That's pretty impressive work and thank you for sharing with us. It looks amazing.
Gold Dollar with bone scales
- Thread starter Dilbone
- Start date
Very impressive indeed. Congrats on the whole thing. 
I think it's fantastic. Personally I like blemishes in natural materials.
A shoutout to Dilbone.
i just made a set of bone scales. It's not an easy process!
i just made a set of bone scales. It's not an easy process!
They are harder than bone and smell much worse. They also eat sandpaper at a higher rate.
The scales and blade turned out very nice! Great work!
???
Meant to say bone is harder than horn
Aha...
I have to say, the "feel" that natural scales have is a nice upgrade from acrylic. It has a certain substantialness to it that the acrylic lacks.
Ivory is the King, but bone is pretty durn nice too
I have to say, the "feel" that natural scales have is a nice upgrade from acrylic. It has a certain substantialness to it that the acrylic lacks.
Ivory is the King, but bone is pretty durn nice too
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- Thread starter
- #51
First of all, thanks to everyone with your kind words. It really was worth the time to put this together. It turned out great even if I do say myself!!! Better than I had anticipated...I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.
I have a couple of sets of wood scales that I made and they don't quite stand up to the bone. I am more than impressed with the high quality feel and I'll use your word "substantialness" that wood doesn't even have. I've never seen or felt a set of ivory scales but I have to imagine this would be awfully close to the feel and look you'd get.
And I'll say it certainly isn't quite as easy to work with as wood. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere even on the ROSS which can remove enormous amounts of material...very stubborn and hard material...and stanky...bad stank...
I honed it up last night and had it to what I thought would be an acceptable edge...maybe not perfect, but shave-able at least. I had 5 days growth which is uncommon as of late but I didn't shave this weekend because I wanted this razor to be my 100th straight shave(that sounded really stupid as I read it back). If anyone would read this outside the context of this site that would be a little weird I think haha.
Anyway, the WTG pass was a little tuggy and not as comfortable as I'd hoped. However, the XTG and ATG passes were very comfortable and I had no irritation with a solid DFS. I need to hit the films some more, but I'll shave a couple more times with it first and see if my impression changes.
I will say that as I held it, looked at it, and shaved with it I was struck with how nice it was. I've not owned a "nice" razor(couple gold dollars and a couple $13ish ebay vintage), but wow this one seemed like what I would imagine a $100 + razor would be. Probably sounds stupid, but if felt very heavy...solid...fancy...expensive...classy...dare I say, luxurious?
Ok, now I've gone too far
...but seriously, I'm stoked to have this nice of a razor for about $7.50...$4 GD, $2.25ish of bone, $1.25 in stainless washers. Here's to another 100 straight shaves!!
I have a couple of sets of wood scales that I made and they don't quite stand up to the bone. I am more than impressed with the high quality feel and I'll use your word "substantialness" that wood doesn't even have. I've never seen or felt a set of ivory scales but I have to imagine this would be awfully close to the feel and look you'd get.
And I'll say it certainly isn't quite as easy to work with as wood. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere even on the ROSS which can remove enormous amounts of material...very stubborn and hard material...and stanky...bad stank...
I honed it up last night and had it to what I thought would be an acceptable edge...maybe not perfect, but shave-able at least. I had 5 days growth which is uncommon as of late but I didn't shave this weekend because I wanted this razor to be my 100th straight shave(that sounded really stupid as I read it back). If anyone would read this outside the context of this site that would be a little weird I think haha.
Anyway, the WTG pass was a little tuggy and not as comfortable as I'd hoped. However, the XTG and ATG passes were very comfortable and I had no irritation with a solid DFS. I need to hit the films some more, but I'll shave a couple more times with it first and see if my impression changes.
I will say that as I held it, looked at it, and shaved with it I was struck with how nice it was. I've not owned a "nice" razor(couple gold dollars and a couple $13ish ebay vintage), but wow this one seemed like what I would imagine a $100 + razor would be. Probably sounds stupid, but if felt very heavy...solid...fancy...expensive...classy...dare I say, luxurious?
Ok, now I've gone too far
...but seriously, I'm stoked to have this nice of a razor for about $7.50...$4 GD, $2.25ish of bone, $1.25 in stainless washers. Here's to another 100 straight shaves!!Hit up the bevel setting bone again HARD, A GD needs lots of correction to hone up right. Setting the bevel is the key, and takeslonger than you expect.
- Thread starter
- #53
I may thin the shoulder/tang area a bit first because that's part of what's giving me an issue between the heel and the toe. I need to pick up a 4-sided DMT from Harbor freight to do some bulk removal. Right now I use some 600grit wet/dry spray adhesive to the marble and then to the 15u film for a while. That's what I did on the last one I honed but I had to go back to the 600grit several different times...it's just a pain in the butt to have to replace it so often. It seems like the paper loses its grit pretty quickly. The spine on that first one has about an 1/8" wide spine wear patch. The one I got from buca hardly has any at all and this one is somewhere in the middle. I must not be doing something right....or some of these are easier to hone up than others...
