Thread: Busted Razor Recyling

What do you guys do with your old dead straight razors?

If a nick is too big to re-hone out, if the blade is broken
or misshapen through wear, do you throw away,
or make some thing from it.

I was thinking of using a 'dremel' type cutting disk
on the edge and making a small pull type saw for modeling,
or something similar with an old razor I found that really is
too bad to restore, and wondered what you guys did with
your 'too far gone' razors.

Worst case scenario, I take it apart and hope that it at least has thrust washers! Sometimes that's the best you can hope for.

Originally Posted by Utopian

Worst case scenario, I take it apart and hope that it at least has thrust washers! Sometimes that's the best you can hope for.

Sometimes I buy lots of clearly ruined razors in hopes of such treasures!

Letter openers , box cutters, scrappers, mostly the 1/2 hollow or heavier grinds... The full hollows get trashed, they can get too dangerous for my taste... All usable parts go in the recycle boxes on the bench...

Oh, I just remembered another use. I use one for slashing bread before baking.

I've always been interested in using found objects to assemble new ones...maybe use the blade and one of the scales as clock hands?

Originally Posted by nickymcc

I've always been interested in using found objects to assemble new ones...maybe use the blade and one of the scales as clock hands?

That's not a bad Idea.. but I believe the blade would be too heavy for the motor used in today's movements (even a full hollow).

I personally have a 50 gallon plastic drum for scrap metal.. so any blade that can not be saved goes in there with everything else. I have toyed with the idea of making other objects out of them but just the possibility for injury working with an edge like that, even dulled, gives me pause.

I saw a web page somewhere that had broken razors cut down, the tang placed in a wooden handle and used for wood carving.

Found it, here's the link:

Making a Carving Knife from Little Shavers

What is a thrust washer? ------

Originally Posted by flyman

What is a thrust washer? ------

It's the very thin washer between the tang and the scales. It's the one you don't see until you take apart a razor and the damn thing falls on the floor and then you have to crawl around on the floor with a flashlight trying to find it before the stupid cat that eats everything on the floor finds it first.