Thread: Straight razor - starter project

For what it's worth, if you're happy to start with a wedge, then you could do it all by hand. i have made knives that way. Just need a vice, a hacksaw {as Charlie said a quality blade will help}, some files and wet/dry paper. The pivot hole can even be drilled with a hand drill - doesn't have to be a drill press. Make sure you start with annealed steel, and send it out for heat treating. This is especially good if using stainless as a good vacuum heat treat will get the best out of it. i still profile my blades with a hacksaw and files. a file will also remove steel suprisingly quickly, so forming the wedge is not too hard. It is still slower than a grinder, which is a good beginning as you can stuff it all with a grinder in a second.
If you make one this way and decide you enjoy it enough to make more, then look at spending money on more equipment.
All else aside, it is also a very therapeutic experience doing it all manually.
Have fun.
Adam.

Adam, thank you for the post. I've been thinking about this post all day. I just can't seem to shake the sense that I need to do this, I guess!

What set of files will I need to do this kind of work? I have a drill press and a small bandsaw, and there's a machine shop handy if I need a bigger band, so I'm not too worried about cutting and drilling the blank. What I'm worried about is specifics.

Which steel?
Where do I buy an annealed blank of above steel?
Which files?
Where do I send for heat treating?
How thick to leave the edge before h/t?
How to taper the tang?

Stuff like that. I'm open to making a wedge at first. Seems easier to do by hand than trying to hollow. I've been trying to design a hollowing jig in my head all day.

SFShaver, you still here? Any questions you want to throw into the ring? Maybe we can go through this together.

Originally Posted by medicevans

Adam, thank you for the post. I've been thinking about this post all day. I just can't seem to shake the sense that I need to do this, I guess!

What set of files will I need to do this kind of work? I have a drill press and a small bandsaw, and there's a machine shop handy if I need a bigger band, so I'm not too worried about cutting and drilling the blank. What I'm worried about is specifics.

Which steel?
Where do I buy an annealed blank of above steel?
Which files?
Where do I send for heat treating?
How thick to leave the edge before h/t?
How to taper the tang?

Stuff like that. I'm open to making a wedge at first. Seems easier to do by hand than trying to hollow. I've been trying to design a hollowing jig in my head all day.

SFShaver, you still here? Any questions you want to throw into the ring? Maybe we can go through this together.

Maybe I can help answer some of your questions...
Which steel? Depends on whether you want high-carbon or stainless. You might start with either 1095 or O-1, or go up to CM154 or other stainless steels.
Where do I buy an annealed blank? Google "Jantz supply".
Which files? You'll need an assortment, kind of like asking which sandpaper you'll need to make scales... Again, look at Jantz.
How thick to leave edge before H/T? You'll want a coarse edge, basically you'll need to finish all your shaping, because after H/T you won't be able to shape with files, you'll need a grinder or stones. One test in fact of a good H/T is if you drag a file, it won't scratch the blade because it's now harder than the file. Thus, you'll need something harder to remove steel and that falls to stones, ceramics, or diamonds basically.
Taper the tang? I would think a grinder or you could do it with a file.

Good luck.

Thanks UPD! As a lot of answers are, your's led to more questions. Are all of Jantz's blanks annealed? They aren't specified. Or maybe I'm not seeing it. I'm going to have to find a tutorial on files. Sandpaper, obviously, I get. But files, well, they were just something dad had while I was growing up. Two types; coarse and very coarse. Haha. Anyway, I don't want to cheap out on them, but I don't need top of the line either. I just want to learn about them so I can make an informed decision. By coarse edge, do you mean mostly thinned, just not cutting sharp? Or something else?

Yes I think all of their blanks are annealed, one quick email to their CS would give you a definite answer.

Files, you'll need round, flat, and I use triangular quite often. Smaller needle files for intricate work, and larger flat files for heavy stock removal. Buy new sharp files and maintain them, when they go dull, get new ones. Sharp files make a world of difference, you'll spin your wheels with a rusty old dull file you find in the back of your garage. I think of files in a couple different ways: coarse to fine obviously, shape/size, single or double cut. I've never had much use for a double cut file personally, YMMV.

Make templates and tape things off so you don't accidentally scratch or remove steel you don't want to remove.

Important* Do all drilling and shaping before your H/T or you'll wind up having to anneal it and try again. Several heating cycles can compromise the integrity of the steel, it just won't get hard enough after the H/T if it's been through a bunch of cycles.

I've never tried making a straight razor, but I've made knives, and the fundamentals are the same.

Why don't you like double cut files?

I make razors using a 4x36 sander and a sears water grinder. Check this thread: http://straightrazorpalace.com/forge...ake-razor.html

Some things that I have learned with the few razors I have made:
-If you leave the edge too thin/sharp, it will potato chip on you.
-Trying to make "fancy" typically ends up making a razor look like crap.
-Thru-hardened steel doesn't bend (1095 steel anyways)
-Take the time while the steel is soft to get the razor where you want it before it's heat treated.
-It's not as easy as it looks.

I personally sent my razors off to Butch & Mike for heat treatment. I've got enough to learn right now on making them. Great guys who really know their stuff. Butch uses electric "fire" & Mike uses salt IIRC. I've almost got my "Grinder in a Box" done, so I'll be back at it soon.

Originally Posted by medicevans

Adam, thank you for the post. I've been thinking about this post all day. I just can't seem to shake the sense that I need to do this, I guess!

What set of files will I need to do this kind of work? I have a drill press and a small bandsaw, and there's a machine shop handy if I need a bigger band, so I'm not too worried about cutting and drilling the blank. What I'm worried about is specifics.

Which steel? CPM154 is a good stainless or O-1 for simple carbon.
Where do I buy an annealed blank of above steel? Jantz Supply is awesome. They will have everything you need.
Which files? i use a Magicut File for fast stock removal and a milling file for smoothing after before moving to wet/dry paper. With the milling file as the magicut marks are removed, starting pressing more lightly and you will leave a smoother surface. A half round file will help with curves {mine is a bastard cut} and a checking file is great for jimping.
Where do I send for heat treating? Can't answer in detail as i am in Australia. However i have heard Paul Bos is reliable.
How thick to leave the edge before h/t? Depends on carbon or stainless. carbon maybe 1/16". Stainless in a vacuum treat i go down to about 1/32". Take the time to get all scratches out before heat treating to make life easy. Be patient. i go to a 1000 grit finish. After heat treat in a vacuum i have only a light oxide coat to remove so i start again at 400 grit and work through a progression to 2000.
How to taper the tang? Use what you have. A file will do it.

Stuff like that. I'm open to making a wedge at first. Seems easier to do by hand than trying to hollow. I've been trying to design a hollowing jig in my head all day.

SFShaver, you still here? Any questions you want to throw into the ring? Maybe we can go through this together.

Patience and attention to detail make all the difference. Finish all shaping, drilling, filework, etc before heat treat. After heat treat it should only be hand rubbing to surface finish, then whack on a strip of tape to protect the spine finish and hit the stones.
Have fun.
Adam.

Does the steel shrink a little bit when it gets heat treated?

Here're the files I have picked out so far from Jantz.


#CTN07894 Magicut File 8"
Price: $9.95

#CTN08642 Mill File 10" Bastard Cut
Price: $7.95

#CTN08673 Mill File 10" Second Cut
Price: $10.95

#CTN08704 Mill File 10" Smooth Cut
Price: $11.50

And this steel: XF1610 O-1 Tool Steel 1/4 x 1 x 18