How far off is your grind?

[TheBeast]

This is what happens when some clueless, like myself, shops for a vintage straight razor. This might be my most expensive letter opener. I should have caught this in the pictures on ebay, but I didn't.

A quarter hollow and true wedge hybrid! What a rare piece!

I could give it a try with tape, but I don't think this will ever shave.

 

[silverlifter]

Looks more like a microtome to me.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Yeah, it's a microtome. Although Japanese folding kamisori are ground similarly.

 

[TheBeast]

Oh this is even worse, I have no idea what a microtome is... Well I got some studying to do.

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Microscopic section cutter. For slicing very thin tissue samples to put on a slide.

 

[TheBeast]

Microscopic section cutter. For slicing very thin tissue samples to put on a slide.

Nice. Cool!

I'll polish it up and try to get it shave ready, might be a fun experiment. I have Seen a post reporting a decent enough shave with something similar. Any special procedures while honing?

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Nice. Cool!

I'll polish it up and try to get it shave ready, might be a fun experiment. I have Seen a post reporting a decent enough shave with something similar. Any special procedures while honing?

Good question. I don't know. I assume these were honed with a single bevel but I also assume you could cut a bevel on the flat side if you wanted (tape would be essential there). Maybe ask in the honing forum.

 

[TheBeast]

Good question. I don't know. I assume these were honed with a single bevel but I also assume you could cut a bevel on the flat side if you wanted (tape would be essential there). Maybe ask in the honing forum.

Well thanks for feedback, what a rolercoaster. Anyways I need to focus on producing shave ready edges for myself, reliably. So this will probably be in the category of a bottom drawer project for future.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Kapton tape, it will shave.

 

[Gamma]

People tend to want to make a big deal out of these, but if the geometry is good, and the steel is hard enough, you can just hone it as-is and it'll shave. You may have to futz with the angle on the face. Honing the flat side can seem tricky if it's not all that flat.

 

[Chandu]

People tend to want to make a big deal out of these, but if the geometry is good, and the steel is hard enough, you can just hone it as-is and it'll shave. You may have to futz with the angle on the face. Honing the flat side can seem tricky if it's not all that flat.

That is what I was thinking looking at this. Any particular grind makes almost no difference. As long as you can get it sharp it will shave.

Bring the opposing sides to an apex, refine it and shave.

 

[TheBeast]

Well thanks for feedback everyone. It got my spirits up that I didn't end up with something only suitable for a trash can. And I have no experience so I am looking for stuff to do and try that's sort of mulled over a milion times. So as I have never seen this before I was confused and dissapointed, thinking I will never figure out what to do with it and how.

So I'll give it a try and see what happens.

 

[Wombat ESQ]

microtome

I firmly believe that the word "Microtome" has nothing to do with a razor that has a tang and scales.

 

[silverlifter]

I firmly believe that the word "Microtome" has nothing to do with a razor that has a tang and scales.

Yes, I am sure that those machines were widely available in Victorian laboratories...

 

[Darth Scandalous]

Yes, I am sure that those machines were widely available in Victorian laboratories...

You might be surprised, rotary section cutters have been around since 1770 if wikipedia is to be believed. But you can still buy the simpler version today. Microtome, Hand Held, Razor - https://www.westlab.com.au/microtome-hand-held

 

[alex1921]

Here. One labeled as microscopic section cutter.
Also a page from a Will corp catalog, 1920. Check the razor, flat concave

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Google Image Result for https://collections.st-andrews.ac.uk/media/1000078/1000078.thumb.jpg - https://images.app.goo.gl/yXqZaiy7HL1BePnJ9

Okies, I hath been shown a tanged scaled ''thing''. I can pull me head in. Go hide under the bed, and cry.

I have another option, conspiracy theory, might be a barbers razor for use by a right hander, think about it, he not going to hold it double sided?