Thread: thinking of starting to make custom straight razors

Great info guys thanks alot. Wat u think would be the best way to start off developing the skills to grind. Anyone here know Wat is a good start off grinder that would be available to get my hands on. Nothing to break the bank. thats also good enough to start as a hobby like someone said earlier. I might not like the idea or have the skill to grind for a living. I do have a full time job as a fishmonger and I handle knives but that doesn't mean I good at grinding. Lol

My first grinder was one of those little ones you can use for sanding doors and floors. You can mount them upside down and have a flat grinding plate as well as a two inch wheel to work on. They cost only about 100 - 150$.

I think harbor freight also makes very affordable 40" belt grinders.

These things are pretty good value for money.

Also for practice use something like 1084. It is very cheap, heat treatment is foolproof and you can buy it annealed which makes drilling and stock removal a lot easier.

Also for heat treatment plenty of people here can help you with that. I will do it for free if you pay shipping. Probably there are people here from oz who are much closer. That way you don't have to worry about all things at the same time.

hills heat treatment in bayswater is the one most guys (including some professional knife makers) use (and recommend) here in oz of they don't/can't do their own.

Sweet. Thanks. As for the heat treatment I've got a place close by that can do it for a small fee. Just takes few weeks to get ur stock back. But that's not a worry. Bruno Wat type of size contact wheels r more commonly used for hollow grinding 6/8 . 7/8 razors.? I've found few cheap belt grinders on ebay but not sure there the right ones to get a start on buddy

Originally Posted by DrDalton

hills heat treatment in bayswater is the one most guys (including some professional knife makers) use (and recommend) here in oz of they don't/can't do their own.

Yeah I no of them. Thanks Dalton. Also Wat grinders r available in oz bud that u know of. All the information out there r merican grinders. Any u think is great to start off with. Or a site u recommend for me

Personally i prefer 4" for most grinding but in terms of non specific hollow grinding, anything from 2" to 8" will do.

John,
you might want to take a look at these noob grinders sold by GAMECO in Aus & built in Aus by a couple of the lads from the Australia Blade Forum plenty of reviews on AFB about them also,
Gameco is good Aussie source of materials etc they mainly knife related but still plenty of useful bits for Str8 makers also

Noob Grinder Packages - Artisan Supplies

John,
you might want to take a look at these noob grinders sold by GAMECO in Aus & built in Aus by a couple of the lads from the Australia Blade Forum plenty of reviews on AFB about them also,
Gameco is good Aussie source of materials etc they mainly knife related but still plenty of useful bits for Str8 makers also

Noob Grinder Packages - Artisan Supplies

Yeah I've seen there stuff. Not to sure if there o1 flat stock is the size that I was after. We're do u get ur steel from buddy. Do u recommend gameco for grinders heat treatment machines only or do u thing the stock for scales is good aswel? We're is there better choice of steel u think for straight razor making