Printable View
Hello,
I have just purchased my first straight razor and have had it for a few days now and shaved with it twice and have just noticed the monkey tail is off center when the blade is open in alignment with the scales so it binds on the side of the scales slightly and leaving slight marks on the polished tail.
Is this normal for a razor to do this and therefore acceptable tolerances?
Thanks.
Attachment 72684Attachment 72683
Is the razor new or old. I would say it's not acceptable in a new razor, but in an old one, well, you decide if it's acceptable to you.
Some things I am assuming even from the very limited pic...
This is a restored blade???
This is a Sheffield razor???
i looks simply bent to me...
When you close it is the point centering within the scales ? If it is the tang may be slightly bent. If not it could have been pinned in such a way that it skews the blade within the scales. Whatever you do I wouldn't try to bend the tail. You may be able to adjust it by tapping the pins but you'd have to know what you're doing.
It looks crooked in the scales to me FWIW
I have seen it quite a bit in the older razors. It's a total pain in the tail to get one of those to center in scales I promise you... As long as the blade closes on center I wouldn't worry about it.
It looks to have a straight blade, but as mentioned, is crooked in the scales. Put a straight edge across the center of the pins, as you have it pictured. If the straight edge line is straight, the pin is probably bent in an "s" shape and not visible until unpinned. If the straight edge is leaning with the blade, then the pin holes were not drilled straight. Is the pivot tight? The scales seem to be of wood,ie customs. Might be a chore to fix. Without seeing it in person, I would say if you bought it from a reputable seller, contact him and ask if he would correct/rescale it. Nothing wrong with that! Otherwise, there are some fine guys here who can help!
I D/L'd the pic and by running a straight line through the spine and center of the opening in the scales, it appears that the blade is, in fact, crooked in the scales, AND the tail is bentQuote:
Originally Posted by Havachat45
It is not uncommon for tails to be untrue as a result of the way they were ground. I believe if it was straight in the scales, it would be a non-issue.
Hello,
Thanks for the comments.
The razor is brand new and is a Wacker 5/8 with rosewood scales. The razor seems to close relatively on centre although it may be off when closed a millimeter.
As this is my first razor I have no other to compare it to. I have tried to eyeball a straight line though the centre of the razor but as I have nothing to compare it to I was not quite sure what I am looking for.
Should I be concerned by this being a relatively costly razor?
Thanks.
The more important thing is that the point or any of the edge doesn't contact the scales. That said, if I paid a good $ for a new razor and the monkey tail hit the scales it would probably be sent back for an exchange. Is the pinning snug or loose ? If it is loose that might account for the problem. Otherwise it is either a bent pin or a skewed monkey tail. Whether that is acceptable is totally up to you.
Hello,Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
Thanks for your reply.
The pinning appears to be firm and the razor opens and closes smoothly with no slackness apart from the slight binding of the monkey tail when it travels through the scales. The razors edge does not seem to come in contact with the scales as I slid a piece of paper through from the bottom of the scales when the razor is closed as a check, although it is slightly off centre. When the razor is opened in alignment with scales as per my photos and when the razor is held out sideways and parallel to the ground the scales are angled from the alignment of the razor.
I am a bit of a perfectionist when it comes to purchasing so called quality products and this is probably how I noticed this problem (if it was a problem in manufacturing) and was not sure if this was meant to be. By reading the posts so far it does appear this alignment issue is not normal so would this give me good grounds to possibly ask for a replacement or am I just being too fussy?
Thanks.
For me if I paid the price of a new Wacker and the monkey tail rubbed the scales I would want a replacement or the situation corrected, if that were possible. Years ago they used to have what they called 'seconds'. These were items that were imperfectly manufactured in some way or another and sold for a discount. If I pay full price for a high dollar item I expect to get my monies worth, not a second, so if it was me I might return it.
Yea you paid good money for a new item and it's really not even a strictly factory made item more a limited type thing made by one guy. I would send it back.
