should I just get it it a vise and use a big file, followed by some finer & finer wet'n'dry to finish it off?
 
If it's any good it should eat your file for breakfast, unless you have a very coarse diamond file. It's definitely a grinding job; a Dremel with a cutting wheel suggests itself. The danger of drawing the temper especially at the edge is very real so it will need dipping in water or misting at least twice as often as you think necessary. I can't remember who told me that last bit, but it's excellent advice.
 
lagaffe said:
What's the best way to grind the end of this blade? Should I just get it it a vise and use a big file, followed by some finer & finer wet'n'dry to finish it off?
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Rotary tool with the stone bit has always worked for me. Vice it using a towel so the vice doesn't mar the blade. Go slowly and in bursts. Should be rather quick work to remove so little. Just make sure the razor doesn't get too hot to touch.
 
lagaffe said:
IMAG1039.jpg
Click to expand...

That is an incredibly odd place for a crack. Does it extend all the way through? Is it on the other side? If not, does it just wipe off?

As a previous poster asked, can you rub your fingernail against it and feel the crack? I've seen something like that before and it turned out to just be a rust line. Of course, I don't have that particular razor in hand to make an assessment.

Of course, if the crack is indeed real, don't use it. It could break apart and fly at you while stropping.
 
It's on one side, but seems to be almost surface only. I cleaned it up using progressive hand-sanding, finishing off with Autosol and Dremel buffing before honing it up. The crack is still just visible, but it shaves really well.

IMAG1051.jpg
 
Thanks, Nic!

Restored a few blades so far, but the only one I'm putting back in its original scales is still a work in progress. The others are awaiting new scales (once I decide where to buy them) - not sure I have the DIY skills or tools to turn my hand to making my own yet!
 
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