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I suppose that 're-purposing' a straight razor into a general-use knife should be the least of one's worries, but this guys products do make me shudder.
Eg: CUSTOM HANDMADE KNIFE - J.R. TORREY STRAIGHT RAZOR - eBay (item 110652078061 end time Feb-25-11 19:34:24 PST)
nothing to do with me - price is ridiculously high for what it is.
Evidently the item has been removed.
Still there, but you have to look for it because the above link doesn't work.
CUSTOM HANDMADE KNIFE - J.R. TORREY STRAIGHT RAZOR - eBay (item 110652078061 end time Feb-25-11 19:34:24 PST)
In my humble, know nothing opinion is a POS. And an expensive one at that.
And he didn't stop at the Torrey...
http://cgi.ebay.com/CUSTOM-HANDMADE-...item19c360b7b1
OK, the link worked this time.That should not be done to a Torrey.
It is a good looking knife, I hope he used a razor that had a big chip out of it. I am not sure, but I hope he used a broken razor. If not, he is doing a lot of work to ruin a good blade for just a few dollars.
If I come across a few blades that are FUBAR, I might save them for a project like this. (Only if they are FUBAR)
:confused:
That is pretty interesting--Looks like the fellow has some skill, it's just too bad he's using str8's that might be great restorations for shaving. There is something that is just so beautiful about an older re-stored str8.
I've actually made a few of those with broken blades. Not as good as his but they suit my needs. Mostly for leather work.
Zacsaddy
I can see using a banged blade for leather work, but honestly can't see any use for a knife blade that brittle. First time you test that blade it's going to snap in a bad way, and I wouldn't want to be the one holding it when it does that.
I must say hes done good work but I certainly hope it was a damaged blade.
Heres a picture so its not lost forever when ebay deletes the listing in 90 days. CUSTOM HANDMADE KNIFE - J.R. TORREY STRAIGHT RAZOR
If you look at the overall shape of the blade, that looks about right to be a blade that was destroyed by cell-rot. If that's the case, I think this is a wonderful way to make something useful and beautiful out of an otherwise useless former razor.Quote:
Originally Posted by nun2sharp
I've seen MANY razors that were damaged in some way that made them useless as razors, but left some great steel for somebody who was adequately skilled with a grinder. In fact, I have a Henkel's 401 with a crack half way through the blade, about half way down the length. It would probably be a prime candidate for something like this, and would make a really beautiful little knife in the right hands.
A full wedge or 1/4 hollow would make a knife that should not have the problems of breaking that you would have with a full hollow.
Better to make something usefull out of it than just leave it to rust in a drawer or throw it in the trash.
Zacsdaddy
edited to add: Here's a thread I started last year about just this subject.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ed-blades.html
i dont like it one bit and i'm a knife and razor lover Torrey's are one of my favorite razors what a waste of a great razor
Ya'll are really not going to want to see this.
Making a Carving Knife from Little Shavers
Wood carvers have been making knives from straight razors for years. So you're not just competing against other straight razor shavers and restorers on ebay.
Sorry for the bad news. I've actually thought of converting one of my broken blades to a carver just to use it for something other than a drawer filler.
Zacsdaddy
Unfortunately here in Russia, too, often from razor blades to make the carving ...
http://rezbaderevo.ru/topic.php?topic_id=146
Even when I bought my first razor salesman in the store said that they are buying mainly for that ...:(
Quote:
Originally Posted by Zacsdaddy
On the up side, even that article saysQuote:
[FONT='Comic Sans MS', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]If I can take a quote from Harold Enlow, "don't turn a $100.00 razor into a $30.00 carving knife". The point is; that straight razors are very collectable and some are highly prized and valuable. It is a good idea to do a little research on the subject of razor collecting before you begin making knives.[/FONT]
The form and finish of the knife are pretty much OK, but I don't approve of the use of an old razor for this kind of knife at all. :nono:
I can see the steel of a straight razor being used for a small hobby knife or one meant for cutting leather. In other words, a light duty knife which will not encounter any heavy stress.
The reason should be pretty obvious to any of you who have ever dropped a razor and seen it shatter when it hit the ground. Straight razors are generally more brittle than knives and unless that blade has been (re) heat treated it might fly apart with potentially dangerous consequences if used in a prying or heavy cutting situation. I don't even like to think about it.
Anyone that uses a knife, any knife, as a crow bar will soon learn it's the most expensive and least effective crow bar there is. They also make lousy screwdrivers.
Zacsdaddy
In a previous life I went to evening classes in classical guitar making. The luthier teaching us used a knife made from an old razor to shape the heel at the base of the neck: not such a bad use for a wedge in poor condition I reckon, but by and large I can't approve of such activities. It's not as if really nice knife blanks are hard to get hold of, after all.