Do a "site search" for words and phrases that come up.
site:Straight Razor Place - Welcome to Straight Razor Place phrase or words
mikeblue has posted some very informative posts... he has
been there and done it.
There are three key steps... shaping, heat treating, final shape and polish
Start with a quality high carbon steel that has been heated and cooled SLOWLY
so you can shape it and cut it with a file or on a belt sander. Soft enough
that you can drill or punch the pivot hole. Even shape with a file while the steel
is still soft. Shaping can also be done with fire, anvil and a hammer.
Next heat treat so the steel is hard as heck, then annealing just enough
that the razor is not brittle like glass but is still hard as heck. This is harder
than it sounds to get correct.
Lastly do a cautious final grind taking care care to not wreck the temper
yet result in the final grind, shape and polish. The pros use wet wheels
as you can see on the Dovo factory videos.
Then make and apply scales and hone to be sharp and shave ready.
This is a long list where each step must be done correctly to result in
a razor worth shaving with.