Sounds like you have a dollar to make hereFirst of all, thanks to everyone with your kind words. It really was worth the time to put this together. It turned out great even if I do say myself!!! Better than I had anticipated...I wasn't sure exactly what to expect.
I have a couple of sets of wood scales that I made and they don't quite stand up to the bone. I am more than impressed with the high quality feel and I'll use your word "substantialness" that wood doesn't even have. I've never seen or felt a set of ivory scales but I have to imagine this would be awfully close to the feel and look you'd get.
And I'll say it certainly isn't quite as easy to work with as wood. It seemed to take forever to get anywhere even on the ROSS which can remove enormous amounts of material...very stubborn and hard material...and stanky...bad stank...
I honed it up last night and had it to what I thought would be an acceptable edge...maybe not perfect, but shave-able at least. I had 5 days growth which is uncommon as of late but I didn't shave this weekend because I wanted this razor to be my 100th straight shave(that sounded really stupid as I read it back). If anyone would read this outside the context of this site that would be a little weird I think haha.
Anyway, the WTG pass was a little tuggy and not as comfortable as I'd hoped. However, the XTG and ATG passes were very comfortable and I had no irritation with a solid DFS. I need to hit the films some more, but I'll shave a couple more times with it first and see if my impression changes.
I will say that as I held it, looked at it, and shaved with it I was struck with how nice it was. I've not owned a "nice" razor(couple gold dollars and a couple $13ish ebay vintage), but wow this one seemed like what I would imagine a $100 + razor would be. Probably sounds stupid, but if felt very heavy...solid...fancy...expensive...classy...dare I say, luxurious?
Ok, now I've gone too far
. I'm very impressed by your workmanship and even more impressed that the thing turned into such a high quality piece of work! I wish I had talents like you Edit: I'm a nerd.. I had to reread what you said 3 times to see why it wouldn't make sense to someone! Haha
Hone it using heel leading strokes on like half the hone. I can hone em on 1 inch of the stone, that puts the shoulder off the hone and out of your way.
- Thread starter
- #56
Sounds like you have a dollar to make here
Edit: I'm a nerd.. I had to reread what you said 3 times to see why it wouldn't make sense to someone! Haha
Thanks Eaaqas, the right tools with enough time and patience and just about anyone can I think. Not shaving just to save the 100th for this razor sounds so lame...but I know this crowd "gets it" lol
- Thread starter
- #57
After my first shave I went back to 5u, 3u, and 1u then shaved again. It was better for sure...but still not quite where I'd like it. I then took it to the barn to remove some of the spine at the shoulder hoping the edge would be able to sit a little flatter on the marble tile.
I took the B&D wizard to it again and progressed through 2000 grit and mother's polish. I took more off this side than the other and didn't even do it evenly. I should have spent some more time smoothing it out before moving on the finer grits.
Can hardly tell I did anything to this side.
I actually honed up much better this time. The x-strokes were much less pronounced after taking a little metal off. I went from 5u through 1u then hit .3u with wet paper under it. It is definitely sharp now. I got a VERY close and smooth shave from it yesterday. I'm very happy with the edge now and am about ready to put the other 2 GDs away and enjoy this nice looking one for a while along with the Larkin I rescaled and honed up. I still need to get the Jones MFG Co. blade to take an edge and an old W&B "celebrated hollow ground" but for now I'm happy using those 2 that are ready to roll.
I took the B&D wizard to it again and progressed through 2000 grit and mother's polish. I took more off this side than the other and didn't even do it evenly. I should have spent some more time smoothing it out before moving on the finer grits.
Can hardly tell I did anything to this side.
I actually honed up much better this time. The x-strokes were much less pronounced after taking a little metal off. I went from 5u through 1u then hit .3u with wet paper under it. It is definitely sharp now. I got a VERY close and smooth shave from it yesterday. I'm very happy with the edge now and am about ready to put the other 2 GDs away and enjoy this nice looking one for a while along with the Larkin I rescaled and honed up. I still need to get the Jones MFG Co. blade to take an edge and an old W&B "celebrated hollow ground" but for now I'm happy using those 2 that are ready to roll.
Great thread and great work! I have a GD that was my first razor that needs work to be shave ready again. Your post has given me some ideas as to how i can proceed with it.
- Thread starter
- #59
After several months and a few more vintage razor purchases I have to say that I think I like this gold dollar better than anything I'm currently shaving with. It's not that the others shave badly...this one just shaves so well. I don't know if it's because I learned on a GD66 or what, but this razor just seems to fit my face.
I may have to sell off a few razors, especially the smaller 4/8 blades I have because they just don't feel right in my hand or on my face like the heavier GD's do. Must just be something about that Chinese steel...lol
I may have to sell off a few razors, especially the smaller 4/8 blades I have because they just don't feel right in my hand or on my face like the heavier GD's do. Must just be something about that Chinese steel...lol
Superb work, that is one fine looking Gold Dollar!
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