Rolls Razor

Hi Gentlemen,

I have not posted for a while work and new additions to the family have kept me busy. I promised the forum a long time ago that I would post a quick guide about everything Rolls Razor. You see I like to think I am a little bit of an expert; I was bought my set (a gold plated 10 Razor set) when I went to sixth form college. It has through school, through medical school, through postgraduate school and in the many years and many countries I have worked in, my sole razor (I have only every dabbled in the dark world of disposable when it was forgotten on a trip). I have tried a DE about ten years back, a good quality one, and it was good, but in my humble opinion the Rolls has the edge. I never really though myself as a sole Rolls user until i logged onto this page for the first time looking into buying a new brush as the one my father gave me had about half the hair missing both in length and width. I just happened to see a post with someone talking about this curious but impractical razor, impractical!, I was determined to set them on the true path to shaving nirvana, the rolls is like an instrument, and you must know how to play, but like riding a bike you cant really learn all the tricks by the book, I was luck, maybe unique, because my father and my grandfather used a Rolls. That was why I got one, that’s why both my brothers have them, one uses one still too. The other will now be severely reprimanded as I heard the words ‘electric’ from his wives lips as she mimed across the dinner table the other day. |The next bit of good luck comes because my mother had a shop, well a small family run department store, and she stocked Rolls Razors, my father did not work there as he was a physicist but he knew the rep from the company, who always told him people gave up using them because they a) thought it was too good to use b) too scared c) not enough information.

I have used mine every day for 20 years, I am only on blade two, I dropped the first one about 5 years back.

The feel of the solid ridged blade on your skin is fantastic, it’s very easy to shave with due to the weight, and I imagine feels like a “cut throat”. After about a week you will rarely nick yourself.

Now besides the Friction clip (which you can buy new still if your lucky I have two boxed, or just buy a spares and repairs Rolls like I did a while back) you can maintain the rolls in perfect order.

I am going to try and write in my spare time a quick guide, but in brief you can,

Easily flatten the Rolls hone that does wear down, I will explain.

Replace the Rolls hone there is a company in Japan that will cut you a perfect fitting yellow river stone replacement you just send them the exact measurements. I did this about seven years ago when travelling in Japan with my spare travel Rolls.

You can clean and re dress the strop, I have original instructions how to do this from the manufacturer they came with the strop paste. But my father also taught me how barbers used to re rejuvenate an old strop using shaving soap, a pumice stone, Dovo yellow dressing then Dove fine polish dressing. You can make new strops just using strop leather (i bough a strop years ago that a barber had cut too deep by accident no good to him but I can make three more Rolls strops) backed with the cotton. I can tell you how to hone a Rolls razor out of the case using stones (there comes a point when this is needed, every year really). And i can go on about general maintain were to grease and wear not to grease, were to never grease.

Right so if your interested please respond and i will write something……..

I really think this is one, if not the best razor ever, i have said this last year, and its so green!

By the way I worked in the USA for some time as a Dr. in New York, i had a fantastic time but i sometimes shaved in the men’s shower room in the hospital, it always made me laugh because one of my colleagues said for years he always thought i was shaving using some surgical equipment i had lifted, but never asked for fear i was a little crazy!

Regards,

King Roll (Mike)

I'd love to hear some Rolls info! I have two, one that's beyond use, and one that I can use, but by no means does it give a comfortable shave. I'd really like to get at least one blade into really good usable condition.

Yes, please keep posting about this razor. I've always been curious about it. I've been using SE GEM razors and I've been stropping the blades using a GEM Automatic Stropping Machine, but I've always wanted to know about the Rolls.

Thanks for offering to do this!

I don't own a Rolls, but I find the razor fascinating. Please share!

I have a couple of these razors but haven't worked up the nerve to actually try shaving with one, YET.

Thirty years ago I used an electric, but after the newest one gave up the ghost, I didn't have the scratch to replace it at the time, so tried a cartridge and found satisfactory (at that time) shaves. I must admit that the change to a blade (even tho it was a cartridge) did have me nervous. I much later got into the "proper wetshaving" thing and was hooked. However, after becoming accustomed to DFS found that I could not tolerate the high cost of frequent cartridge replacements. Then I discovered B&B and the wonderful world of both DE and SE razors and the BBS shaves that accompanied them. But I must admit that the nervous factor remained before trying them.

