Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast
Results 1 to 10 of 25
Like Tree50Likes

Thread: Advice for a newbie

  1. #1
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Boston-ish
    Posts
    7
    Thanked: 1

    Default Advice for a newbie

    I've been shaving with a straight exclusively since this past December and have been silently lurking in this forum sponging up any information and answers to my questions since then. Any question I had, I was determined to find answers to here, on youtube and when all else failed, I reached out to some vets who have been absolutely fantastic about answering my questions.

    Over the last 9 months of doing this, I've become fond of big ol choppers, but the cost of them blew me away. Being the DIY-er that I am and fascinated by learning new things, I decided to research even more and see about make my own.

    I have some wood working experience (furniture and some decorative carving) so I have a workshop with a bunch of tools/stations already.
    Things I didn't have that I've acquired for this:
    A 2x72" (which I made out of plywood) with a 1.5HP 3460 rpm Siemens "severe duty induction motor" ($50 off craigslist -old but never used) and a KBAC 27D. I also got a milwaukee portable bandsaw with a table for it to help cut through steel as it is much better suited for this than my big wood bandsaw (even with high TPI blades for metal weren't working too well for me).

    I can't afford a HT oven yet so I plan to send a few off for treatment soon, but before I do, figured I'd make my first post and look for some criticism & advice.

    Full disclosure, I scoured the internet looking for inspiration and was pretty blown away by Farnham's work on sageblades, so I tried duplicating one of his pieces from his website (the big one). I know I'll never be able to come remotely close to what he does, but I loved his shape/design and figured, I'd try my best to duplicate it.

    These are my first 3 and I've learned a lot. They're all O1 hogged out from 5/16" blanks -I went with that thickness knowing that I wanted to aim for at least 1" razors.

    Here they are (top was my first, middle my second, bottom I did yesterday):


    Name:  my razors 3.jpg
Views: 476
Size:  13.8 KBName:  my razors 2.jpg
Views: 520
Size:  15.9 KBName:  my razors 1.jpg
Views: 445
Size:  16.5 KB
    earcutter and JOB15 like this.

  2. The Following User Says Thank You to NickyJ For This Useful Post:

    Lemy (08-18-2018)

  3. #2
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Boston-ish
    Posts
    7
    Thanked: 1

    Default

    and spine view:
    Name:  my razors 4.jpg
Views: 437
Size:  26.0 KB
    earcutter, JOB15 and jfk742 like this.

  4. #3
    Senior Member MrHouston's Avatar
    Join Date
    Aug 2017
    Location
    Texas
    Posts
    274
    Thanked: 70

    Default

    Really nice work. I have no knowledge to share.

    Is it possible to hone one now, to see how it works and check the geometry?
    earcutter likes this.

  5. #4
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Boston-ish
    Posts
    7
    Thanked: 1

    Default

    I’ve gotten the edge down to 1mm. Hopefully that’s not too thin.
    Thinner than that I’d fear warping during heat treat.
    spazola likes this.

  6. #5
    aka shooter74743 ScottGoodman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    SE Oklahoma/NE Texas
    Posts
    7,285
    Thanked: 1936
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    Ergonomics is something you must consider while both shaving ans stropping. The sharp areas of all 3's spines would ruin a strop. Ergo's on 3 is iffy.
    sharptonn, 32t and MrZ like this.
    Southeastern Oklahoma/Northeastern Texas helper. Please don't hesitate to contact me.
    Thank you and God Bless, Scott

  7. The Following User Says Thank You to ScottGoodman For This Useful Post:

    earcutter (10-27-2018)

  8. #6
    Junior Member
    Join Date
    Dec 2017
    Location
    Boston-ish
    Posts
    7
    Thanked: 1

    Default

    Thank you so much! That really helped me to change my perspective. Reading that I kicked myself with a bit of a "duh" moment, haha. Looks like I got carried away with making it look interesting/fancy that I lost sight of those essential aspects which should have been #1.

    I might be able to salvage them with some refining (smoothing edges/taking high spots down more) and maybe, because its 5/16, regrind shy of the spine too (instead of up to it) to allow more of a rounded meaty buffer leading up to the spine to help prevent shredding a strop?

    Maybe I ought to focus more on more simple designs until I get hang of that before trying to go as fancy?

  9. #7
    aka shooter74743 ScottGoodman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2009
    Location
    SE Oklahoma/NE Texas
    Posts
    7,285
    Thanked: 1936
    Blog Entries
    4

    Default

    I and many others keep a few old sheffield razors around for reference. Why? Because they work. Ergonomics while shaving and stropping is paramount. All razor makers have screw ups...especially in the beginnings. There are ways to make those more useable.
    Southeastern Oklahoma/Northeastern Texas helper. Please don't hesitate to contact me.
    Thank you and God Bless, Scott

  10. #8
    Heat it and beat it Bruno's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2006
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    15,130
    Thanked: 5229
    Blog Entries
    10

    Default

    It's one thing to make outlandish designs. I've certainly made some.
    But even my wildest designs are still pretty much sharing the same geometry as a sheffield razor when you strip away the aesthetics.
    And the aesthetics themselves, even when wild, are designed in such a way that they don't interfer with handling the razor or stropping the razor, and none of the razor damages the strop.

    Name:  20150911_Draco_Front.jpg
Views: 395
Size:  27.0 KB
    Til shade is gone, til water is gone, Into the shadow with teeth bared, screaming defiance with the last breath.
    To spit in Sightblinder’s eye on the Last Day

  11. The Following User Says Thank You to Bruno For This Useful Post:

    Gasman (08-21-2018)

  12. #9
    Skeptical Member Gasman's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    Colorado Springs
    Posts
    10,473
    Thanked: 2182

    Default

    Thanks for jumping in Bruno. I was hoping a razor vendor would pop in.

    The designs the op are trying for are nice, but would be hard to handle and use. Nice to put on the wall when done just for looking at. Im NOT a razor maker at all! So my hats off to you for jumping in and trying this. But id think that in the beginning you need to stick with the basics until you get a few as right as they can be. Learning the right way is the most important. Then after you have learned what is really needed in a razor, go to the fancy stuff. Brunos razors get fancy and very special but they are still in the basic shape so still usable.

    It takes time and mistakes to learn so your on your way. Keep us posted.
    DZEC likes this.
    It's just Sharpening, right?
    Jerry...

  13. #10
    www.edge-dynamics.com JOB15's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    London
    Posts
    3,066
    Thanked: 512

    Default

    I'm impressed
    Keep at it.

Page 1 of 3 123 LastLast

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •