Thread: How do you make a razor from scratch?

sidkid,

Please let us know how this all works out. I've been tinkering with carpentry for almost 50 years and am daily amazed by what I don't yet know about my own trade. For one to pick up all the craft necessary to make one's own razor may not be as immediate as you appear to believe, but best of luck to you in that endeavor.

Originally Posted by sidneykidney

And am I better getting an old blade made of quality steel, reconditioning it and making a handle for it?

IMO this would be a much better/easier/more realistic start in my opinion. Once you master this and still want to move on then you will have a LOT of work ahead of you. Check out the Bill Ellis razor restoration CD to get you started restoring razors, that will keep you busy for a very long time.

its not a problem really
buy the right steel (not sure what you want to use)
grind a wedge about the easiest form as i can see it
heat treat
reagrind the wedge
make some scales



ok ok thats way not how hard it ready is its much worse
and im still learning
can you do it with a rock and plumbers torch i think so but be ready to learn and then get real tools to make a better razor

stop over at bladeforums and look at the knife makers sub forum lots of info there please try and read first tho as a ton of your questions have been talked about before

I once read an article by someone who made knife blades by grinding down files.

Originally Posted by syslight

nope,
first you need to take a big pile of you scratch money and send it to a razor maker then try and wait paticiently...

Thanks, now what do I do with this big pile of rocks?

I am sure a straight razor can be made from flat file. The high carbon in the steel should be good for razor making.
You get ahead start because some flat files already have the basic shape (5/8"x3/16"x9").
Pick one up in a hardware store for a few bux.

Originally Posted by smythe

I am sure a straight razor can be made from flat file. The high carbon in the steel should be good for razor making.
You get ahead start because some flat files already have the basic shape (5/8"x3/16"x9").
Pick one up in a hardware store for a few bux.

A big question is where did the steel come from. If it's recycled steel you get a Zeepk. Recycled steel molecular structure is not nearly as cleanly defined and when hardened it is "lumpy" on the molecular level. To cut to the chase, files are great for knives. A premium quality steel file in high enough carbon content will be hard to come by. It might just be cheaper to buy a razor.
I makes me wonder how the Wapencia is so good for so cheap?

Originally Posted by Kenrup

A big question is where did the steel come from. If it's recycled steel you get a Zeepk. Recycled steel molecular structure is not nearly as cleanly defined and when hardened it is "lumpy" on the molecular level. To cut to the chase, files are great for knives. A premium quality steel file in high enough carbon content will be hard to come by. It might just be cheaper to buy a razor.
I makes me wonder how the Wapencia is so good for so cheap?

Metallurgical content or the refining hardening/tempering process?

Sure there may be files with questionable metallurgical content but many things in life is a crap shoot anyway… even a new razor.

There should be files made of high enough metallurgical quality out there.
Annealing, hardening and tempering may produce a decent razor. Only I am not sure if the steel can produce an edge at the angle of a straight razor (I must research that).

Sure it would be cheaper to just buy a new razor but it’s much more FUN to make one.

Originally Posted by smythe

Sure it would be cheaper to just buy a new razor but it’s much more FUN to make one.

Yep, it's just like tying flies for fly-fishing. $200.00 vice, $150.00 for tools, $100.00 in materials and you can tie 50¢ flies all day long. Catching a 22" 5 lb. trout on your own fly---------------

you can get good known steels starting from3-5 $ a Lb up to some of the stuff i have in the shop that shipped was 85$ a lb
get steel you know will work
if you want to spend the time at the grinder might as well make sure its with the right steel