The Rolls Razor seems (to me) to be little more than a redesigned straight razor in a neat little self contained package that removes the challenge (or "learning curve" and it's associated skills) of actually maintaining the razor in a "shave ready" configuration. The shaving part itself is what concerns me, it appears downright dangerous, the so-called "safety bar" looks like it would be out of the way while shaving and therefore kind of negating the "safety" factor. From what I understand really really good shaves are possible with one, and the simple investment of time sure beats even the low cost of DE blades. The Rolls looks capable of doing some serious damage, and therefore has me waiting with baited breath for more information, before actually putting one to my face. So, by all means, PLEASE, enlighten us with your knowledge.

Would love some more info from an experienced user, I have one that I've been trying to get into a shaveable condition (there were some quite deep nicks in the blade, nearly gone now).

I have three Rollers and use them regularly. I enjoy them and they give one of the best BBS shaves I can get.

What amazes me is that my father had one he never used when I was about 7-8 and I used to play for hours rattling it up and down the hone and strop! Elf and Safety would feint!

Gareth

Yeah tell us more, with heaps of pictures too.
I've never used one, never seen one used, but I see them all the time for sale. But I'm not going near them without heaps of info on them.

I have a friend (hey Quinn!) who has a rolls from a family member of yor who was interested in figuring out how to shave with the thing.

We figured out the strop/hone techniques using the built in stuff, but its so old, I'm certain any pointers on restoring the strop/honing stone and blade would be appreciated.

I emailed the link to this post to him for reference.

I would LOVE some more info. I just bought one in an antique store on Sunday. (Pictures in "The Score" section of the forum!)

Mike, I = interested.

I've been interested in these Rolls razors for a long time and would like to hear more both about the shaving process and the reconditioning of old Rolls.

Ed

Gentlemen,



I have a De Luxe-D- (this is the gold set in crocodile skin box +10 blades).



This is the set that my Father bought me before I was packed of to my final years at School. It is my only razor that I own and I have been shaving since I was 14-15.



I have very heavy thick stubble and I have tried various other razors over the years with only the veritable DE coming close, although I would agree this may well be down to personal preference and experience.



As I mentioned before I have used my set for the last 18 years nearly everyday, I am still using only blade number 2, I have the other 8 blades still in the box wrapped in original wax paper with red cotton ribbons. The first blade died because I unfortunately dropped it onto a stone floor and this incident took out the blade edge full stop.



Over the years I have picked up a couple of spare main boxes with all complete parts for almost no cost, these are all stored in a box in the work shop with a little pouch of desiccant. Its good to have some spares although I have never needed any.



The spare spring clip (“the friction clip”) for blade holder is a key part that cannot be manufactures at home, unlike the rest of the parts of a Rolls they tend to be very difficult to find as an original spare but they do come onto eBay at odd times, I did buy one four years back in its original plastic tube and box.



It is much easier to purchase a spares and repairs Rolls and just take it apart and clean and store all the spare parts. I also have a brand Rolls new strop paste, never used from a flee market, with its beautiful rouge box, instructions and Rolls sand paper cleaner for the leather strop. Again, I am still on the original rolls strop paste and have 80% of it left after a decade, and again I will explain later you can use other strop pastes, albeit in a certain order.



Although the whole razor I have is very sturdy and my original is fine A1 condition, I picked up the odd parts for fear of it falling apart, it never happened (yet).



The reason I think I know a few things about this razor is because my father used one and my grandfather did too, both were engineers. I think the perfection of the mechanism maybe what might have attracted them to the Rolls to begin with, although I never asked, and unfortunately they are both passed away.



A few things I would just like to mention to try and cover very quickly a lot of the things I know about. My father actually new one of the sales guys for rolls as my mother owned a high class cutlers and he gained some invaluable tips from the rep.



So here it goes. (Please note this is for people who own one so will generally be able to fathom out my quick ramblings, I do not have the time or real inclination to edit this as I am very busy, so please forgive me for mistakes and spelling, if don’t write this now I will not do it for one more year, I will try to answer questions for a while)



1) When honing on the stone side just do 20-40 quick flips but not ridiculously hard, then maybe do twenty, flipping the blade over slowly then push hard when the blade is moving across the stone as so the blade has not slammed into the stone but a firm quick push so that the friction mechanism pushes the edge harder into the stone. Finish with a few 10 very gentle passes.



