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Post by spinyeel on Dec 8, 2009 0:46:11 GMT -5
This razor is a fun little puzzle eh? When I first got mine it took me a while to sort out how to access the hone. Once you see, it is easy as pie! But, before that is was sort of a Chinese Puzzle for me!! Good top hear you got the mechanism moving. Sounds like a good cleaning probably took care of it. How are you going to do the honing? Do you plan on using a paste with it? I am looking forward to seeing how it goes for you. As I said before, I haven't yet used mine, but I darn well should! Great info on the two models Possum!! I had no idea there were two. I will have to dig around now and check out the differences. Unfortunately, now I am short one!! And, I just have to come up with the honing and strop paste kit in a box like in the pic above!! Although, that will be a mission for a long time I suspect. I'm going to start with a Norton and try to maintain the edge with the original hone and strop.
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Post by rocketman on Dec 8, 2009 1:47:50 GMT -5
I'm going to start with a Norton and try to maintain the edge with the original hone and strop. Good plan. The Norton should help get a working edge on it in good time. Best of luck!
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Post by rocketman on Dec 8, 2009 2:04:04 GMT -5
I am still a little confused about how this thing operates though, so does it have a mechanism like a Rolls? Or does it simply house a strop and paste and then you use it like a SR This razor is very much like the Rolls Razor. As you can see, there is a handle and wedge blade just like a Rolls (pic 1). And as with the Rolls, to sharpen you take the handle out and put it aside. Then the blade is inserted in the blade holder in the box frame. The differences though are twofold. First - unlike the Rolls, the lid you see in the picture is merely that - a lid (pic 2). You can see a strop on the bottom however. Now that strop is mounted on a two sided metal frame which pushes/slides out the back of the razor so that it can be turned over. (At the end of the strop you can see a semicircular cutout - this is a pushing indent for your thumb!) One side is the reddish looking strop. The other side is also leather, but you put honing paste on it - one of the two tubes is the honing paste - pretty sure the original stuff is pretty much plain old green chrome ox. So, the strop and hone are mounted on the one frame and you push it through the back, flip it over and reinsert it (pic 3) to use whichever side you want. The strop or hone therefore is always at the bottom of the razor box. Second - the movement/mechanism does not employ a handle in the way the Rolls does. Rather, there is a frame inside of a frame sort of. Where you see the large semicircular piece of metal set into the box at the end opposite the lid (pic 4) - that is a grip. You grip it on top and on the bottom of the end and essentially pull out the end similar to pulling a drawer out of a cabinet. You pull this frame in and push it back. The blade holder flips back and forth with each direction change just as does the Rolls. So just as with the Rolls, you stroke away in the same fashion with pretty much a similar noise being made!! It is really a clever design. I haven't been too motivated to use it yet though because I need to refurbish the hone leather in mine as it is a little pooped out. It won't be a big job - but I do have to get it done first! Probably sharpening up the blade on a real hone would be a good idea as it would likely be pretty slow going with this setup. There ya have it!! The Darwin - essentially a Rolls in disguise! Pic 1 Pic 2 Pic 3 Pic 4 .
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Post by spinyeel on Dec 8, 2009 3:21:09 GMT -5
Cool. Does yours have the little screw driver that screws into the base of the handle? :)Also,what is the purpose of the screw in the blade?
