[kingpin008]

Hey folks, I've got one for ya'll.

Found this little item wedged under some cabinetry we're currently ripping out of the kitchen. The cabinets are original to the house, so we're talking almost 40 years here.

Now, I sorta used to "collect" razors when I was younger, but this one is interesting in that I don't remember owning one like this, and that I'd have to have been a frickin' magician to have "lost" it underneath these cabinets.

As you can see, it's pretty well trashed. The entire handle is kinda greasy, with what, I have no idea. The rust on the metal portions of the razor itself is pretty epic. Getting the blade out of the handle was sorta scary - I've never seen rust so thick that it's "fluffy".

There is also a greenish...paste, sorta, on parts of the razor. The large splotch of green you can see in the pic actually says "Solingen". I don't know if the green is corrosion, or some sort of liquid that spilled on this thing. There is also a slight green buildup on the bolsters.

Anyway, long story short, I'm hoping for two things:

Any sort of info on the age, make, model, etc.

and

Advice/info/opinions on whether it's able to be cleaned up and rehabbed, and how to go about it.

Thanks!

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i14/tattooedkingpin/Solingen/IMG_2031.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i14/tattooedkingpin/Solingen/IMG_2037.jpg

http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i14/tattooedkingpin/Solingen/IMG_2038.jpg

[hso]

You'll have to clean the blade to learn more.

The handle is either celluloid or real tortoise shell.

[kingpin008]

How would I go about cleaning the blade? Sorry if that's a dumb question, I just don't want to damage this thing any more (if that's even possible).

[rcmodel]

I have restored several old straight razors, but that one there is pretty far gone.

About the best you could do is take it apart and re-buff the blade using shaped felt Dremel wheels that fit the hollow-grind curvature.
You would have to start out with course buffing compound to get down past the rust pits, and then transition to finer grades to bring back the polish.

Once that is accomplished, a lot of stone work to get the nicks stoned out of the edge and resharpened.

Re-polish the handle with Flitz or Semechrome polish on a soft cloth.

It would entail a lot of work for an otherwise probably run-of-the-mill inexpensive razor.

rc

[CWL]

Soak the entire razor in any handy solvent you have on hand, from kerosene, WD-40, diesel fuel or anything similar. Give it a day, then try to wipe off the rust to see if it comes off easily, otherwise, give it another soak and work it over with an old toothbrush. Any identifiable markings/band will be located on the razor's tang.

Depending on how deeply rusted it is, you may even be able to restore the blade back to shaving sharp by rehoning an edge past the nicks of the steel. You will need a leather strop to put a final edge on it.

To me, it looks like a basic razor since there are no fancy embellishments to the blade or handles -aside from the "Solingen" stamped into the handle.

[hso]

Remember that the handle material may not tolerate it so be very careful about getting solvent on it.

Remember that this thing was made for soap and water so don't be afraid to use that to clean it.

I would dry brush the worst of the rust off with a shaving brush (ironic) and then use a soft toothbrush with detergent and water to brush at the rust. Then just rinse. That should let you see if there were any tang marks. I'd use a WD40 to get rid of the water and to try to get more rust off after that.

[Claymore1500]

"Solingen" is a company in germany that makes knives, I have a few middle of the road quality hunting knives with that name on the blade, I would have to think that this razor was probably a common drug store razor and not going to be worth much.

Just a thought though, try soaking the blade in tomato juice or catsup for a few days, the acid should clean a good bit of the rust off, with out all of the elbow grease.

[SDC]

Actualy, Solingen is a TOWN in Germany, and the entire town has been known for making knives, swords, axes, razors, etc. since the Middle Ages. The actual company in Solingen that made your razor should be marked on the blade just above the name of the town, but the blade might be too far gone for you to get it back to a readable condition.

[CWL]

Having "Solingen" (or Sheffield, England) would be a sign of quality razor steel to the buyer since it was a major steel & knife-making area, but any company name stamped on the tang would most likely be an American importer/retailer.

[kingpin008]

Thanks for the tips and ideas, ya'll. Unfortunately, this poor razor is no more. Soaked the blade overnight in kerosene, then tried scrubbing to remove more of the rust. The blade is pretty much toast. There's not a whole lot more that I can do.

Ah well, it was worth a shot. Once again, thanks for the replies. :)

[mustang_steve]

Dremel with MAAS polishing compound. I used that to restore a Koh-I-Noor blade that wasn't quite as far one as yours, but still rust covered. I even got the discolorations polished out of the metal.

The secret with the dremel on a razor is to always pay attention to the rotational direction of the polishing wheel in relations to the blade edge. Failure to do this will result in even worse blade chipping....adherence to this means you may end up polishing away enough metal to remove those nicks in the process of rust removal.

Downside....the edge may not even be remotely smooth once this is done. I'd say start honing with a 1k stone, then a 2k, 4k and finally an 8k stone. The lower grits will help with evening the edge. When all that is done, cotton strop (use paste), then the normal leather stropping. Blade should be near perfect by then.

Be very careful removing the blade from the scales...if that is real tortoiseshell...it'll be worth a bit of cash. Your choice, keep them on the razor, or sell them to a razor maker for some pocket cash and get a different set of scales. One way keeps the razor original, the other puts a little ammo cash in your pockets.

[Snowdog]

Sorry, but there's no way I'd even attempt to restore that razor for use. Maybe to use in a shadow box perhaps, but to get that sucker keen would be heck of a project if even possible.
I collect razors as well, though I use most of them to shave with in rotation. I've cleaned one years ago that was perhaps half as rusted and with a small hairline crack near the heel. It cleaned up decently and part of the blade was removed to blend into the shank (due to the crack). It wasn't an easy project as you absolutely cannot use a highspeed rotory tool near the edge or you risk losing the temper (which is everything to a straight razor). It would shave after restoring the edge, but it wouldn't keep from pulling after only a couple minutes of use as it wouldn't keep keen.

If tortoise and not some kind of cellulous, it would be an idea to clean 'em up and place them on another razor with (preferably with Soligen blade) that has rough scales but nice blade.
Off hand, I'm not aware of any non-invasive test to determine if they're real other than to closely inspect them by putting the beam of a good flashlight through them that might illuminate deeper patterns.

[dagger dog]

Solingen = German , I was the proud owner of a Boker razor given to me as an 18th birthday present, to my now burt out memory I remember the pressboard case had the printing RED ??? INDIAN??? all I have now is the strop. Could yours be a BOKER?

[hmphargh]

Off hand, I'm not aware of any non-invasive test to determine if they're real other than to closely inspect them by putting the beam of a good flashlight through them that might illuminate deeper patterns.

While not completely non-invasive, you can heat them up and smell them. People say you have to burn them which is not true, but it is hard to say how the old scales will react to the heat. Real tortoise smells like hot/burning hair, and plastic smells like plastic.

[Seminole]

www.straightrazorplace.com has a wealth of information and a number of very knowledgeable people about straight razors. You might want to post a query there.

There are also a number of people there who do restorations of old straight razors.