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Any Idea How To Clean Up These Straight Razors?
Frogdog
Member Posts: 2,992 ✭✭✭✭
Grandad's old straight razors. Any idea how I can clean them up (rust, etc.) without hurting them? A couple, and the top in particular, have some engraving on the blades.
The top one says "Manufactured by M.J. Higgins Sheffield" on it, with an engraved image of a Colonial or English gentleman on the blade.
Second one down clearly says "H. Boker & Co. Germany.
Third one down says "T. HALL WARRANTED" and that's it. Definitely looks to be the oldest.
Bottom two appear more recent production.
Anyhow, I don't know much about them, but would be nice to have them in a bit better condition. Any thoughts?
Comments
Kroil and cheese cloth, and rub.
Those are neat.
Carefully…
I have like 8 of those, and I have 2" round hook and loop sanding disks in different grits going up to 3000 grit, and I put them on my dremel at the slowest speed rotating away from the blade edge. I start with 600 grit and work my way up. I usually finish off hand sanding in one direction with 2000 grit to finish it off. The bottom two have ivory handles, the top is celluloid, the Boker looks to be bakelite. The ivory have zero value, only to a collector would have some value, the rest around $8 to $ 10 as collectors want the matching box they came in, which would up the value. I am no expert but at my last garage sale I had no takers for my razors with the boxes at $10 each, the market is getting soft. You can go on fleabay and order these from china for your best value.
Submerge in a bowl of white vinegar and let them sit overnight or as long as 24 hours. Once they have had a good soak, remove them from the vinegar and scrub the rust off with steel wool, a scouring pad, or a wire brush.
Can those pins be pushed apart? I ask because the center pin on some of them holding the blade looks like it'll push out.
Haven’t tried. A couple of the handles are in pretty fragile condition, especially the top one and third down.
Any one ever shave with one
I have s couple of them and years ago decided to give it a try
All went OK but a bit nervous after using the throw away impossible to be cut with new ones
Agree kroul as for vinegar works to remove rust but not sure how the handles eould react
I would do some internet searching I bet countless how to videos on them
I used to until I grew the seasonal (now pretty permanent) Amish beard. The cut throat was great edging the side burns.
As for cleaning I had a thought of ultrasonic cleaner or that thing folks do with cast iron and a battery charger.