Hobbyist DE Razor Showcase

A forum member asked me about making a fat DE handle out of brass, so I got some brass to try it out. Here is the new brass piece next to the Titanium rod:



Face off:



Spot drill:



Drill and tap (M5x0.8):



Clean and make the OD even and smooth, in preparation for knurling:




Knurl the piece (most time consuming):









Knurling complete:


Cut the cone:



Check tool alignment, and cut grooves:





Now trim the handle to length (about 3") and face base:







Work complete - here is a close-up:







On an EJ89 head:

A few notes on threads, and how I test the DE handles. Here is the exposed 10-32 threads on a Gillette NEW:



And then the metric M5x0.8 threads on an EJ89 razor:



So I made this shop tool using an M5x0.8 screw, to test the thread depth and engagement of new DE handles:



This here, about 0.35" of engagement is the minimum I use, which is above the 0.275" to 0.3" min engagement needed for DE heads:



I drill and tap my DE handles a little bit deeper in case a production DE comes out of the factory with a slightly deeper screw:



This is the tap set I use for Aluminum and Brass:



And this is the Titanium-specific tap I use on my Ti handles:

Just finished a Ti DE handle for an international forum member. Here I am testing the threads:



Then cut the cone - got a new, stronger insert, as the old one failed with Titanium use:





Setup the piece for the target length (between 85-90mm):



Clean up the OD:





To make less slippery in handles without knurling, I lightly touch with very fine sandpaper:



Then cut the shallow grooves:



Then cut the deep/wider grooves:



Then cut to length, face the bottom, and bevel the edge:



Finished handle (approx 17mm wide, 86mm long, 2.7oz):



Final test with on M5x0.8 threads (EJ89):



and on 10-32 threads (Gillette NEW):

Started work on spiral knurling today:



Drill/tap:





Make the cone:



Turn the OD:



Start the spiral knurl:





Cut and trim:

Hello friend’s,
My DE razor handles collection has new member (second from the left, still has no name). So I decided to give you my razor handles family for comparison.



So, going from the left to the right:

1. iKon OSS – a perfect structure to hold in your hand. iKon actually made a copy of Feather razor handle, which I also have, but it is not seen in this picture;
2. Will‘s piece of art – modern, futuristic, fat and lightweight, Grade5 Titanium. It will withstand open space and can be part in the futures commercial flights to Moon or Mars. I see a bright future in Wills business. He has a great modern style feeling, perfect service and great skills;
3. Ufo Tornado –handmade art in 316L steel. By a quality of service and quality of product they are comparable to Will, but these handles are heavier. I love them too.
4. Ufo Goliath;
5. iKon Bulldog 2 – classics in 316L steel. It‘s just classics for every occasion;
6. Weber DE handle –shorter but still 316L classics for every situation.

So, you will ask, what is the best handle in this collection ? Putting all together, my best of the best are Ufo Tornado, Will‘s masterpiece and iKon OSS. They have different physical properties, but all 3 give you amazing feeling during the shave.

I practiced some more with the Swirl or Twist knurling, and got a second prototype made. This one took much longer to do, but it was fun to make.

As always, start with the drill and tap operations, and checking the threads:



Then cut the cone:



Get the OD to the correct diameter for the first knurling operation:



Do the first knurling operation - very slow ...



Mark the two areas where I will creating the new section with a smaller diameter:



Again, using the knurling calculators, turn the OD to the correct diameter:



Start the spiral/twist knurling operation - same as before, very slow ...



Trim/clean up the intersections and make even:



Cut to length, face, and bevel the base:



Finished handle on a Gillette NEW:



and on a EJ89:



Size comparison:

I love Tornado style. For me it really gives you an Art Deco feeling and looks great with fat head like EJ89.

Yes, I like the swirl/twist knurling as well - looks pretty neat in person

One of my customers asked for another Ti DE handle, but much thinner, and also a little longer. Like most other materials, Titanium flexes as it gets thinner, so machining has to be done close to the face of the chuck.

After drilling and tapping, I started work on the OD - target dia 12mm:


Once I get to the target dia, I cut the piece:



Clean-up the base:



Then do a few grooves close to the chuck, extend the handle, do more grooves, extend the handle, etc.:





Then do the grooves on the base:





Completed Ti DE handle: 92mm long, 12mm dia, 1.4oz:


New Ti DE handle on EJ89:


and on Gillette NEW:


Size comparison:

I have to say, your pictures and your work look incredible. Best of luck to you!

