What's new

Rolls Razor

Not a good idea. If you try it you will see why.

Slash, I remember your writing about having the pin welded on a stick. I've been using a chopstick and 4 layers of electrical tape to hone my blades. Do you have any other suggestions for the tool cabinet deficient?
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Only that I hone mine without tape. I have not bothered to calculate the bevel angle, but obviously the original bevel angle, as when honed in the case, is much fatter than honed outside the case with the spine on the hone. So if you are looking to maintain the standard Rolls bevel, you might want even more tape. Like I said I haven't calculated it. But I do get a pretty snappy edge with the spine on the hone without tape. I simply reset the bevel from scratch and went with the blade's natural bevel which may be a bit on the acute side. And just from shaving with Rolls razors I would conjecture that the Rolls bevel is a little too fat for optimum shaving in the hands of an experienced shaver.

I find the chopstick method to be awkward and ergonomically counterintuitive. I would rather just push the blade with a finger on the spine, another finger providing light pressure downward onto the hone or strop. The blade is big and bulky enough to handle it and flip it with the fingers if you are careful.
 
A Rolls that is properly prepped will give you a shave as good as any straight/DE/SE or kamisori out there. I've tried a good number of them and to be honest - the Rolls is a hugely under-estimated shaving tool. Once again, if you stick with the Rolls hone, you will never fully experience just how good the Rolls can be. If you think outside of the box and hone it yourself with lapping paper or stones and strop it properly - you're going to be blown away. Far easier to handle than any straight (for the vast majority of people) and an edge that is simply as good as any straight that you're ever likely to use.

Pick up a Rolls for $15 and plenty of lapping paper for another $15 or so...and you have a bulletproof combo second to none...and I do mean NONE. With that being said, I still buy new stuff all the time...it's an addiction I guess; I need help. :)

I have a cracked hone on my new '51 with a nice case. Other than the hone, it is in great shape. I've gotten improved results conditioning the strop and stropping quite a bit and shaves have improved, though only used it 3 or 4 times so far. My last shave was quite good. And I've never used a straight before so traditional SE is as close as I've been so far ... technique-wise. Is there a video anywhere or some precise instructions for honing the blade with lapping film? And where do I buy the film?
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
I get my film from www.thorlabs.com but you can sometimes find single sheets on amazon. And I think RickBoone1 was selling kits... not sure if he still is.

If you read the threads (search the site for threads with lapping film in the title) you will get all the info you need. One lengthy thread started by Blix in particular. I am not aware of any videos though I am thinking about making one. Also you might want to read the thread that I posted a link to, earlier in this thread, dealing with the Rolls.

Before trying to hone your favorite Rolls blade, if you have never honed straights, you might want to get a couple of ebay razors, or a couple of whippeddogs from Larry, and practice on them first. A little razor honing experience and know-how will help you approach honing your Rolls with more confidence.
 
Picked this up from a boot sale this morning for £2:

$IMG00820-20130603-1701.jpg
It's 1946 and I'm guessing the Imperial #2 model.
It looks almost unused, the whetstone and strop are fully intact and the ShaveWiki explicitly states: "Do not be afraid of the Rolls Razor", so I'll let you know how it goes...
...if they'll let me use my Blackbery in the Casualty Unit :lol:
 
Last edited:
Don't get the rolls unless in a perfect box (shipper) all instructions etc. There are TONS of them. In fact if a store tells you they have no razors at all, they usually have a rolls there because they forgot or didn't remember it's a razor. Every where I go they are there, just rampant in FL. $15.00 brand new in the box or pass.


here this is barely worth it

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Vintage-Rol...264?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item257ea00150
 
Last edited:
Well I didn't lose any blood from my boot sale blade, but it could definitely do with a bit more honing...
 
Funny that you should mention a car booty, i aquired a nice demonstrator only model from one and the blade is very sharp, now ive just got
to try it out.
 
I was given one of these yesterday. It appears new & unused in the display box with instructions, it even has the inspector's tag in it as well as the strop conditioner (sandpaper). I've picked these up literally dozens of times previously but never bought one nor examined too closely. I can honestly say I had no idea how they worked. I thought the honing / stropping handle was the part you shaved with, ahem.....

:blushing:

Now, having fooled with it almost non-stop since I got it I would have to say it is one of the coolest razors I've come across. There is just so much going on with it that even if you never shaved with it you would appreciate the mechanics & engineering. Truly a stunner with the heavy chrome plating and Greek key motif. And yes, I plan to try it out.
 
Finally bought one of these after wanting one forever. Everyone always quotes me insane prices for rolls razors and will not listen to reason.$rr.jpg
 
Anyone on here work on these blades that is in the states? I just don't want to get one of these sharp on normal stones only to screw the bevel for case use. I kind of want it to work as intended. I have been at this thing for days now and while it definitely is getting sharper, it still won't pop hair. It could also use a dremel buff on the best sheffield steel side. Anyone ever buy lapping film, cut it to size and fit it on top of the stone?
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Anyone on here work on these blades that is in the states? I just don't want to get one of these sharp on normal stones only to screw the bevel for case use. I kind of want it to work as intended. I have been at this thing for days now and while it definitely is getting sharper, it still won't pop hair. It could also use a dremel buff on the best sheffield steel side. Anyone ever buy lapping film, cut it to size and fit it on top of the stone?

