Thread: Greaves Restore for JaNorton

So, for this JaNorton experiment I'm going to need two razors. Since one of the stated goals is to illustrate that the hobby does not need to be super expensive, I figured I'd use one of the cheapest razors I've gotten off eBay. It's a Greaves & Sons 7/8 wedge. The scales were badly broken, the blade pitted and chipped.

And, well, it's still pitted and a little chipped. But this is what I was able to do with about 4 hours work on the Dremel and hand-sanding. I'm not at all happy with the finish on the blade, and the scales I've put it in aren't really finished (hence the microfasteners to hold the blade instead of proper pinning).

However, I am very happy with the regrind on the top and the added grob (the little flat area at the toe-end of the spine).

There's more work yet to do, but I need to get more sandpaper first.

(The scales look okay in the picture, but they're my first attempt and oh dear god, never shape scales with a Dremel. Just don't. Or, if you do, please don't tell me about it.)

I do like that blade - can't wait to see the finished product.
It's a razor I've been after for a while and what you have done looks good

I would have liked to have done most aspects of this better than I did.

But I'm still on the early side of the learning curve for restoration, and I have to recognize that I can chase perfection off a cliff or I can finish the restore imperfectly and move on. I am better motivated by past success (even partial) than continual failure of perfection. SO! Here it is. All that's left is to finish working the nicks out of the edge and send it to Mister Norton for the great JaNorton-a-palooza! Despite my grumbling about it, I am very happy with the end result.



Copper wedge, bead-collars, custom padauk scales and enough hand-sanding that my arm still aches.

So I have only a 720 grit diamond plate for setting the bevel.

This takes some work, especially getting those chips out.

The technique I settled on was to do moderate pressure circles with the blade elevated up using my thumb as the jig. Idea being it would aggressively remove steel, but only where it had to go. The side effect of this, of course, was to set an odd bevel that needed to be honed out in order to get a working bevel.

I stuck two layers of tape on and went to town.

Every time I work on it, it feels like I get about halfway there.

So today I'm really pushing because I would like to get this thing shaving tonight. I'm going to have to start JaNorton early since I'll be out of town for the first part of the month and I'd like to start working with these razors on or before the first.

Now you might have recognized the philosophical conundrum of getting halfway there each time.

Yes, in point of fact, I feel like I'm trapped in Zeno's paradox. Every time I work on the edge it gets closer, but it takes seemingly double the work for half the progress.

Almost. There. !!