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After reading the comments in the other thread where someone posted a custom razor design I thought "wow, these guys don't hold back!". Since I have thick skin, I thought I may as well post a similar request for comments on a design I have been working on. It is a work in progress, and there are some elements I am not sure about so it will be interesting to see what comes up. Here it is - fire away.
Attachment 233171
Looks pretty neat. A couple questions.
What technique to put in the dimples?
Materials? Double check the forge. Might want to get a ref for a reliable metal source.
I think a less hollow grind would be easier for a first razor. Maybe a quarter hollow/near wedge?
Dimples are just a quick and nasty was to show hammer finish. The hammer will fade as it gets to the shoulder as is shown, but it won't be round dimples.
I am not making this blade myself. I am working with a local expert for the smithing. I'm just coming up with the design. So steel I believe will be 80CrV2. Grind will be around half hollow. Blade finish to be polished. Scales to be Silky Oak, supplied by me. The timber is out of an old wardrobe that belonged to my in-laws way back when. Pins and wedge to be brass.
Form is always in the eye of the beholder so that is all up to you..
My only comment is about function
On the bottom two especially, the upturn of the pivot end of the scales, will actually push your thumb away from the tang and the Thumbnotch making those designs very awkward to strop...
Edit:
Just a suggestion, use O1 steel, razors are simple tools, and I have seen quite a few custom razors that don't hone or shave for crap made outta "Super Steels"
Well, Mate, the spikey corners are NOT user-friendly and the dead straight-edge that looks like it is frowning is SO passe amongst those in the know. Those who make only that have no imagination outside of their box. Twice-pins on the wedge end is also nobueno! :D Make a razor according to what works! YMMV
There you have it!;)
I like the blade, slight smile might be nice...
Hammered finish will be sharp too.
Function is what I am really after input on, so thanks.Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
I'll consider a slight smile. All my razors (only 4) are all straight.
The current design is straight, no frown here.
See what I mean! :rofl2:Quote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
Make the wedge an actual wedge. To me, nothing says lazy amateur more than a "wedge" that is straight.
So my preference is to simple design. No crazy tails, short and sweet, the long tails get in the way when I'm shaving. No spike points, they make blood leak out of my face and I don't like that. No space between the tang and the scales, it is way too curvy in all the wrong places. Smiles are always nice, I like it when my razors smile at me, it makes me smile back. The hammered tang is a plus. I do like the look of a well done hammered finish. Nicely done file work on the spine is always nice to see. Jimps are good too, and the shape of the heel although it comes down a freckle too low is also a bonus, although a well done shoulder less is also nice but often a swing and a miss. I have to say I have never made a razor and my thoughts are about form and function and based on the favorites in my rotation.
Next level of development of the idea. Just for kicks model it. I haven't bothered putting the jimps or hammered finish on there, nor have I bothered getting it perfect. There are a few square corners that will not be there and a not to mention the funky facet in my quick and nasty extrude for the scale.. but you get the idea. Oh, and the lighting sucks in the elevation making the brass wedge appear black!
Attachment 233507
Attachment 233508
Attachment 233509
3d models are usually funny colors unless you specifically render the model. You could spend months monkey'ing around with colors.
Well. The spine is not humped! That part looks tonnes better!
The modeling is pretty cool. Making it smile would have it close to awesome. Sometimes the little embellishments in the making put it over the top. Spine work and such things. I'm fairly easy to impress.
True. It's easy enough to move the light or add another but couldn't be bothered.Quote:
Originally Posted by dinnermint
Actually your post made me realise I had forgotten to put the spine filings in!!Quote:
Originally Posted by RezDog
How much of a smile? Laying a straight edge in the blade edge, how far away from the edge is the heel and toe? Maybe just match the curve of the spine?
The smile on the edge should match the spine of the razor. Smiling razors give a great shave IMHO.
Yup, just match the curve of the spine. You are getting there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
Bob
The curve of the edge should always match the curve of the spine. A few mm on either side is actually a big difference in how it will shave, and then end goal should always be about the shave,Quote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
The bevel (the plane from the edge to the spine) is correct on this even with the curved spine. Manufactured as drawn, the blade will sit flat on a hone because the face of the spine that touches down is flat.
I've been thinking about the geometry of a smile in terms of the bevel and it's doing my head in actually. I can't picture how it works. I'll have a play around with it at lunch tomorrow.
All I can think is, if you extend the length of a smiling blade around the same radius 360deg, the bevel becomes a cone, not a flat plane. If a razor smiles, and has a flat bevel, which it must, the face at the edge where the bevel is seen, must get longer at the heel and toe, and skinnier in the middle. I've never held a smiling razor so I don't have a reference.
All shapes and grinds aside
The most noticeable factors I find are the dimensions of blade ( 3"+/- 1/4" )
and thumb area (1& 1/2") heal to pivot
Also agree on O1 as the steel and suggest you make a copy from thin ply or Perspex to confirm the feel of your design before you shell out the big coins
I think you will need to draw a cone as mentionedQuote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
The smile only needs to be a few millimetres of curve not to extreme to be effective
Drawing it is easy, you should try grinding a 3" long curved hollow smile on a 2" wide flat belt lol
A note on Honing a smiling blade, the blade edge and spine is not flat on the hones the whole time, this is why you need to do a rolling X stroke to get the full edge length right
Have you honed a smiling blade, one with a curved spine and edge? You will remove the smile from a blade by just up and down strokes on a hone. They need a swooping X stroke and sometimes with a bit of a roll in it if there is a twist/warp in the blade or tang. It is hard to visualize unless you have done some honing on that style of blade.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
Bob
If you have a consistent width of blade the bevel will follow and be correct. You also need to take into account the thickness of the stock you are using so you get the correct angle to suit width of razor. Search here for Saito, Kikuboshi and smiling razors will help with design ideas.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
If the spine thickness is the same plus the grinding and geometry is good then honing a smiling blade shouldn't pose much of a problem, here's my custom 8/8 smiler with a very even small perfect bevel I've honed the razor a few times very straight forward razor to hone using X strokes.
http://i713.photobucket.com/albums/w...k.jpg~original
To me that Waterhouse is kind of a benchmark for a custom razor in terms blade shape. It's not a 'hey look at me' design, but neither is it a replica. Personally, I like stamped tangs.
Generally I put custom razors into two camps: hot rods and classics. My bias is the classics. There are people who like both.
I agree with the idea of a smiling blade, i did some research on this myself about a year or 2 ago and found that about 1/8" deep is a good amount of smile without causing headaches for honing etc.
It also looks like there is going to be a fair gap between the toe of the blade and the wedge when closed, it could just be an optical illusion though and it is purely aesthetic anyway.
I am not sure if hammer finished tang and spine filework might look a bit busy, alternatively they may juxtapose nicely.
If i were going to notch the scales at the wedge end i would probably notch the wedge as well. I realise that the idea is to show off the brass though.
No I haven't. I just maintain my razors and send them out for honing.Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
Ok, so a smiling razor doesn't have a flat bevel. That makes sense....Quote:
Originally Posted by Substance
If you scroll back to the top of the thread you will see in the background of the image some sketches where I tossed around the idea of the notched wedge. In the end, I decided to expose the wedge. Might be a pain to keep polished though.Quote:
Originally Posted by edhewitt
Thanks for all your feedback everyone.
OK, it can be hard to visualize something with no experience with it and a bit of a handicap in designing a straight razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Sxot
Regardless of that you are doing well with your evolving designs by incorporating suggestions as you go.
Bob