I have tried film on top of the hone. Doesn't stay put. If you glue it you can't easily change film. Honing stroke is short. Blade slaps the film. Just hone and strop outside the case. Doesn't mess anything up. You wouldn't want to go back to case honing anyway after shaving with a nice sharp Rolls.
 
I just want it to work like a rolls razor was intended to, that is all of the cool factor. Did anyone ever figure out how much you need to tape the spine of the blade to compensate for the fact it isn't touching the stone in the case?
 
I can't believe we don't have one guru for these things, there are so many in this country someone on here must be obsessive.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
You don't need to tape the spine at all. Try it and see.

In fact paint the spine with a sharpie. Hone it in the case. I bet you will find that the spine shows evidence of contact with the hone. Notice how the blade is free to swivel and tilt when it is on the spike of the honing mechanism?

Anyway, honing without tape would make a shallower, not steeper bevel angle, and so rehoning in the case would not be a problem.

These things are cheap. Buy a $5 Rolls off ebay and try it if the one you have is priceless.

But,

Your Rolls. Tape it if you like. But I have never heard of anyone doing so. YMMV.
 
I just want it to work like a rolls razor was intended to...
Yeah- when I get paid next, I'm gonna get some lapping film and get to work.
I don't know enough about honing, so perhaps someone could explain-
Why is the original Rolls hone in the case not sufficient to get the blade shave ready?
If I honed it on that stone 6 hours a day for a year, would that be enough to recondition the blade, or will that case stone just never do it?
Mind you, just honing and stropping the blade with the case for an hour is definitely sufficient to irritate my girlfriend :lol:
Maybe those Rolls blades were never sharp enough and everyone who bought one rapidly discarded them, which might explain why there's so many still knocking around.
 

Slash McCoy

I freehand dog rockets
Yeah- when I get paid next, I'm gonna get some lapping film and get to work.
I don't know enough about honing, so perhaps someone could explain-
Why is the original Rolls hone in the case not sufficient to get the blade shave ready?
If I honed it on that stone 6 hours a day for a year, would that be enough to recondition the blade, or will that case stone just never do it?
Mind you, just honing and stropping the blade with the case for an hour is definitely sufficient to irritate my girlfriend :lol:
Maybe those Rolls blades were never sharp enough and everyone who bought one rapidly discarded them, which might explain why there's so many still knocking around.

The Rolls hone is a simple synthetic stone of a particular grit, used unslurried. This means that it only will advance the refinement and polish on the edge through a limited range. It will improve the edge up to the maximum that the stone is made for, and then no more improvement.

Also the honing stroke is very short, and no matter how careful you are, there is a slight slap as the blade hits the hone. You can't vary pressure, either. You basically have a very limited usefulness stone and very little control over the honing process. I suspect these hones are around 4k or so.

Honing around the clock will not improve the edge beyond a certain pre-set point. It will merely wear the blade quicker. So either be satisfied with the Rolls edge, or hone it outside the case and be the master of it.

Yes, the mediocre quality of the shave vs straights and SE and DE were big factors in these very cool shaving machines being set aside and stored forever. You will find only a few with significant wear. Many many mint or even NOS are still around.
 
The Rolls hone is a simple synthetic stone of a particular grit, used unslurried. This means that it only will advance the refinement and polish on the edge through a limited range. It will improve the edge up to the maximum that the stone is made for, and then no more improvement.

Also the honing stroke is very short, and no matter how careful you are, there is a slight slap as the blade hits the hone. You can't vary pressure, either. You basically have a very limited usefulness stone and very little control over the honing process. I suspect these hones are around 4k or so.

Honing around the clock will not improve the edge beyond a certain pre-set point. It will merely wear the blade quicker. So either be satisfied with the Rolls edge, or hone it outside the case and be the master of it.

Yes, the mediocre quality of the shave vs straights and SE and DE were big factors in these very cool shaving machines being set aside and stored forever. You will find only a few with significant wear. Many many mint or even NOS are still around.

Thank you! That explains a lot of different things I was wondering about all at once :thumbup1:

So basically the Rolls Razor, although superbly made, beautiful to look at and super cool, just wasn't a very good shaver...
...But here in the 21st century we can take it forward to higher levels, like awakening a sleeping giant...or like when I put a long heavy Chinese handle on my Gillette NEW LC!
 
Mine definitely isn't touching at the spine. It's barely off but it is not and the marker confirmed as such. I don't think this is a hard and fast rule with these things as I suspect wear level alters angle of attack with them.
 
Top Bottom