Honing & Restoration Process

I take pride in the shave-ready straight razors that I sell.

To me, shave-ready means that the razors I sell will give a close, comfortable, and satisfying shave right out of the box–no touching up or stropping needed before your initial shave. 

Many razors being sold as shave-ready are simply not. A sharp blade isn't necessarily shave-ready. And if you have to strop it before your first shave, you haven't received a shave-ready razor. 

I personally shave-test each and every razor before putting it up for sale. But a lot of work has to happen before I test a razor's shave-readiness.

For those who appreciate the process of razor restoration, here is how I prepare a blade for public sale:

Depending on the original condition of the blade, I go through a sanding progression from 320 grit wet/dry paper through to 2500 grit paper. I then polish on a low speed buffing wheel with progressively less gritty buffing compounds. After that, the blades are hand polished with a liquid buffing compound. At this point, the razor is ready for honing.

First, I set the bevel (if necessary) on a 1k stone and work the blade through a graduated set of honing stones, then polish on a 12k stone. I strop the razor on linen and finish on leather. If it looks like it's ready, I shave-test it to ensure that it will give a satisfying shaving experience. If it doesn't, it goes back to the hones.

After I determine a razor is shaving well, I disinfect, dry, and lightly oil it for shipping. Only when I am satisfied that the razor gives a close, comfortable shave will I even consider selling it.

Of course, vintage or antique scales must also be cleaned and polished to enable the beauty of the original to shine through. It can sometimes take hours to work out the 100+-year-old dirt and expose the amazing designs as they were meant to be seen.

I want my buyers to be happy with the antique straight razors I meticulously restore. If you are not happy with your purchase, please contact me immediately and I will rectify the situation.