I shaved with an unmodified Gold Dollar #66!

[Slash McCoy]

Several members lately have pointed out that the GD quality is improving, and that all these modifications we have been doing are not always necessary just to make a shaver out of one. I just got 10 of them in, and the wheels started turning while I was enjoying a nice deluge in my new shower.

I just picked the best of the litter, so to speak, breadknifed it, set the bevel and honed it up. They are definitely getting better. I used maybe 1000 laps total. Breadknifer and rough bevel setter was a 200/300/400/600 diamond 4-sided combination hone from Harbor Freight, about $12, and I didn't bother with the 200 grit side. Then I did a hundred laps on the 1k side of my old 1k/6k combo stone, then did 5u, 3u and 1u film over polished marble tile, then stropped on 1u and .25u diamond pasted balsa and finished up on the Big Daddy hanging strop. Shave was all I could ask for, considering I used cold water and no mirror. I will call it DFS over 95%, with one pass. One small nick at the adams apple. Could have been better... wasn't the razor's fault.

The edge looks pretty good except for about 1/8" at heel and toe, each. I do think to get that heel properly, I would have to remove the stabilizer, but it is a usable shaver as it is. The spine is of course a little too thick, but I used a bit of pressure on the spine and got it down where the bevel angle isn't bad. I didn't measure. My tools and stuff are all over, from building my new shower stall on my boat and I am not about to look for my vernier scale or dial caliper. I will estimate it at 17-1/2 degrees tho.

Anyway, 20 minutes working time, I guess, to turn a under-$4 razor into a decent if unspectacular shaver. Good things are happening in Ningbo.

[tinkersd]

I own 4 Gold Dollers razors , all shave very well and hold an edge with the best of them, not to say there are no dud's around, just saying I"ve never owned any.
YMMV
Thanks for hearing my rant, have a great shave today, it's worth the work!

tinkersd

[Doc226]

Here is a wonderful shaver. The blade is untouched. The scales are new.

[Slash McCoy]

nice looking scales, Doc!

[paco664]

i love my GD's....

they are all excellent shavers... *(at least the ones i have)

[hollisterco]

interesting thread im gonna have to check some of these out being so cheap, i recently posted on a similar sweeney todd replica cheapie, check this out http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...t=#post4248456

btw i come from the DE world, how much effort is required to get one of these honed nicely? can i use regular sand paper instead? i get it for $1 vs that harborfreight block for $12

[Doc226]

interesting thread im gonna have to check some of these out being so cheap, i recently posted on a similar sweeney todd replica cheapie, check this out http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...t=#post4248456

btw i come from the DE world, how much effort is required to get one of these honed nicely? can i use regular sand paper instead? i get it for $1 vs that harborfreight block for $12

Regular sandpaper? for polishing up the blade sure, for honing it to shave ready no way.

If you want to jump in get the sight unseen deal from Larry at Whipped Dog, will give you a shave ready razor, strop and balsa to keep you going for some time.

If you want a GD, then you will likely need a little work to get her to shave.

Slash will recommend lapping film-its a great choice for not a lot of money and gives fantastic results-of course it does lack the mojo of stones.

You can always keep your eye out on the BST for a razor, you will still need a strop.

Good luck

[Alum of Potash]

Several members lately have pointed out that the GD quality is improving, and that all these modifications we have been doing are not always necessary just to make a shaver out of one. I just got 10 of them in, and the wheels started turning while I was enjoying a nice deluge in my new shower.

I just picked the best of the litter, so to speak, breadknifed it, set the bevel and honed it up. They are definitely getting better. I used maybe 1000 laps total. Breadknifer and rough bevel setter was a 200/300/400/600 diamond 4-sided combination hone from Harbor Freight, about $12, and I didn't bother with the 200 grit side. Then I did a hundred laps on the 1k side of my old 1k/6k combo stone, then did 5u, 3u and 1u film over polished marble tile, then stropped on 1u and .25u diamond pasted balsa and finished up on the Big Daddy hanging strop. Shave was all I could ask for, considering I used cold water and no mirror. I will call it DFS over 95%, with one pass. One small nick at the adams apple. Could have been better... wasn't the razor's fault.