The blade should be realigned now, but maybe repeat depending on how blunt you think the blade might be. If it is really blunt use the original instructions to get the blade flipping backwards and forwards at a good speed (2 per second for a min) taking care this gets the blade really warm and takes off some metal if its really blunt. Then follow the first more gentle procedure. You can put water on the stone and place the case on a table with one edge of the box against a wall, hold box edge firmly, and the operate the handle to hone the blade, this works but again only if the edge is really dull, wash the hone in cold water and dry the hole case some place warm.



1a) The stone itself. You cannot have a cracked hone full stop.



But a worn hone can be removed and using a Hone Flattening Stone (from Norton) and you simply polish the hone flat again.



The blades action “flipping” tends to very slowly put slight dents at ether end of the hone they are tiny but start to effect the performance, When you have flattened it you can simply put a small piece of writing paper or leather behind it so that it is at the correct height to the blade (roughly the right height).



Then its as good as new for the next years.



Replacing the stone is tough, you must ether find one from an old model turn it over to the unused side or re hone the stone. NOTE, I was extremely lucky to find a web site that offered Japanese river stone. This is a yellow stone that the Japanese use to sharpen and hone with, it is said to be super-super fine grit.



I emailed them with the dimensions of my stone from the Rolls and the posted it to me exactly the same size with a nice Japanese calligraphy print in red on it, it cost a few English pounds at the time but the web site is not there anymore as far as I can see. I have not used this stone yet as I have a spare stone already in un-used rolls I picked up. I have been re smoothing my Rolls hone for too many years too remember now and it comes out perfectly smooth, you just have to add a thin slice of cotton or something to the back if it seems to have dropped so it is at the same height.



3. Honing out of the case.



Can be done, yes its fine, you need some very fine grit stones a use a Norton and a Global. I use a 9,000 then a 10,000 then a 12,000, these were in a set that I purchased a long time ago, there is also some polish with them you rub onto the stone with the water I cant tell you more I am afraid as it was with the set of stones.



You must be REALLY be carful as this is easy to get very wrong.



Place cotton bud into back of blade so you can pick the blade up from the stone (don’t put your hope in this holding the blade very securely its just too lift the edge of the stone when you have reached the end of a stroke and rotate it to the opposite direction). Push slowly with very hardly any pressure (almost the blades on weight) down the stone blade edge first, press down on the cotton bud, rotate blade around so that is has a clear run down the stone again.



Do the a maximum of 10 times on each of the three stones and you are done, A few strokes done properly is all it takes I am no master honer and when I first tried I think I actually dulled the edge, I know what works now and it works but I cant explain all the motor eye hand coordination that I am doing, sorry!



But it is simple any anybody can do it but care, time, space, quite and just breath and relax I would say is key!.



Next……the Strop…..



1) Right here we go…. firstly dry strop?, Use the original Rolls strop paste if you can, you need to rub a small amount all over the red side, leave it a few hrs to a day and rub some more in, a few times depending on how dry the leather actually is, then polish most of it off using a lint free cloth. Done.



No Rolls paste don’t worry-----use some standard strop paste first DOVE yellow works fine to nourish and then buy (sorry) some Dovo’s finest polishing paste I think it was green? Or was it red? (That’s something for you to find out), I just washed out the last bit of my original Rolls paste and squeezed the tube into the lovely little paste box so I cant remember what colour tube it was (it was about 5 years ago).



2) Next if the strops knackered rejuvenate the strop follow any good methods you like from online look in Google, I favour this one showed to me by my father.



YOU REALLY ONLY NEED TO DO THIS IF THE STROP IS TIRED…



Take one plastic chopping boards with a smooth side (smooth not knobbly), hot water in a bowl, normal shaving soap and shaving brush lather up brush and rub into surface I USE A CHEAP BRISTLE SHAVING BRUSH I HAVE NOT MY BADGER, wait few mins, take one pumice stone and using the smooth side lightly polish and you will see all the little shads of metal and oil lift out becoming all dirty in the soap, wash the stone after use, more lather more polishing until an even smooth leather is achieved.



