Thread: hello from wyoming

Hi all. my name is Joe Calton and ive been lurking here for the last couple weeks, learning about straight razors to be able to make them. I am a knifemaker and normally make very thin flat and convex ground kitchen knives, the other day I made a couple lockbacks and slipjoint pocket knives and ended up learning how to hollow grind. sitting there thinking about the hollowgrinding, for some reason I thought I should make some straight razors since i havent ever made any of those.

funny how a simple thought can lead to a couple weeks of serious study and lots and lots of shop time :}

I dug out my old razor, then bought a 11 piece lot of vintage razors off ebay, then new stones all the way down to the naniwa 12,000 and a very nice strop. fast forward a couple weeks, and now ive forged and finished a couple basic ones out of 1095, ground clean through one from the side. and am shaving most days with one or another. today I finished the first one that I thought I had most of the basics down on, about a 6/8 extra hollow with the rounded point. single piece ipe handle, brass pin and washers and then shaved with it.

but anyways, I just wanted to introduce myself, and to say thanks for the forum, which really shortened the beginning of my learning curve to start making these!

Joe

Welcome to the forum Joe.

Hi Joe,

Welcome to the forum.

I am sure I speak for others when I say, "show us some pictures please". It is great you are applying your skills to the art of the creation of straight razors, I look forward to seeing your progress.

Hello Joe and welcome to SRP.
I'm now looking forward to seeing your work on razors and how it progresses.
Enjoy the forum.

Pete <:-}

Welcome aboard Joe!

Hope to meet you in person during Denver meets.
Cheers!

thanks for the welcome fellas!!

here are some pics.... I hope picturetrail is ok here.

this one is of them forged, heat treated and rough ground



this is the first with a handle, maybe the first one ever with a set of kydex scales??? it was handy and thin, so that's what I made them with anyways...



and the last one is the one I finished today, with a one piece ipe handle




these are all pretty rough, but I usually have to make at least a dozen of anything until they start looking and working the way I would like them to. and lots of firsts on these. I think the last one is only the 9th blade ive ever hollow ground. first time making a handle like that, first time working with ipe {got it for a custom edc knife order, so wanted to play with it}. just a ton of fun building these things. but it shaved pretty well today :}

but the last one has a extra hollow grind, with the little taper grind leading to the heel, a point shape I like, a tapered tang, brass outer and inner washers, the blade closes in the center, and with the tapered tang it holds the blade harder when open, and the handle is sized and weighted appropriately it seems, and most important, it will shave with the sheffields and Solingen vintage ones that I have :}

even though it will probably be a couple months before I get to it, I cant wait to see the first one I finish in 1095 and 15n20 pattern welded steel, maybe around 300 layers, with some nicely polished cocobolo scales and maybe some light jimping on the blade top and bottom right behind the heel.

bluesman, those are some nice ones on your website!!! and I see you are in Denver, I'm in Cheyenne, we will have to visit sometime!

neehooya, thanks for the welcome! we have Denver meets??? when and where?

Originally Posted by caltoncutlery

bluesman, those are some nice ones on your website!!! and I see you are in Denver, I'm in Cheyenne, we will have to visit sometime!

neehooya, thanks for the welcome! we have Denver meets??? when and where?

bluesman has been the driving force behind the meets here . We typically meet 2x year ( around Feb/March and July).
btw, can't see the pictures...

Thanks Joe. Nice work on your first razors. I'll keep you in mind if I'm heading north, you do the same if your headed south.

Here is where the meets are listed;Get Togethers and Meetings