Gold Dollar Honing Passaround

[SliceOfLife]

Wait... people LIKED the GD scales?

My GD shaves as well as a vintage (haters gonna hate), but the factory scales worked about as well as jabbing the tang into the mouth of a rubber chicken would have. Have they improved?


edit: Derp. Just noticed you rescaled it. Good call.

 

[Kentos]

Wait... people LIKED the GD scales?

My GD shaves as well as a vintage (haters gonna hate), but the factory scales worked about as well as jabbing the tang into the mouth of a rubber chicken would have. Have they improved?

Nay nay, it went out with plexi customs, and Kate rescaled it with wood customs. So, yeah, it was a really cherry GD. It was the 300 model too sniff.

 

[Pkrankow]

Those were sweet wooden scales on the pass around.

The new GD scales are OK, better than some vintage scales, especially the soft plastic vintages, and over-thin plexi scales. They have "heft" and a molded in 3rd pin give them a lot of stability, but they are cheap plastic and feel like cheap plastic all the same. I would rather have hardwood or bone personally.

Phil

 

[Pkrankow]

I have a #66 I might kick into this. Give me a week or so to get some time to hone it proper. I think it was "square pointed" but not much else. New style stock scales.

I honestly find them too big, but they can shave! I'm sticking with my 4/8 and smaller from now on.

Phil

 

[SliceOfLife]

Ah, my GDs didn't have a 3rd pin. 3rd pin would have made them useable... but cheap thin plastic with mold flashings still hanging on would have still made me replace them. Mine literally had to be replaced. On one the tang was bent enough it clipped the scales (since they flexed when holding it). On the other (the one I kept) they were so thin you literally couldn't hold the razor open by the scales as the scales would bend in half by the weight of the razor.

Loved the razors. Hated the scales.

I've had worse vintage scales but only because of damage/wear. I've never seen any vintage scales that appear to have been as bad when new as my GD's were. I assume because the cheap injected plastic molding wasn't around back then.

 

[Mike H]

Stock GD 66. Grind the heck out of it. Drop it in acid for a minute, overbuff the scales till the plastic melts then sand them out.

I am happy to send this one out for a trip around B&B as a practice razor.

 

[SliceOfLife]

Drop it in acid?

 

[Mike H]

Drop it in acid?

I dipped the razor in 10% nitric acid solution to force a patina.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Vinegar or coca cola ought to do the same thing, with a longer soak. Or phosphoric acid (Ospho) from any paint store or marine supply store. It is used for dissolving rust from steel and removing running rust stains from painted surfaces. Mix it 50/50 with water and dunk the razor in until it is a uniform dark gray color but before it is completely black. Rinse well under running water and dry with a blow dryer. Then you have a layer of iron phosphate which not only serves as your patina but also helps to prevent rust. BTW the active ingredient in coca cola is phosphoric acid.

Myself, I like a brilliant mirror finish. Like this GD66:

 

[Pkrankow]

Honed and ready. Who is next?

Sorry I can't post photos from this computer. This GD#66 has the stabilizer ground away, and is a smiling square point now, with tight new style original scales that have some blemishes from the grinding and a drop of CA on the 3rd pin to stop them from squeaking while stropping and honing.

It could use a proper polish, but I can't get to my lathe to use a buffer wheel right now. Still cleaning up from squirrel damage in the garage (on the home stretch)

Phil

 

[Kentos]

Thanks Phil!

I think it is Obiwan.

 

[trick420]

Nay nay, it went out with plexi customs, and Kate rescaled it with wood customs. So, yeah, it was a really cherry GD. It was the 300 model too sniff.

Last time I checked my name was Jeff?

 

[Kentos]

Last time I checked my name was Jeff?

Sorry homie brain fArT!! My bad-was thinking of "ladykate" for some reason. I get you two guys mixed up for some reason.

 

[Pkrankow]

My blade, the #66 I farted about with, is in the mail to Obiwan. I expect it to rack up many miles and not be returned to be unless it is below 4/8 from all the honing.

Phil

 

[Obiwan]

As luck would have it, yesterday was a crazy morning so I didn't have a chance to shave until later in the day. The shave gods were on my side though because just as I was about to lather up, the mail came with the GD. I immediately took it for a test spin. Upon seeing the stock scales (an improvement over the older ones) it reminded me just how nice Jeff's previous set was. In any event, the razor shaved beautifully with a very nice edge. Nice job Phil. I'm going to play with a few different stones with this one over the next few days and then will send it to the next lucky member.

Thanks Phil, Kent and everyone else who has been moving this along. This was a great idea.

 

[Pkrankow]

I did put a drop of CA on the third pin (no more squeaking!) and tighten the other pins, so the scales were fiddled with a little.

I too thought Jeff's scales were quite awesome.

Phil

 

[Obiwan]

The GD has been given a few different finishes. Played with it a few days and it's now packaged up for delivery to Paco. Will go in the mail shortly.

 

[Krodor]

The GD has been given a few different finishes. Played with it a few days and it's now packaged up for delivery to Paco. Will go in the mail shortly.

So, thuri at the toe, trans Arkie in the middle, and jnat at the heel? Lol.

 

[tomjr]

SO KRODOR U ARE GOING 2 WORK YOUR MAGIC ON A TRI-HONE AS WELL i would love 2 see your honing technique. pics please or better yet a vid. tom

 

[Obiwan]

So, thuri at the toe, trans Arkie in the middle, and jnat at the heel? Lol.

Close..... escher at toe, coticule in the middle and jnat on the heel. Also, I had to refrain from using oil for fear merely reading the thread would get some members banned "over there."