Just got back from a two week holiday, and while there I found this rusty old razor in an antique shop.
It looked rusted but there were no big chips or massive damage to the edge so I thought it might make a good first restoration project.
The scales are broken and look like plastic so I won’t be saving them.
On the face of the razor, barely legible now, are the words ‘The Gentleman’s Hollow Ground Razor’.
I had to take a photo which I then put through a few filters so I could even read it.
I ordered a pack of wet and dry sandpaper from Amazon with various grits from 120 up to 3000 which was waiting for me when I got home.
I removed most of the rust with the 120 and WD40 but would need a coarser sandpaper I think to have gotten rid of the worst of the pitting.
Still it was an encouraging start.
I just used my fingers on a granite slab with the sandpaper and as the process went on a got a better feel of how to hold and sand the thing.
I spent about 30-45 mins on the 120 and got the rust off.
Then I went up through the grits, 220, 440, 600, 800, 1k, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 spending maybe 15 mins or so on each.
I alternated between heel to toe sanding and spine to edge sanding with each grit so I could have a better idea when the previous scratches were gone.
The razor is 6/8ths and has a slight smile.
As I neared the end of the process it began to get shiny.
Not exactly mirror as there’s still the deeper pits present but pleasingly shiny for a first effort.
Here’s the final before and after comparison.
I’d say it took me about three hours and was messy but it was a nice relaxing time and I enjoyed seeing it clean up bit by bit.
I’m not going to make scales for it, I just ordered a pair of black standard plastic ones from Etsy so will have to wait until they arrive so I can pin it then hone it to see if it shaves.
I couldn’t save the lettering on the face of the blade.
It was still there after the 120 paper but disappeared as I came through the grits.
I enjoyed my first restore though and I’m looking forward to finishing it up and honing it when the scales arrive.
The scales are broken and look like plastic so I won’t be saving them.
On the face of the razor, barely legible now, are the words ‘The Gentleman’s Hollow Ground Razor’.
I had to take a photo which I then put through a few filters so I could even read it.
I ordered a pack of wet and dry sandpaper from Amazon with various grits from 120 up to 3000 which was waiting for me when I got home.
I removed most of the rust with the 120 and WD40 but would need a coarser sandpaper I think to have gotten rid of the worst of the pitting.
Still it was an encouraging start.
I just used my fingers on a granite slab with the sandpaper and as the process went on a got a better feel of how to hold and sand the thing.
I spent about 30-45 mins on the 120 and got the rust off.
Then I went up through the grits, 220, 440, 600, 800, 1k, 1200, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000 spending maybe 15 mins or so on each.
I alternated between heel to toe sanding and spine to edge sanding with each grit so I could have a better idea when the previous scratches were gone.
The razor is 6/8ths and has a slight smile.
As I neared the end of the process it began to get shiny.
Not exactly mirror as there’s still the deeper pits present but pleasingly shiny for a first effort.
Here’s the final before and after comparison.
I’d say it took me about three hours and was messy but it was a nice relaxing time and I enjoyed seeing it clean up bit by bit.
I’m not going to make scales for it, I just ordered a pair of black standard plastic ones from Etsy so will have to wait until they arrive so I can pin it then hone it to see if it shaves.
I couldn’t save the lettering on the face of the blade.
It was still there after the 120 paper but disappeared as I came through the grits.
I enjoyed my first restore though and I’m looking forward to finishing it up and honing it when the scales arrive.
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