Thread: Tighter pins=better stropping!

Hey all,

So after last night's shave I realized that the pins on my razor were getting loose. They're just little adjustable pins, sort of like miniature nut and bolts. So I got out a couple of pairs of tiny pliers and tightened 'em up until they were good and tight.

Well it made stropping SO much easier! Normally when I strop I have to hold the razor extra securely so that it doesn't fold in on itself during the stroke. But with it super tight today it made stropping a lot easier, and I got a smoother shave as a result.

So the moral of the story is: if you have loose pins, find a way of tightening them! It'll make stropping a lot easier, and it will make your shave that much better.

This is so true. I have one razor where the pins are very loose and it's a royal PITA to strop with the handle flopping all willy nilly. My razors with the tightest pins are the easiest to strop by far. The other thing that makes it hard to strop is a very large handle (on some customs for example). A small thin handle and tight pins strop the easiest for me.

Good point, Dave. I actually consider a loose floppy razor to be a hazard and I fix all razors I buy that are floppy for that reason. I also can't stand stropping with floppy razors. A jewlers ball peen hammer on a small jewelers anvil and some light taps make for easy (in most cases) tightening of factory pins.

Chris L

Dave you lucked out my friend, normally squeezing pins = cracked scales
Tap tap tap them tight....

I do agree wholeheartedly on tighter pins for good stropping in fact I include that for free when I hone razors...
I hold the razor upside down if the blade opens they are too loose, if it doesn't open but the blade won't hold open on it's own while sitting on the bottom of the scales it is a questionable one... Personally I like them tight enough so that the blade sits open...


WHOOPS!!! Just read the adjustable pins part

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Dave you lucked out my friend, normally squeezing pins = cracked scales
Tap tap tap them tight....

I do agree wholeheartedly on tighter pins for good stropping in fact I include that for free when I hone razors...
I hold the razor upside down if the blade opens they are too loose, if it doesn't open but the blade won't hold open on it's own while sitting on the bottom of the scales it is a questionable one... Personally I like them tight enough so that the blade sits open...

Well it was to the point where the blade would open/close on its own under only the weight of the blade. I tightened it enough so it would stay exactly where I opened it too.

I actually did crack the scales on a razor a few months back trying to tighten the pins too much....so I am well aware of those dangers!

Totally agree, but be careful on vintage razors that are not NOS and even them sometimes as it doesn't take much of any kind of tapping to crack the scale at the hinge pin.

Lynn

I agree. One other thing I find annoying is that few degrees of slack that most of my razors have. It's where the pin is obviously smaller than the hole in the blade, so no matter how hard you tighten them it is still too easy to get scale movement started while stropping and the momentum keeps it going.

Worst I have is my Dovo Micarta. Heavy, thick scales + that initial slack makes it a pain to strop. And the icing on the cake is the bent hinge pin, it's as if it was designed that way.

+1

Thick scales & loose blades are a PITA to strop. I have a small jeweler's hammer and anvil that I use to tighten up pins on some that are loose. tap tap tap...

I like the peened look on pins too instead of the microfasteners or some factory pins, the little hammered surfaces on the pin just look cool.

I totally agree, I have an anvil and peening hammer just to
make sure my pins are just right! I really love the adjustable
pins on Livis and other customs though, it's a great idea.

- Scott

Tighter is definitely better... Glen, I appreciated your thorogh explanation. Lynn, I appreciated your caution.

Cheers,
Tom