Teppanyaki said:

I have to say, your pictures and your work look incredible. Best of luck to you!

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Thank you

Man these handles looks mega cool. Would you be able to do one in an antique finish?

Ender78 said:

Man these handles looks mega cool. Would you be able to do one in an antique finish?

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On the brass handles you could try a few things on your own - there are some well known DIY ideas:
http://www.ehow.com/how_8119920_diy-patina-brass-finish.html

On Titanium, anodizing is the most common treatment, but I would not call that "antique":
https://www.google.com/search?q=tit...&sqi=2&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAQ&biw=1920&bih=979&dpr=1

Today I wanted to try a light and a heavier knurl, over two diameters. First got the larger diameter done:





Then worked on the smaller diameter:



And after a lot of work, and two knurling operations, I basically removed everything that did not look like a handle and ended up with this:
3.2 oz, a little over .52" dia, and 3.1" long:



Here on a Gillette NEW:





With an EJ89:



Close-up on my hand:



Compared to stock Gillette NEW (ball end) and EJ handles:

A customer here in Texas wanted to buy one of my Titanium shaving brushes, but he also wanted a Titanium DE handle with knurled surface, and a similar design. His target length was 100mm, with a target dia of 16mm.

After doing the drill and tap operations, I started on the OD of the handle. Grooves I don't have to worry too much about the exact OD, but when knurling the OD has to be one of the multiples that line up with the TPI (teeth per inch) of my knurling tool and wheels:



To give the knurling a nicer finish, I turned the diameter using two tools, this one for the larger material removal:



And this one, which a PDC insert, which leaves a finer finish:



Once I reach the right multiple OD, I then start the knurling operation. With this cut knurler I really need flood lubrication, so I run it fairly heavy to keep the wheels cool and the debris out of the way (this is a cut knurling tool):





Here is the handle after the light knurling operation:



I then started working on grooves to get a similar design as in the handle, but scaled down for the DE handle:







Then as always, cut, trim, and bevel the base:



Here is the Titanium combo:



Ti handle on a Gillette NEW:



and on an EJ89:



Ti handle came out at 100.2mm, 16.7mm OD, and 2.8 oz:



I packaged and shipped to the customer earlier today (Sat):



and in case anyone wonders, yes, there are a LOT of Titanium shavings/debris left after these machining operations in the lathe:

Here is a short video of the knurling operation in real-time. It moves so slow (length-wise) that you can't hardly see it moving towards the chuck:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ze6hiR24h8M&feature=youtu.be

A customer here in the USA ordered a Ti DE handle, like the 2A style I have made recently for other customers: about 88mm long, 17mm wide, 2.8oz.

I started by drilling, tapping, and cutting the cone as always:



Clean the OD and get it to 17mm:


Cut the shallow grooves:



Then cut the deep grooves:



Cut to length, clean up, and bevel the base:



Finished Ti DE handle: 89mm long, 17mm wide, 2.7oz:

I was just going to ask if you could make a handle closer to the diameter of the iKon handle or the Weber handle. I have some nerve damage in my hands and I thought a larger handle would help, but the Muhle Grande handle actually made my hand hurt by the end of the shave. I have a Weber Classic on the way, but I love the look of that deeper diagonal knurling and the regular knurling.

I need to think up a design combo of the two types of knurling in an approximately 4" length and I believe one of your handles may be taking a trip down to ole San Anton before too long.

Really nice work.

Jeff_H said:

I was just going to ask if you could make a handle closer to the diameter of the iKon handle or the Weber handle. I have some nerve damage in my hands and I thought a larger handle would help, but the Muhle Grande handle actually made my hand hurt by the end of the shave. I have a Weber Classic on the way, but I love the look of that deeper diagonal knurling and the regular knurling.

I need to think up a design combo of the two types of knurling in an approximately 4" length and I believe one of your handles may be taking a trip down to ole San Anton before too long.

Really nice work.

Click to expand...

Right above (post #50) I made a "slim" Ti DE handle for a customer in Singapore. Send me a PM/email with ideas/drawing.

wquiles said:

Group photo with my latest Ti brush:

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Would you happen to be selling brush handles?

Perhaps with a minor change?