Next you need to use a glass bottle, I use a heavy champion bottle and rub the smooth side up and down the new polished side of the leather the smooth glass and soap slowly polished the leather, you have to do this for a quite a long time!. Let this dry slowly. Not in any sort of artificial heat, in fact in a cold room might be better. If it is not smooth you need some very fine grit sand paper and smooth down when the leather is bone dry.



Next use need to rub a small quantity of strop paste DOVO yellow, let is really soak in and rub in some more until its all nice and supple, the polish of any residue with a clean lint free cloth. Next rub in some finest abrasiveness polishing paste (green or red which is finest) into the leather. It’s a short run strop so it needs to be slightly abrasive.



Again if you have smoothed the leather down a lot add a small piece of bandage to the rear of the leather (it already ahs a piece to give it spring) so it’s a fraction higher, equal to the later you just took off so this is wafer thin.



3) Now this is the interesting part, my fathers strop was finished and I remember that he got a good quality piece of strop leather followed the above process and just cut it to size and put it in, it worked fine for years, it just looked like a traditional strop slotted into the case top, it was backed with a strip of cotton down the middle again to give a slightly springy feel to the leather.



I Quality belt leather would do, polish and clean up the none glossy side and cut to shape.



Quick notes:::



A quick mention about the handle, you can unscrew the handle and cover the pole in a thin layer of petroleum jelly, this stops rust inside while storing but IT IS PREFERABLE to just unscrew and air or towel dry the rest of the time. You can on some models also gain access to the handle push rod spring by unscrewing the disk end of the handle, but you have to have a vice and be really careful, I have only done this once to clean the spring and put petroleum jelly in. I think that there is one handle that is not able to open and it as it locks shut and is what you would call sealed.



You can lean the case out with an old toothbrush and soap rinse well and allow drying out in a warm area. I only ever lubricate the wheels on the runner with a tiny amount of petroleum jelly on a cotton bud, never oil the friction clip as you will loose sharpening ability, if is really stiff then you can use a minuscule amount of light oil just to free up the mechanism.



Rust can be cleaned off with a tiny amount of ultra fine grit, then polished using paper, than a cloth to a nice shine.



Outside can be cleaned with a mild metal cleaner then with a small amount of lemon juice or white vinegar.



Always rinse blade under hot water, tap out back hole (which is cleaned with cotton bud again and leave to dry in blade handle slightly offset so hole is exposed to air.



OR.



You can towel dry, slightly “dust” of the blade edge with zero pressure, and put into the stopper and strop a couple twice to take moisture of the delicate edge. You can leave the handle on a hot radiator. IT MUST ALL BE BONE DRY BEFORE GOING BACK INTO CASE FOR STORAGE>





Day to Day I leave blade and handle on a razor stand, and use the case to hone, and strop, I only put in the case when I am going traveling.



You should be able to strop to sharpen for a week, before honing once a week with a thick beard.

Back hole on the blades, patrolium jelly and two cotton buds, first to clean out layer of rust second to give a good clean finish and layer of P.Jelly.


Note:

I have traveled all over the world with my Rolls, it’s always been with me and I cant imagine ever using anything else. I think the availability of parts still is incredible and in a world of throw away society I hope that some fantastic German, USA or GB company makes them again as to me its an old friend now. It might take you a bit of time to get used to it, and get used to stropping and honing, maybe use in conjunction with your Des first but I think the old Rolls will grow on you all and you will start to appreciate what straight razor users refer to that solid un-flexing blade feel.

PS not sure if i was supposed to post this as a reply or a new thread please anybody feel free to cut this and add it some place else or edit this as i have written it out in one go......



Good luck friends…….hope I have helped a little……..

any questions just post pls.

Wow Mike -- this is all very helpful. Thanks for taking the time to so carefully post these care instructions.

Thanks for the excellent info and insight, Mike!

Looks like I have something to do for the next few hours!

you are a genius. seriously. i am beyond impressed.

I wonder if this thread will cause the prices of Rolls to rise on ebay?

Like I said, I've been curious about these for a long time, but after reading Mike's long post I'm wondering how easy it is to get one in decent condition?

Mike - great stuff...thanks!

Anyone reading this thread should read the Rolls section on the Shave Wiki as well.