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Post by rocketman on Dec 8, 2009 14:00:13 GMT -5
Cool. Does yours have the little screw driver that screws into the base of the handle? :)Also,what is the purpose of the screw in the blade? Ahhhhh.... the secret of the screwdriver!! (Shhhhh don't tell!! : Actually, this part of the razor design is really great and it is too bad the idea wasn't implemented in more wedge blade designed razors. It is a very simple idea really. The way they designed the handle was to make a holder for the blade that would screw into the handle either at a 90degree angle for shaving, or at 180degrees for storing the razor in the sharpening case. The holder itself then became the guard for the blade, essentially creating a safety razor with a wedge. Because of this setup, they risked having to have the blade mount in the holder at a fixed position, resulting in a stationary blade to guard gap - which these days is typically referred to as how the 'aggresiveness' of the razor is determined. So, some bright brit figured that by adding a threaded screw set into the blade itself, the thickness of the blade could be adjusted by the user resulting in a user defined gap. This is really the first (and just about the only) infinitely adjustable razor! Let us call it the Darwin 1-999! You can see in the picture the holder cage (pic1) , and the blade with the adjuster screw (pic2) - note also the notches on the blade for guaging where the screw slot should be - a depth scale if you will. (Note also that the blade is numbered 1 on one side and 2 on the other. This is so you can keep track of positioning in the holder after honing. You can put it back the way it was, or flip if you want. Not sure why you want to keep track of this. I am not clear on it but I wonder if the designers felt that you could sharpen the wedge differently on 'top' and 'bottom' - resulting in a more finely tuned blade? I always treat both sides the same. Dunno) So, the screw is a blade gap adjuster to set the aggressiveness right where you want it!! The Darwin Adjustable 1-999Pic1 Pic2
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Post by spinyeel on Dec 9, 2009 0:43:23 GMT -5
Wow thanks. ;D Great info. Sadly my Darwin appears to be missing the blade holder for the stropping mechanism. Looks like I'll have to maintain the blade using a traditional hone and strop.
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Post by rocketman on Dec 9, 2009 21:08:21 GMT -5
Wow thanks. ;D Great info. Sadly my Darwin appears to be missing the blade holder for the stropping mechanism. Looks like I'll have to maintain the blade using a traditional hone and strop. I am sorry to here that your blade holder is missing. Makes it harder to use!! The blade holder is also a serious problem on mine too. I was looking closer at it yesterday when I took the photos (pretty crappy I know - not a photographer!) and I noticed that the holder is intended to be fastened using some type of cotter pin. The original is missing on mine so I don't know what the original would look like exactly. It was repaired with a piece of wire and the fit is quite poor. This results in the blade holder more or less flopping around and it doesn't maintain a good parallel relationship to the frame spindle. It must have been used like this, because the hole where the pin inserts appears to have been worn larger than it's original tolerance. This probably means that blades won't sharpen up properly and the edges will get all crooked. RATS! So, I am in the same boat as you!! Even with some of the crappy Rolls Razors I have had in the past, they have essentially all worked properly (usually the blade is the issue, or strop/hone - not the frame and mechanism itself). But between yours and mine - the Darwin is not doing so hot!
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Post by mbwhoosh on Dec 11, 2009 6:29:21 GMT -5
There ya have it!! The Darwin - essentially a Rolls in disguise! Thank you sir for the immensely detailed explanation it is very appreciated It is an interesting approach as it seems the designer came up with making a double sided hone/strop for the blade flipping mechanism. Were the Rolls decided on making the peg system for their individual strop and hone system. Very interesting look at two different approaches to the same outcome The Darwin push pull drawer style handle looks like it is more comfortable to use than the Rolls handle. Does it have Resistance springs like the Rolls? Also do have as much control as with the Rolls when flipping the blade? I do like the screw innovation for blade gap control very neat. Was wondering, one problem I have with the Rolls blade and handle is there are no marking to tell when the blade is centered, yeah you can eye it close enough but it just bugs me not knowing if it is perfectly centered. Does the screw adjust aid in helping you get the blade centered with the handle?
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Post by rocketman on Dec 12, 2009 22:31:55 GMT -5
Re the resistance springs - I guess you are talking about the friction clips on the Rolls. That really is a mechanism for holding the blade onto the holder in the sharpening unit. There aren't really springs relating to flipping the blade. The Darwin doesn't have anything at all like that. The blade itself just slides into the holder. The frame just flips the blade over at the end of the travel with a small cantilevered type of gear.
