Thread: Razor Strap

Hello folks. Meet Dana, my very naughty razor. Ever since I received her last week, she nearly bit me twice and again just now. The kind of razor that keep flailing around; not very tight at the pin (is this the right diagnosis?). Until I figured out on how to solve the problem (any DIY suggestion?), my simple temporary solution is to put her in a leather strap (more like leather ring). Better be safe than sorry right?

What cause razor to be flailing around? Is that a common production problem or something happened to it in all its years?

The pins work loose over time.
Put one side against a hard surface like a hammer (small anvil if you have one) and GENTLY tap the other side of the pin with a large soup spoon (very small ball peen hammer if you have one).
Flip the razor and do a lot of small taps on the other side. The key here is to do a lot of little taps.
Smack it too hard and you will break the scales.

There is a lot of information about peening in the workshop area.

Good luck!

OK, GENTLY, got it....but with an ivory scale, I might have to ponder for a while whether that would be a wise thing to do...

*looking for a large soup spoon

Hi Pesa,

All of my peening & tightening was done w/ a tablespoon. The nice thing about using a spoon is the reduced likelihood of bending the pin. They already come w/ a reasonably well polished surface - which keeps a nice finish on the exterior mushroom shaped end.

+1 on tightening the pin.

I use a strap when travelling. I simply slip my razors inside a section of bicycle tubing, cut to the length of the entire. razor. That way they cannot open or get scratched in transit. Works pretty well and costs nothing (I keep all my spent tubes for various DIY projects). Tubes for road tires (which are narrower) work best.

I have a vintage razor in ivory scales (pre-ban) that I've had to tighten the pin on. I used a small ball peen hammer and VERY lightly tapped with lots of taps. A tablespoon is probably the smarter way to go with ivory , though.

Ivory tends to have very tiny peens without washers, which makes it very easy to crack them..

Although the spoon works well in many situations that is one where I would be very reluctant to use it, at least check to make sure that the peen is sitting up high enough for the spoon to strike only the peen and not the Ivory..

Usually I use a very small 2 oz Ballpeen hammer for Ivory scales.. If you check WidgetSupply.com they have a steel Jeweler's block and small ballpeen hammers that you can get shipped to you for less than $20 this is something all SR users should probably have...

I saw the peening fix for loose razors in Lynn's DVD. I use a small hammer and peen I have for gunsmithing. Light and works like a charm.

I have good luck tightening pins using a brass anvil and a four oz (113 gm) ballpeen. The brass anvil cushions the peen strikes so that progress is quite slow.

I learned a hard lesson about ivory many years ago. Now that I'm OLD and a little(very little) smarter, I am content to leave ivory scales alone, and just enjoy them. I can deal with less than steller tention, but I couldn't forgive myself if I cracked the scales trying to tighten them up. Might I suggest that you practice with a few other razors before you attempt ivory? Good Luck and Happy Shaving, John