First and Last Razor made for 2013

Greetings Everyone,

A few years ago, I tried to make a couple of straight razors, but I ground them too thin and they potato chipped when I tried to heat treat them. I never got around to trying again.

Then, about six weeks ago my barber asked me to make a straight razor for her. I had brought in my own Wade & Butcher for her to use when shaving the back of my neck. She liked it, and she asked me to make her something similar. So I did.

I used 3/16” x 1” Starrett O-1 for my steel. I bandsawed and ground out the blade, heat treated it in my forge, and ground it some more. I finished it up and honed it on 12/31/2013. Once I finished, I went to get my last haircut of the year.

Since I currently have a full beard, I couldn’t really test out the blade myself. My barber used it to shave the back of my neck, and it cut smoothly, without any nicks or pulling, so it seems to be good to go. She seemed very pleased with the razor (she picked the scales), so everything appears to have worked out well.

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps87c4038c.jpg


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps84c2656a.jpg


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps3012f95f.jpg


http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps8bdbfcc3.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps0b735c77.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...psa4da857f.jpg


With this razor and one kitchen knife for my wife completed in 2013, I believe I doubled my average yearly output. Whew! :rolleyes:


I want to thank Charlie Lewis for the excellent razor making videos he has so graciously posted. I found them very helpful when I set about making this razor. Thanks Charlie!

Now that is a blade shape and style I could use, very nice. I'm pretty conservative when it comes to scale colours and patterns but in this case I like them too.

Bob

It's a beauty Chris, great job.

Very nice work, the wade & butcher resemblance is very noticable!

Your barber has good taste. Great scales!

It is a beauty. Love the look. Are you going to make more? If so, how much are they going to be?

I think it looks great and really like the blue scales.

The blade contour fits my needs perfectly. Very well done.,

Dave

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Very nice work, the wade & butcher resemblance is very noticable!

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+1...Very nice indeed!


WP34

Looks good! Jimps looks nice a well done too. You defiantly paid homage to the W&B that inspired it.

Now make some more. :-)

I cannot say more than Joe did,
nice work!

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Originally Posted by pfries

I cannot say more than Joe did,
nice work!

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+1
:chapeau

Nice work!

That is very nice! I'm more of a traditionalist when it comes to blade styles and do not see many customs I'd want to own, but that is one I would love to have.

Thanks for the kind words everyone!

I do have some more razors that I working on, both in this same pattern and in another that I found on the web. With my rate of production, I should have another one done by next summer. :w It doesn't help that my belt grinder is in my unheated garage, and it's supposed to get down to -9 degrees tomorrow night.

In case anyone is interested, this is the Wade & Butcher I based my razor on (read, traced the blade shape). It's a partial restoration I did several months ago. I just wanted a user, so I didn't go all out polishing the blade.

Before:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps595c0bfc.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps5051d160.jpg

After:
http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps30e537f8.jpg

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f2...ps63d41878.jpg

Since the Wade & Butcher is only a 6/8 and I had a 1 inch wide piece of steel, I just extended the width of my razor a bit. I probably ended up between a 7/8 and an 8/8 (to account for the slight smile), but I forgot to measure it before I gave it to my barber. As you can see, I wasn't brave enough to attempt recreating that beveled spine.

Love that scale material. Actually have some of it in the workshop right now. I just lack razors to restore. haha. Keep it up!!

very nice. well done sir.

nicely done!


PS. may I ask what that flashy acrylic material name is, where you got it,... ?

Thanks everyone!

The acrylic scales are listed with the name "Cobalt". I bought them from a place called Wood Pen Pro. The "Monster" blanks are fairly inexpensive, but the shipping cost me more than the a couple of blocks I bought.

I would say something but it would be repeating the other comments!!
Awesome!!

Ray

That looks like you have made many!

Chris,
What diameter contact wheel did you use on that razor you made? Very nice job on that!
-Brian

Nice to see a blade that's not a monster, and more traditional, great job!

Thanks everyone!

Brian, I used a 10" wheel that came with my Bader BIII grinder.

-Chris

Very nice! I was hoping you would say that you used a 10" because I like that look and I have a 10" wheel for my KMG. Have you ground any razors at a smaller diameter?

Man that looks beautiful. Oddly enough the firat thing I thought of when I saw it was Electro the Spiderman villain. I think that is what he might use to shave. looks like electricity

Need a new barber? Im jealous, wish my customers would make me something that fantastic!

Thanks everyone!

Brian, No new ones, but I have re-ground old blades on a 5" wheel that I got from Sunray, Inc (I got a 70A duro [hardness] wheel). If you are interested in extra wheels, you can order directly from Sunray, but there's usually a short delay while they make the wheel. If you're in a hurry, Tracy Mickley at USA Knife Maker Supply carries the Sunray wheels in a variety of sizes for just a bit more money, and he may have what you want in stock.

I remember Electro from the old Amazing Spider-man comics in the 1970's, which I guess makes me really old...

Dennis, no offense, but I bet my barber is cuter than you, and she likes to wear cowgirl boots over skin tight jeans. :w

I love the scale design and material used, the entire razor's Outstanding!

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Originally Posted by ChrisMeyer

Dennis, no offense, but I bet my barber is cuter than you, and she likes to wear cowgirl boots over skin tight jeans. :w

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Nice razor but im not gonna dress like that, thanks though haha.