I have not used this razor a lot, but I have certainly experimented with it on the strop. The frame itself gets more tiring to use than the Rolls for me because of the way you hold it. Pushing is easy enough, but pulling requires a fair gripping between your forefinger and perhaps middle finger on top with your thumb on the bottom. I tended to experience fatigue rather quickly this way as it is not a very ergonomic manner in which to push and pull. I got sore and tired pretty quick. The Rolls, I can slap that baby for ages!
The control with Darwin is ok, but again the Rolls is superior because there is a very direct translation of energy between the handle and the spindle and it seems to afford a more delicate control. The Darwin flips over at the end of the travel, but as you are holding and controlling the whole slide frame , it has a clumsier feel. It could be a matter of spending more time with though - perhaps there is a learning curve I have only begun to climb.
The centering thing you pointed out - great observation!! I agree with the mounting the Rolls blade that it is always a dilemma where to leave the blade before tightening the handle!! I certainly realized that as soon as I read your comments! It bugs me too. Whereas with the Darwin, and I never really noticed being aware of it, but I don't think I ever experienced that sort of mental tension of centering it! Probably I just lined up the screw without even realizing it. Cool. Maybe the Rolls blades would do well with a nick or mark in em to help with that!!
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Post by mbwhoosh on Dec 16, 2009 1:35:31 GMT -5
Eer yeah friction clips that what I meant to say I have no idea where the springs thing came from guess I should re-read the Manual I figured the tension of holding the blade tight against the hone and strop was unique to the Rolls just wanted to verify. Huh I'm surprised the Darwin isn't more comfortable I figured it would be a piston like action rather than the paint-roller action of the Rolls. Just goes to show you never can tell until you hold something in your own two hands (why am I afraid this sentence will end up in a thread by a certain wascally wabbit ). I imagined that the Darwin would have less control as the handle is more or less detached from the mechanism and without the friction clips wouldn't give as much feedback. Yes! Seriously how could they put so much effort into engineering the Rolls and not put a little nick to help you center the blade. I measured center on the handle and blade and put a little mark with a sharpie for now. I need to get some tools and make a more decorative triangle notch so the two points line up, just as soon I get rid of this darn procrastination I have been plagued with
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Post by wchnu on Dec 16, 2009 2:06:28 GMT -5
Eer yeah friction clips that what I meant to say I have no idea where the springs thing came from guess I should re-read the Manual I figured the tension of holding the blade tight against the hone and strop was unique to the Rolls just wanted to verify. Huh I'm surprised the Darwin isn't more comfortable I figured it would be a piston like action rather than the paint-roller action of the Rolls. Just goes to show you never can tell until you hold something in your own two hands (why am I afraid this sentence will end up in a thread by a certain wascally wabbit ). I imagined that the Darwin would have less control as the handle is more or less detached from the mechanism and without the friction clips wouldn't give as much feedback. Yes! Seriously how could they put so much effort into engineering the Rolls and not put a little nick to help you center the blade. I measured center on the handle and blade and put a little mark with a sharpie for now. I need to get some tools and make a more decorative triangle notch so the two points line up, just as soon I get rid of this darn procrastination I have been plagued with We do not have that thread here.. but.. if you want a response to it PM me ;D Fuzzy
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Post by rainman on Dec 19, 2009 15:10:11 GMT -5
I like how the rolls has the bulit in maintenance system. I just don't like how small the handle is.
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Post by wchnu on Dec 21, 2009 5:55:21 GMT -5
IS it smaller then say a 1911 Gem Junior handle?
Fuzzy
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Post by rainman on Dec 22, 2009 16:57:10 GMT -5
It is about 2 1/2 inches and very thin. This may be do-able for an SE user but with an SE the head us usually huge which adds some length to the razor which isn't the case with the Rolls since it is a blade on a stick.
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Post by wchnu on Dec 22, 2009 18:07:48 GMT -5
Got ya thanks.
Fuzzy
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