Thread: F. Herder - "The Spade"

Originally Posted by petercp4e

Thanks so much for the offer.
I did find a few things suitable for making a wedge.
I have micarta, ebony and lead that would work for this.
First I'm going to try Tom's suggestion and try to reshape the spacer that's there already.
If all else fails, I'll let you know.

Thanks!

Pete <:-}

Ok, sounds good, shoot me a PM if you change your mind.

Ya, Popping-off the bone wedge spacer and making one could be a way to go.
I was into the scale as I got them tapered like I wanted. Still the same material, so worked out great. Depends?

The spacer in the razor popped right out when I unpinned it. It was extremely thin to begin with. I filed the wedge end down paper thin and couldn't get the scales to taper outward enough so I made a new wedge out of lead. It gave me the angles that I wanted so I put spacers in at the blade end and repinned using the original collars.

Honed the razor on Naniwa Chosera, Naniwa 5k and 8k and finished on a Hohenzollern.
Took a superb edge and gave a fantastically smooth, comfortable shave.

Pete <:-}

Nice!

Glad it worked out well for you.

I just received mine yesterday. My first actual straight razor as I've been using a couple cheap disposable straight for 2 years. I have some bone to make a wedge, but have no idea what dimensions to shape it to. Sorry, I'm a recovering engineer... Also, where to buy a jig to cut washers? Lastly, how old are these Ace of Spades #25?

Your wedge should be of the dimensions that spreads the scales so you have some 'bow' in them as you pin the top and is of the thickness which sits the blade properly in the scales. Some have a formula. I use the trial and error method. Why I just tapered what was there until mockups showed it to work. Lazy!

A member here, Sorin, makes some nice thin brass spacers reasonably. https://sharprazorpalace.com/members/srmanufacture.html
Also ask Austin....He can hook you up as well....https://sharprazorpalace.com/members/ajkenne.html
Some use shim stock and drill/punch them out. They need to be THIN!

Here are a few different 8/8+ blades I was tasked to fit into these scales....
Very little of the spacer left on the #29 on the bottom after tapering it into one scale and none whatsoever left on the large and super-thin #30 on the top. The scales themselves were slightly tapered on this one.
No sign of a wedge on the ends.
This was necessary to sit the big blades high enough to keep them from coming through the bottom!
I was fitting 7 different grinds into 7 sets of these identical scales, so I mocked-up and custom-fit each this way.
Worked well..

I drill a hole in a sheet of .005 stock, then punch them out with a paper punch.

Originally Posted by Gasman

Spacers that are mensioed are the large washers that go between blade and scales in the pivot area. This keep the tang from wearing a ridge in the scales.

I misunderstood them. I didn't know the razor lacked spacers and thought he was referring to something to add to the wedge end. My mistake.

My brothers wife couldn't figure out what to get him for Xmas. He has been shaving with the same SR I gave him in 2015 and its time for another.
I said give me 80 bucks and he will be a happy man!
Just got the Herder #25 and I think I'll be making a sandwich with the existing wedge and silver or brass sheet.

These blades are gorgeous!
Though the scales are not to the same perfection.
Could use a little better sanding of the edges, sculpted just a little better. IMO. Just a little off.
I'm heading over to his house now to get it to fix it up this weekend. I'll take some pics.
Care to show a finished pic Pete?