Thread: Suminagashi custom straight razor - without happy end

I made this razor for a custom order. This razor was cursed, I think. I had a lot of problem with the heat treat and the acryl scales. I made the blade two times and the scales three times. After I sent to my customer. The edge was not perfect and after a few days the transparent acryl scales has broken. I refound the whole money, of course. Not a happy story but such is life.

Despite of the negative story I hope you will like the razor.

• Multi-Layered Takefu Suminagashi steel hardened to HRC 61
• 13/16" (21mm) wide blade
• Half hollow grind
• 70mm cutting edge
• Transparent acrylic scales with turquoise wedge
• Teflon pivot bearing washers
• Nickel-silver wedge/spacer pin with stainless steel washers
• Adjustable stainless steel pivot pins

The broken scales

very nice work, aesthetically speaking!, Too bad for the scales,.. I think it would be a shame not to try some other material with similar effect (tempered glass laminate maybe)?

Originally Posted by gregg71

...snip... After I sent to my customer. The edge was not perfect and after a few days the transparent acryl scales has broken. I refound the whole money, of course. Not a happy story but such is life.

Despite of the negative story I hope you will like the razor.

A very nice job of work!
A secret to making Acrylic and plastic scales. Do almost all the shaping by hand using a scraper and/ or sandpaper. If the scale gets heated by a buffer, the surface loses plasticizer (lágyító is close to the meaning) That substance keeps the plastic somewhat flexible even when in use. The loss of plasticizer makes the plastic prone to crazing or cracking because the surface is harder than the inside.
Experiment with some acrylic ( not any thing you wish to use for any razor) that you buff very hard to get the contour correct.
Let it sett overnight to stabilize and then pour some alcohol onto it. Or bend it a little or pin it. You may see what I am speaking of. Often the damage does not appear till a an amount of time after the surface is polished. That is what you experienced here.
It has happened to me when I was in industry and later if I got too aggressive with my polishing of scales.
Again, you did a beautiful job of work!
~Richard

Originally Posted by miha

very nice work, aesthetically speaking!, Too bad for the scales,.. I think it would be a shame not to try some other material with similar effect (tempered glass laminate maybe)?

I agree with miha. I would be a shame not to see that sucker complete.

Thanks for the kind words. I do not deal with this razor any more, I think. Maybe once a time....

Richard,

thank you very much. Good advice, thanks. I think the acryl dont worth the hard work at all. If everything is ok, it can also easily scratching. There are a lot of nice materials I will choose from them in the future.

I love the razor. You have a brilliant vision for making it. I hope once some time passes you will keep working on it. Thanks for sharing the story.

I'm sure that you will figure something out with the scale material and it will be better than before! That blade has nothing but potential!! (I know how it's going to shave!!)

Pete <:-}

I think it would look nice with some decorative metal liners or pivot cap.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G935A using Tapatalk

Thank you, guys for the nice words!

I know how it's going to shave!! - Pete, everything went well with your razor, thanks. But it was made from an other bar of suminagashi steel. Last time I quenched in water instead of oil this steel. This is very risky but worked well for me.