The edge looks pretty good except for about 1/8" at heel and toe, each. I do think to get that heel properly, I would have to remove the stabilizer, but it is a usable shaver as it is. The spine is of course a little too thick, but I used a bit of pressure on the spine and got it down where the bevel angle isn't bad. I didn't measure. My tools and stuff are all over, from building my new shower stall on my boat and I am not about to look for my vernier scale or dial caliper. I will estimate it at 17-1/2 degrees tho.

Anyway, 20 minutes working time, I guess, to turn a under-$4 razor into a decent if unspectacular shaver. Good things are happening in Ningbo.

Why didn't you use a mirror?

[Slash McCoy]

Regular sandpaper? for polishing up the blade sure, for honing it to shave ready no way.

If you want to jump in get the sight unseen deal from Larry at Whipped Dog, will give you a shave ready razor, strop and balsa to keep you going for some time.

If you want a GD, then you will likely need a little work to get her to shave.

Slash will recommend lapping film-its a great choice for not a lot of money and gives fantastic results-of course it does lack the mojo of stones.

You can always keep your eye out on the BST for a razor, you will still need a strop.

Good luck

I sneer disdainfully at your false rockbound mojo. The film edge is the better edge. A decent one pass shave, now THAT is true mojo. Taking an ebay rescue from letter opener to great shaver in 20 minutes on a $15 honing kit, THAT is mojo. The mojo comes not from the hone, but from whithin. That is why Dr. Evil had to withdraw Austin Powers' mojo with a syringe.

Wet/dry sandpaper can be used for bevel setting or edge repair. I tack it to my lapping plate with LocTite spray adhesive.

Hollisterco, I would not sweat the $12 for the diamond 4-way from Harbor Freight. Check out what a 70mm coticule or Jnat costs! Or a DMT, even. But I will say this: the Harbor Freight diamond hones are not all that flat. They cut FAST, and so they are useful for rough repair. With a little good old fashioned craftsmanship and attention to detail, if you have a good lapping plate and you use a nice wide piece of wet/dry, you can do a much better job of bevel setting on paper than on that cheap diamond hone. Of course, the appropriate grade of lapping film would be much better.

[Doc226]

I sneer disdainfully at your false rockbound mojo. The film edge is the better edge. A decent one pass shave, now THAT is true mojo. Taking an ebay rescue from letter opener to great shaver in 20 minutes on a $15 honing kit, THAT is mojo. The mojo comes not from the hone, but from whithin. That is why Dr. Evil had to withdraw Austin Powers' mojo with a syringe.

Wet/dry sandpaper can be used for bevel setting or edge repair. I tack it to my lapping plate with LocTite spray adhesive.

Hollisterco, I would not sweat the $12 for the diamond 4-way from Harbor Freight. Check out what a 70mm coticule or Jnat costs! Or a DMT, even. But I will say this: the Harbor Freight diamond hones are not all that flat. They cut FAST, and so they are useful for rough repair. With a little good old fashioned craftsmanship and attention to detail, if you have a good lapping plate and you use a nice wide piece of wet/dry, you can do a much better job of bevel setting on paper than on that cheap diamond hone. Of course, the appropriate grade of lapping film would be much better.

Slash, kidding aside, can you get shave ready razors with regular sandpaper?

I like film and the edges, but I love bothering you with the mojo comments.

[Slash McCoy]

Slash, kidding aside, can you get shave ready razors with regular sandpaper?

I like film and the edges, but I love bothering you with the mojo comments.

No, but it has its uses. I sometimes use it for setting a bevel. The problem is, it isn't as flat or consistent as lapping film and it only goes up to 2k grit. I have breadknifed on it, using a sweeping motion instead of the more common sawing motion. I do use it a lot for thinning down the too-heavy spines of Gold Dollars sometimes, too. And of course it is great for lapping rocks.

I saw this in the grocery today:


I suppose you could soak a razor in it, I don't know.

[BakerAndBadger]

That's a helluva lot of mojo! Can you use it to wet your lapping films?

[Doc226]

I suppose you could soak a razor in it, I don't know.

Give it a try

[paco664]

its great on chicken...

[Seraphim]

I prefer to get my mojo from a mojito

[Doc226]

its great on chicken...

But not when it comes from a bottle

I prefer to get my mojo from a mojito

Me too

[Doc226]

Here is another unmodified blade on a GD, the scales were my first attempt at scales, not perfect but nice, its got a CA finish. The scales were originally on a larger blade but the edge on that one crumbled so I salvaged the scales. You see unpinning "burn" on the CA finish.