Shumate Tonso

[thrasher614]

I resiliently got 2 Shumate Tonso straight razors from my Grate Grate Grandfather, so I'm guessing they're from the 1930's or so. The razors are kinda rusty and aren't too sharp anymore. I was wondering if I should take some rust off and sharpen them up, or if it would be better to just leave them alone and keep them as is. Any help and suggestions would be grate.

[gadgetgeek]

I would clean the rust off of them, as it will help with longevity even if you don't end up using them. any of the normal rust removers like naval jelly (I've been told molasses works well) should do the trick, then you can just oil them for storage.
before you start to hone, check if the rust has taken the bevel off. if it has, you may end up loosing quite a lot of the razor to get to good steel. but get the rust off first either way. BTW, your auto-correct is pretty hilarious!

[fast14riot]

Pictures would really help, there are different kinds of rust, some harmless, some not. Red flaking rust is bad, destructive and ugly. Black or dark brown hard coloration is ok and somewhat protective against further corrosion. It is called patina.

Post some pics and we can help you preserve these for another 100 years! Also, where are you located? Someone might be close by you that can help you out.


-Xander

[thrasher614]

[fast14riot]

Pic isn't shoing up. You need the actual pic address ending in .jpg for it to work.


-X

[thrasher614]

[IMG][/IMG]

[gadgetgeek]

my opinion, is that that is pitting rust, so neutralizing that is very high priority. if you can do nothing with it for a while, at least give it a good coating of mineral oil, WD-40, or something like that to slow it down. those are definitely in restore-able shape though. Are the scales celluloid? they may be breaking down, which is corrosive. if the scales have kind of a camphor smell, or other sort of chemical smell, if could be celluloid rot. If that's the case, you'll need to get the scales replaced.

[fast14riot]

Ok, I say start with some simichrome polish to remove the rust and then reevaluate the razors. When doing heirlooms like this, you can also go further in restoring, but you can't go back to original patina. Mineral oil, or any light oil will help preserve them for now.

They are salvagable though, but if you want to learn to shave and restore I recommend picking up some junkers to practice on and a shave ready razor from whippeddog.com.


-Xander

[thrasher614]

The scales look good, and don't smell like anything. I will definitely wipe them down with some WD-40. thanks for the advice.

[fast14riot]

No WD-40. Always start with just warm soapy water and a tooth brush.


-Xander