FROGGY SHAVE: Honing & Review Gold Dollar 5/8 Straight Razor

[@jim34morrison]

I just honed one of these using the 1Stone slate hones all the way to finish and it shaved great. I took it to my black ark after the green shadow and it is terrific.

[@FroggyShave]

Amazing 😍 We can also, sometime, indeed be lucky with GD!

[@bobi6262]

Hi man, I have 2 of them and luckily I managed to make a very decent thread. I have shaved with it 2 or 3 times with good results. buying a gold dollar is like playing the lottery 🙂😎

[@FroggyShave]

Yes indeed! 😜 My last one, W59, was really good. Next one I might be lucky 😁

[@magnoliamike]

Taping a gold dollar…. God bless your little heart ♥️ 😇👏🏻

[@FroggyShave]

I give the chance to every razor to keep their original design and undamaged, no matter their price indeed. GD can be great shavers. 🤠👍

[@kaleidoscopeon]

You are excellent in this job. So good to see your work.

[@FroggyShave]

Thx so much for your support 🤠❤️

[@TheElektrikChair]

I got luck with one gold dollar, honing another one now and I hope the edge does not chip off like how yours did. Cheap steel. It's a lot of work to find out later the edge is chipped, there can be no end of honing these gold dollars.

[@FroggyShave]

Indeed! Unfortunately only way to find out is to give a go 😁

[@MemphisCorollaS]

Thanks for showing that edge under the microscope. I’m experience in sharpening chisels and hand plane irons that have to be razor sharp, but those don’t touch my throat obviously. Small nicks and poorly heat treated/tempered blades aren’t acceptable for use is shaving. I’m considering this and another affordable option, so your review was perfect for me. Thanks again

[@FroggyShave]

Thanks a lot for your kind words and support Patrick! 😊👍💈

[@chrisblanc663]

The only really good thing about a gold dollar is, once you finally have them sharp. They do pretty good about keeping their edge with just stropping before every shave.

[@stevebean1234]

Hi, what microscope do you use? Seems to work really well. Thanks for the video

[@FroggyShave]

@@stevebean1234 Hi there I use this model, once you find the correct angle of the blade under the lense, the image quality is indeed quite good 😊 a.aliexpress.com/_EzQtrzV

[@shannonandsheila1403]

Not a bad looking razor I have been meaning to try one going to give them a shot curiosity is killing me. I have heard of some people getting them and them being unusable i think their heat treatment of the steel is really inconsistent. Take care

[@FroggyShave]

Yep I think you're 100% right here: Inconsistency is the perfect description for this brand I believe! Some can be really good song won't take an edge. Nonetheless, I've another one coming in soon for a new test 😜

[@shannonandsheila1403]

@@FroggyShave 😁👍

[@RealTalkThomas]

What scope do you use? Thanks!

[@FroggyShave]

This one 😊 a.aliexpress.com/_mqvHZUU

[@magnoliamike]

I just bought the Naniwa stones I have the 12k 8k-3K combo And the 1k Can you do a video with them?

[@FroggyShave]

Hey Mike, I only have the Naniwa 1K, didn't try it yet. I'm usually using Shapton

[@darijantancovski6388]

Good video

[@FroggyShave]

Thanks a lot mate 😊

[@c.t.1697]

Bonjour du Québec! Je me demandais, j'ai en ma possession un ensemble de pierres suivant : combo 400/1000 (pierre à eau standard étroite cheap), combo 1000/6000 (pierre à eau standard étroite cheap), et deux Shapton plus larges (1000 et 12000). Y-a-t-il moyen de me débrouiller avec ces pierres ou devrais-je ajouter d'autres ''grits'' à mon ensemble? J'ai également une strop avec une cire Veritas estimée à 0.5 microns. Je pratique en ce moment avec mon premier straight, un GD 80 mais j'aimerais éventuellement faire l'acquisition d'un rasoir de meilleure qualité donc je veux que mon kit d'entretien soit solide. Merci!

[@FroggyShave]

Oh un Québécois ! Ça fait plaisir 🤩👍 Les Shapton sont de bonnes pierres, par contre les autres pierres combo (sûrement Chinoise) ont une qualité très variable avec souvent des grit très irrégulier. Elles sont généralement utilisé plus pour des couteaux. Si tu cherches des pierres juste pour l'entretien d'une lame qui a été bien affûtée mais qui a perdu un peu de tranchant dans ce cas si tu veux rester chez Shapton il te faudrait une 8k, 12k (que tu as déjà) et ensuite finir avec un strop couvert de pâte verte chromium. Et bien-sûr finir avec 150/200 passes au strop standard. Avec les JNAT pas besoin de pâte verte.

