RobinK
Lather Catcher
Posts: 505
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Post by RobinK on Jul 25, 2013 11:54:38 GMT -6
Alright, so I was given this one by a friend. Three blades included, none of them shave ready. The blade guard can be removed, yet the blades are thicker than your average SE blade. I could sacrifice one bayonet from a Rapide or Wotan. But: Is it worth it? reviews I have read were mixed to say the least. Does anyone have first hand experience with this razor? I am looking for something that delivers a shave similar to a Wotan or an OCMM, nothing less. Thank you very much! Robin
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papabear
Blade King
Looking for one that is just right
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Post by papabear on Jul 25, 2013 15:19:24 GMT -6
I am interested in this too. I have a very nice set that I would love to try, but the blade is in serious need of honing. I remember reading somewhere to use stick on 3M abrasive sheets, cut out and stuck to the hone side of the Rolls. But I never did try that for fear of really destroying my only blade.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jul 25, 2013 23:54:51 GMT -6
I'm curious to know also. I have one and a bunch of blades none of which I have shave ready. I've tried, but have gotten no where with it using the included stone and strop. I have yet to send any blades out for honing.
There was a gent on another forum showing us how to get the blade shave ready but he never completed the series and I couldn't get him to finish it.
I would expect the shave to be like a straight razor shave, whatever that's like. But frankly, I don't know.
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Possum
Master Shaver
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Posts: 1,274
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Post by Possum on Jul 26, 2013 9:45:06 GMT -6
Not a bad razor to use if you can get the blade really sharp. I managed to get both of mine in somewhat shave ready condition. Just have to be careful and not go for a BBS shave as you will certainly butcher yourself. If you can find someone who can get it really sharp for you I think the hone and the strop in the razor case will work to keep it in shave condition for awhile.
Only have one of them now as I traded one and a VAS that I just could not get to work right for me to a friend who refurbed a brush for me. Great job on the refurb my friend!
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RobinK
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Posts: 505
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Post by RobinK on Jul 26, 2013 11:08:52 GMT -6
Well, I spent some quality time with a set of Norton hones and this razor. Thanks for the idea with using the built-in honing system - worked like a charm. The blades are alright, really. But the shave was just alright, too. Nothing to really write home about. I think this one will get a nice place in one of the cabinets in our dining room. Because it really is pretty.
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papabear
Blade King
Looking for one that is just right
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Post by papabear on Jul 26, 2013 18:34:43 GMT -6
I'm glad you had a chance to use it. One of these days, I will get enough courage to give it an a couple of straights I have a go.
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RobinK
Lather Catcher
Posts: 505
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Post by RobinK on Jul 26, 2013 20:19:18 GMT -6
Well, you won't need any courage for the Rolls Razor. It is just another SE. Cut-throats... not much courage needed, either. They look more intimidating than they are. And if you don't fall for any hyped brands, US$ can get you started nicely.
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RocketMan
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Post by RocketMan on Jul 28, 2013 23:35:13 GMT -6
BeBerlin - you found the shave unexciting. Yet, you sharpened the blades yourself. How do you find the Rolls blade? It seems like very nice steel. Why do you think the shave could not be made satisfactory? I know you have a lot of experience sharpening steel and am hopeful that you could help find a method that really works the best for these blades. These Rolls razors are wonderful pieces of history and I for one am hoping to wrangle a great shave out of one of these before Im gone!
How high did you go on the Nortons? 12k? Tape or not? Could you get good results on a coticule or something else?
I haven't a lot of experience with honing and my attempts with these blades have been weak. You da man to bring this to a higher plane!
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RobinK
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Post by RobinK on Jul 29, 2013 3:04:13 GMT -6
My own experience with honing is limited to cut-throat razors. That said, the arrival of people providing "professional" (meaning: "for money", not necessarily "like a pro") honing services has led to a lot of myths in the last years. My own experience is very straightforward: Honing a razor is not only not rocket science, it is really quite simple and extremely boring (unless you can talk yourself into having a Zen experience when honing). As for grit sizes: There used to be a time when a 4/8k Norton and a strip of balsa wood covered with Chromium oxide would suffice. Truth be told, they still do. But because professional honers have to differentiate themselves from their competitors, and because some people with special needs and an lack of attention want to achieve the same mythical results the honers claim to have achieved, more and more hones were introduced. Funnily enough, double blind tests revealed that while most people could tell the difference between edges created by synthetic vs natural hones, no-one could place the naturals correctly in a significant number of attempts. Lesson learned: Use fewer stones, learn to use them to their full potential, never mind the fanboys - and save a lot of money. I did not spend too much time on this blade. It cuts arm hair several millimetres away from the skin, which is a clear indication that it will shave anything if required. The problem is the overall layout of the razor. Think of the difference between an OCMM and a Flying Wing - basically the same razor, definitely the same blades, yet vastly different shaves. So, I'm not saying the Rolls is bad. Just ugly, and not the closest shaver ever built. Maybe DE and SE users will have a different opinion, but all cut-throat users I know (some of them with several decades of experience in using cut-throats) found the Rolls underwhelming. Very nice box, though As for the steel, who knows. No chips, cleaned up well, behaved well on the hones - looks solid to me.
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papabear
Blade King
Looking for one that is just right
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Post by papabear on Jul 29, 2013 7:11:22 GMT -6
Thank you for the update. I was thinking of useing shapening films over top of the hone in the Rolls case. That way I maintain the proper angle. My only sharpening and honing are on knives and woodworking tools.
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RobinK
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Posts: 505
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Post by RobinK on Jul 29, 2013 10:51:18 GMT -6
Sharpening films will work just as well, cf this guide in the SRP Wiki - replace paste with film... The first problem you will encounter is that a round on the built in stropper is approx 5cm. Which is very little compared to a hone. You will likely get RSI before you have set a proper bevel, not to mention using a high grit finishing surface. I spent about 100 laps on a 30cm Coticule - you do the maths. I wonder if any of the members here is good at working with metal. I need at least two bayonets for wedge blades (Henckels / Heljestrand) and another one for this Rolls razor (whose spine is significantly wider - and the resulting edge angle might have to do with its sub par shaving characteristics). My makeshift solution, whacked together from a tin can, has sadly passed away. Anyone?
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RocketMan
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Post by RocketMan on Jul 29, 2013 13:45:28 GMT -6
What are you meaning by bayonets??
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RobinK
Lather Catcher
Posts: 505
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Post by RobinK on Jul 29, 2013 14:42:02 GMT -6
The small metal tube to accommodate the wedge blade for stropping and honing. Really simple to replicate if you know what you are doing.
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ShadowsDad
Gem Star
None boring shaver!!
"It's not the bow, it's the Indian"
Posts: 4,534
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Post by ShadowsDad on Jul 29, 2013 23:52:51 GMT -6
I'm wondering now if I actually got the shave that a Rolls can deliver. It wasn't up to par with a modern blade (BBS) but it would definitely have been a shave.
I was accumulating RR gear so as to achieve a better edge, but maybe it's simply not necessary or desired.
I'm betting that I probably ought to just stock up on SE blades and just look at the Rolls. They are things of shaving beauty.
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RobinK
Lather Catcher
Posts: 505
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Post by RobinK on Jul 30, 2013 8:42:38 GMT -6
If the NOS blades I tried have not lost their sharpness whilst lying around somewhere for decades, then I would say that the Rolls is more or less en par with them. I am also sure that it could be tweaked for additional sharpness. But I do not quite like the way it looks (very nice box, but rather boring razor), and I doubt that it will ever outperform the Wotan. So, why bother? It looks nice in a cabinet, though.
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