Thread: Stropping with Loose Pin

Unless you are really really experienced at it using a blade with loose pins will get you a cut strop at some point. I've come close to doing it myself and I hate loose pins too. Either tighten the pins or repin them.

As far as the missus not liking the use of the kitchen utensils for that job heck after she uses the Wustoff knives to pry things with she wouldn't dare say a word to me.

I've seen a forum member into restoring do as Glen described with a large serving spoon. The spoon was big enough that he let the weight of the spoon do the work. I use a 3oz riveting hammer on a small hobbyist's anvil.

Hit it a couple of licks and see how it is. You don't want to overdo it so proceed slowly. Once it is as tight as you want it check and see if it opens and closes on center. If it is not closing on center hit the opposite side of the pin and that will usually bring it around. At least IME.

My wife has been sure my pins are loose ever since I started shaving with a straight.

Great Question!!

A loose pin makes both stropping and honing more difficult than need be tasks.

If possible, tighten or replace.

Lynn

Whenever i have tried to persevere through a loose pivot pin, bad things have happend to my beautiful srd strop...

I'd imagine that stropping by holding the scales would end up putting pressure on the scales/pins and contribute to them getting loose. I think you should hone by holding the tang,

-Chief

Some great replies... Thank you....

I am concerned about one comment by Glen. "Nothing tightens one with a bent pin if the pin is doing this..." In fact, my pin is bent. the scales are skewed at the pivot. I can only imagine that this means that the pin is bent. This is how I got the blade when I got it from my grandfather.

Since the pin may be bent, would tapping it bend the pin more? So far I have not destroyed my strop, but I don't want to end up doing that. And to add salt to an open wound this loose pin is on my best shaver, so letting it rest in the coffin is just sad

That would(has) drive me nuts, good way to shred a strop, go to the cupboard and find some spoons. I gotta try that.

Originally Posted by fatpanda

Some great replies... Thank you....

I am concerned about one comment by Glen. "Nothing tightens one with a bent pin if the pin is doing this..." In fact, my pin is bent. the scales are skewed at the pivot. I can only imagine that this means that the pin is bent. This is how I got the blade when I got it from my grandfather.

Since the pin may be bent, would tapping it bend the pin more? So far I have not destroyed my strop, but I don't want to end up doing that. And to add salt to an open wound this loose pin is on my best shaver, so letting it rest in the coffin is just sad

Hi,
Why don't you ship it to gssixgun and have him repair it?
-Chief

Originally Posted by fatpanda

...Since the pin may be bent, would tapping it bend the pin more? ...

It almost certainly will. Unless it's already bent so much that the pivot hole won't let it bend any more, and so the scale splits.

It needs to be fixed, and since this is such a special razor I suggest you look for a restorer in the ads here, or just PM Glen. If you want to fix it yourself, re-pin several other cheap razors first. The wiki has instructions. Installing a new pin is not nearly as dangerous to the scales as removing the old pin, especially one that's bent.

As a temporary fix, you might get a strip of double-sided Velcro and wrap it around the scales just back of the pin. This will keep the scales from flopping around while stropping, but you should still be holding it by the tang.