Hey Guys, so I was ask by one of my buddys if I could make him a straight razor.... I naturally asked him why?.... and he said he always liked them and would like to give it a try. so Naturally always up for a new challenge I agreed and this is what came out of it. 01 steel for the blade and but end purple hearth for the scales lined with copper and brass pins and washers. I really enjoyed making this type of project, and figure wont be my last, for those more experienced in this type of work, please let me know what can be improved or done differently. Hope you guys like it,
Looks nice, I would give it about 30 coats of oil but that is just me. For the rivets to reduce splitting on the edges work them a little slower, lighter taps take a bit longer but you get less fractures from work hardening the pins. A dimpled look to the rivet might be nice and a chipping hammer with a small point might work.
Thank you John, I will go oil it....tried to buff it, but not that shinny. make sense for the rivets...first time doing it.
A Danish drying oil or Tru-oil works very well on the wood. even some boiled linseed can work for a more matt finish
looking good, especially for a first. I've been wanting to make a straight razor for a long time but haven't got to it yet. Mainly because I have never even held one or even seen one close up so I'm not even sure about the dimensions.
same problem here, I just googled dimensions for straight razors and found a few info...but not so much on the size of the scales.
i am not qualified to critique the work at all but, i love it. I do have a question about it. It reminds me of these knives I've been really interested in, These peasant knives by svord. Is there something special about the pin that the blade pivots in those or in your straight razor? Is it a special pivot barrel or just a rod. Also, what is the logic behind needing a pivot barrel if you're using one? Cool razor Peter. Though i don't know how guys can shave with those things.
Hi Todd, they are also called friction folders. I personally don't think that frictions folders use a special pivot barrel, mostly just pins ( someone can correct me if I'm wrong) the pivot barrel or bushing in a folding knife are to assist in the smooth opening and closing and reduces the friction. I personally used pins and washers as spacers on either side of the blade. for this particular type of blade you really don't want to flick it out like a spring assisted knife lol *****Friction folder*****
Awesome. Good to know. I was thinking about trying to make one, a friction folder that is. They seem pretty doable for a rookie.
So, would it just be the force of epoxy holding the scales on the pin then or do you have to peen them down to make sure they're secure?
well for the razor I only epoxied the copper liner to the scales. all the rest have been peen. don't want any epoxy restricting movement.
Sorry to be a pest Peter but, one last question. Do think it would be necessary to line the inside of the wood scales on a friction folding knife too? Was it a decorative thing for your razor or is it functional as well.
I like to think as both....personal preference, the liner acts as protection for the scales, prevents them from wearing out. and also my next one planning on doing some file work on the liners edge, so that would add to the decorative aspect of it.
The blade looks good, I like the spine work. Did you use 1/4" or 3/16" stock for the blade? For a straight razor, the scales are too bulky. Typically I use 1/8" thick materials to start with, contour the edges and end up with a final thickness around 0.1". Also the wedge should be roughly 3/4 the thickness of the spine to allow it wo sit nicely in the scales. What did you hone it in?
Hey Jonliss, Thank you , I used 3/16...only thing I had on hand. And your right about the scales, since it was my first I had no idea of the thickness it normally is and found it bulky feeling in the hand. As for the honing, I started it off with a standard wet stone, the client wanted to put the final edge on it.
I tried a straight razor to remove the wire type beard last week at 2am. combination of not being able to sleep and curiosity if the razor was sharp enough. It is an interesting experience to say the least and found out both razors really need some work on the cutting edge.
I love friction folders. They are fairly easy to make and have been around for a long time. The pivot is often just a pin -- a sleeve or barrel isn't needed (though it will help with wear in softer scale material. How much you peen the pivot determines how easy it is to open. That's the "friction" part of the folder. You want it tight enough so it doesn't come open in a pocket, but not so tight that you have to pry the blade out. You can also make them sans liners. It's more of an aesthetic choice than a necessity.
Question about peening when using wood. Is it just a matter of counter sinking the hole for the pin and then trying to only hit the metal pin? i.e. is there a safer way to peen the pin or some method that the pros use? That's really the only daunting part of it for me. Also, can you "peen" a stainless pin or do you need something like brass?