[@c.t.1697]

@@FroggyShave merci pour la réponse rapide! Je réserverai donc mes pierres chinoises pour mes couteaux de cuisine. Ce qui m'embêtait surtout c'était d'essayer de conditionner mon premier straight, un Gold Dollar 80 neuf pour qu'il soit utilisable mais peut-être que ce ne sera pas réalisable si la lame est merdique. J'ai déjà fait une passe à 1000/6000 et 12 000 et le rasage était pas super (technique de débutant pour aiguisage et rasage aussi il faut dire)! Merci pour les conseils je vais ajouter une ou deux pierres de plus dans le Shapton. Et au moins pratiquer sur le GD avant d'investir dans un straight de meilleure qualité.

[@FroggyShave]

@@c.t.1697 Si ton GD est neuf il faut reprendre le fils depuis le départ. 1k, 5k, 8k, 12k et pate verte. Le biseau de base sur GD n'est pas bon, il est fait a la machine. Par contre il y a une partie des GD qui hélas sont de mauvaise qualité et ne donneront jamais de bon fils...

[@philipscott3241]

One of the forums just calls them GD Razors. Short for Gold Dollar, not a profane reference to the Almighty!🤣

[@FroggyShave]

Lol indeed 🤣

[@Suesses-Einhorn]

you could try to put the blade in to a steamer or oven 130-180C for one hour, perhaps then it will get softer and moure tough. And grind very slow without any pressure.

[@FroggyShave]

Thx mate. I actually managed to hone it to an "acceptable" quality level. It'll never be the best shaver but it's now very decent 😎👍

[@Suesses-Einhorn]

@@FroggyShave Glad to hear. I wouldn't recommend using a 400 grit stone on a razor, this will stress the steel to much i think, i would start with 800-1000grit and always no pressure just enough to cut the steel.

[@oktaydemirok1142]

I ordered gold dollar 66 razors. so bad that it doesn't cut even the thinnest hairs

[@FroggyShave]

Yep indeed, really Hit or Miss with this brand. Out of 3 I successfully honed 2 and 1 went to the bin. I still have one waiting to be honed... Lets see...

[@oktaydemirok1142]

@@FroggyShave I never expected such a bad product to come. I don't think honing will help much.

[@FroggyShave]

Some of them are really good. It's just their quality control is crap.

[@magnoliamike]

A lot of people with those gold dollars will get a Dremel and fix the shoulder

[@FroggyShave]

I was indeed very tempted to do the same ! ☺️👍

[@manishbhoola]

@@FroggyShave the dremel even at lowest setting can shatter the blade. I've lost 3 in this and now keep the dremel at bay. A 208 seems better at taking an edge What microscope is that btw, excellent images of the edge.

[@denisivanov8680]

I'd bought mine on aliexpress for ~4 $ and after about 2 month the razor had rust all over it.

[@FroggyShave]

I'm oiling all my razors after each shave and never seen rust on any of them. It's normal for hard steel with carbon to rust quickly if not oiled or fully dry

[@TWalsh2]

Do you always use tape? The spine should really wear along with the edge to maintain geometry. The GD66 are hit and miss quality-wise. Before you bin it try "joining" the blade by running the edge against a glass or the edge of the stone a few times. That'll take the chips out and you can start again from a uniform edge. If it keeps happening that particular batch of GD's was probably made from melted down car axles and whatever scrap they had lying around. I only have one GD, a 208, but I don't consider it a serious razor and only use it to practice something I'd never try on one of my good blades.

[@FroggyShave]

Thx for the comment mate. Good thinking on trying killing the edge and honing one more time. Regarding the tape, I like using take to protect the spine, especially if using low grit stones. I wouldn't use a tape on a vintage razor where the blade has been reduced too much (otherwise the edge will end up being too small and not the right angle)

[@growleym504]

The spine is too thick. Protecting it from wear while honing is a mistake. Not a good idea to tape a GD when honing. You WANT the spine to become thinner. Properly honed, these razors will shave rather well. Edge maintenance can be ridiculously easy and effective. kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4DVnp13mJx-e5o

[@kenwoodhall4885]

Worst razors in the world poor metal you will never sustain a good edge.

[@FroggyShave]

My experience has been slightly different, I had a good Gold Dollar in the past that kept its edge but GD quality is very variable unfortunately...