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The Folding Knife (& Switchblade) Forum The materials, techniques and the designing of folding knives. |
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#1
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Straight razors
Hi guys,
I want to play around a bit with folders and I was looking at starting with friction folders - the straight razor. I just started using some of the older shaving systems and was looking into making a straight razor or two to go with it. I am confused at the assembly of the razors. I can't figure out how it opens to 270 degrees for shaving and closes without ether dulling the blade against a stop pin or cutting the user's hand. I started by contacting a forum - http://www.straightedgerazors.com/forums/index.php but I haven't got a response. They are a much smaller forum with no where near the traffic we have. Any help or ideas guys? Jim __________________ I cook with a flair for the dramatic, and depraved indifference to calories |
#2
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Hey Jim.
I use a straight razor, so I can tell you. At the butt end of the handle, the gap the blade rests in is much narrower than at the tang end. This allows the cutting edge to fall into the slot, but the blade catches on the sides of the liner at about the midpoint of the bevel. If that's not clear, I'll try to do a crude graphic to illustrate. |
#3
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See if you can contact Frank Warner. He's on the forums. Look at his personal profile. He specializes in straight razors now.
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#4
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Have you thought of looking in pawn shops for old straight razors. One look and it will be obvious.
ron |
#5
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I'll take a couple of pics of mine tonight and post them tomorrow.
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#6
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OK, my cell phone takes awful pictures, so I tried to illustrate the point.
See how the gap closes up toward the butt end of the handle? And the bevels actually touch the edges of the liner at the end of the blade. The cutting edge falls into the slot, but the bevels catch on each liner, holding the cutting edge away from the backspine. |
#7
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Cool Jamey.
I think I got it now. I still need to save up for the wheel attachment for my KMG. I don't think that a flat grind will work on this blade. Thanks Don. I had PM'd Frank but he doesn't hang around here much. When he wrote back he confirmed that there wasn't much information on razors. He did recommend getting a few to play with but I wanted to do some research first while I'm saving up for the wheel. Unfortunately I'm still fairly new. There are some areas that I still can't follow well by looking such as what size wheel would you use for the hollow grind? I've never done hollow grinding before. What temper should you take it too? Should this be taken to a harder temper since it won't need the toughness that a hunter would? Jim __________________ I cook with a flair for the dramatic, and depraved indifference to calories |
#8
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If I had to guess, I'd say about a 4" wheel is what mine's ground with.
If you've never hollow ground, I'd suggest getting some practice on something other than a straight razor blade. A straight razor isn't ground like a regular knife blade. It gets really thin in the middle of the blade, and a little thicker just above the cutting edge. Like the following: When you sharpen a straight, you lay it flat on a stone, with the spine and cutting edge touching, and keep the spine and edge in contact with the stone. This keeps the edge angle correct and consistent from sharpening to sharpening. I'm not trying to discourage you, but a straight razor blade is definitely not a project for someone who hasn't hollow ground before. I have, and I'm not sure I'd have any level of confidence that I could pull it off successfully. But if you get some practice with small-wheel grinding, you could probably pull it off. [EDITED to add] There are straights that are flat ground. They are called "wedges", and some folks like them better than the regular hollow ground ones. They are harder to sharpen, though, because instead of taking a little off the spine and edge, you have to hone material off the entire face of the blade. Just saying, if you're a good flat grinder, flat grinding a straight razor blade is fine, just a little different. BTW, the Straight Razor Place forum you found is a great source of info on straights. [/EDIT] __________________ Jamey Saunders -- Charter Member, GCKG (Got a question? Have you tried to for the answer?) "I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, and I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same of them." --John Wayne, in The Shootist Last edited by Jamey Saunders; 06-19-2007 at 08:36 AM. |
#9
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Oh boy. It looks like I digging myself into a hole again
I was going to practice on a couple of daggers first with the hollow grinds. Small hollow grinds seem to look better than other grinds on decorative pieces and damascus. I'll give the flat ground ones a try (not that I'm a good flat grinder, just passable), that way I can play without waiting for the new equipment I've been working on a couple single bevel pieces with some Japanese style and scandi blades. That site is full of great information, but very little of it is on making them. I would like to see a couple of their maker/restorers give our site a call. Some of the pieces they are doing are fantastic!! On sharpening and using, I don't think you will find a single site with more information. Thanks for your guys help, I sure I'll be asking for more Jim __________________ I cook with a flair for the dramatic, and depraved indifference to calories |
#10
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Did you see the pictures of Josh's big Christmas razor from a few months ago? That thing was HUGE!
I looked for images, but they aren't up anymore. Here's a thread about a razor made by our own Frank Warner: http://www.straightrazorplace.com/fo...ad.php?t=10213 |
#11
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razor parts
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blade, knife, knives |
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