Replacing Scales

Those are very appropriate remarks concerning re-pinning straight razors.

And that is very nice, clean work there, sir. Of course, if you are used to working on guns, then straight razors are actually just child's play for you.

ignatz said:

Those are very appropriate remarks concerning re-pinning straight razors.

And that is very nice, clean work there, sir. Of course, if you are used to working on guns, then straight razors are actually just child's play for you.

Click to expand...

No way would I ever say child's play, however many of the same skills are involved. One of two reasons I think that I am attracted to straight razor's, the other is, I really like the fact that you have a implement that is sometimes over 100 years old, that with a small amount of attention, can work just as well as the day it was made. That kind of workmanship is rare in any product
I shaved with the first one this morning very good results, nice, clean, smooth outcome....!!! I still have to sharpen the Elliot maybe tonight after work

Glen

Those look nice, Glen. Thanks for sharing your experience!

One more hint: I drilled a 5/32 hole into some hard maple and used it to gently drive the washer down on the pin. It really made things easier. I have since watched a video of a TI going together. The craftsman had a hole in his anvil, and he lined up the washer on top of the hole and drove the pin down onto it -- kind of the reverse of what I did.

Very nice work Glen

Glen, is that 4.5" rule an absolute max? I picked up a cool Wade & Butcher today with mystic symbols on the blade (see posting I'm about to write up with photo), needs new scales, and the pin to furthest point of the toe is just a bit over that length.

farace said:

Glen, is that 4.5" rule an absolute max? I picked up a cool Wade & Butcher today with mystic symbols on the blade (see posting I'm about to write up with photo), needs new scales, and the pin to furthest point of the toe is just a bit over that length.

Click to expand...

OK I went out to the shop and got the Mic out just to check for ya..... The Pakkawood ones are exactly 4.55 inches max length. Now here's the good news I have one of the Dovo Ice Hardened razors with the Micarta scales I measured that for you because Classic Shave has those for sale also in white and black, that set measures out to exactly 4.67 inches so you have a little more length there Good luck let me know how they come out for you...
I e-mailed Classic-shave yesterday, to tell them about the problems that might arise because of the way the add was written, I'll put the response in this thread if I get one.....

Glen

Glen, I had the brilliant idea to measure the existing scales on this razor, and they're 5" pin-to-pin. I think I should try to replicate the existing scales rather than try to shoehorn it into the Dovo scales. I also note that on the Classic Shaving website, it states for most of those scales that the pivot end needs to be drilled to the blade's requirements; I take it that the scales you bought already were drilled?

farace said:

Glen, I had the brilliant idea to measure the existing scales on this razor, and they're 5" pin-to-pin. I think I should try to replicate the existing scales rather than try to shoehorn it into the Dovo scales. I also note that on the Classic Shaving website, it states for most of those scales that the pivot end needs to be drilled to the blade's requirements; I take it that the scales you bought already were drilled?

Click to expand...

That's why I e-mailed them, the add is very poorly written I just happened to luck out with those first two that I did, because I was thinking that if I could drill my own hole, I would have more leeway as to length from pivot to toe on the razor... Remember that the pin to pin length is not the measurement that you need. measure from pivot to toe or blade tip the measurement that I checked is to the inside edge of the wedge. to the pivot hole that gives max razor length.... I'm going to try making a set out of Burley Maple, I have an old gun stock thats been sitting around from a customers rifle that I re-placed with a new stock. The wood was twisted so it is useless as a rifle stock, so I'm going to give it a try as new scales

Glen

I keep forgetting to take the wedge into account; it's missing from this razor.

I've got a small slab of black walnut that a neighbor gave me after a tree in his yard fell down and he had it sawn. It's too small to do much with, but plenty large enough to get scales out of. I'm starting to think the original scales might be horn. Is horn available as a raw material (and would I want to attempt that)? (The only horns I have around here are old FIAMMs from an Alfa Romeo. )

farace said:

I keep forgetting to take the wedge into account; it's missing from this razor.

(The only horns I have around here are old FIAMMs from an Alfa Romeo. )

Click to expand...

Ohhhhhh that was good....
But ya know that gives me a great idea I wonder if it would work
I have a set of black antelope antlers that I took years ago and have always wanted to use as knife handles... I wonder if I could use them as scales instead hmmmmmmm as the wheels start turning
Thanks for the idea!!!!!
I just might have to look into this tomorrow on me day off

Glen

Kyle76 said:

One more hint: I drilled a 5/32 hole into some hard maple and used it to gently drive the washer down on the pin. It really made things easier. I have since watched a video of a TI going together. The craftsman had a hole in his anvil, and he lined up the washer on top of the hole and drove the pin down onto it -- kind of the reverse of what I did.

Click to expand...

This is a great idea here... The hole in the anvil idea reminds me of the pin set jigs we use in gun-smithing, but your idea of the drilled hole in the wood, actually works so well that I made a little jig out of clear heavy plastic so it's easier to see the washer and pin through it, and that worked perfectly so it is now part of my "Razor Repair" box

Thanks
Glen

Nice work indeed!

Nice work!

Thanks for the heads up on the blade sizes. I am getting ready to re-place a set of warped scales on a Druescher & Behar #44 am am reconditioning.

Also thanks for the warning on small parts. I do the source maintenance on a research grade Nermag R-1010 Quadrapole mass spectrometer. Some of the nuts on this are 1.2 mm. So I shouldn't have any problem.

Regards,

jlander said:

Nice work!

Thanks for the heads up on the blade sizes. I am getting ready to re-place a set of warped scales on a Druescher & Behar #44 am am reconditioning.

Also thanks for the warning on small parts. I do the source maintenance on a research grade Nermag R-1010 Quadrapole mass spectrometer. Some of the nuts on this are 1.2 mm. So I shouldn't have any problem.

Regards,

Click to expand...

Post pics when yer done...
Glen