Thread: Where to buy Scales, Wedges, & Pins ???

IMHO...

Tony, what you're looking for doesn't exist. Refurbishing a razor isn't like fixing your car... there is no "razor parts store". That's why antique razor restoration is a hobby... and like most antiques the restorers have to make parts. If this wasn't the case, Bill's restoration CD wouldn't be so popular.

Several members (in the past) have offered some "kits" of basic parts and woods to help other members out... usually this was done by someone trying to make a few bucks/keep themselves occupied "between jobs". Currently I don't know of anyone doing that, but I could be wrong.

Tools... without some power tools (other than a Dremel) I suspect you're going to frustrate yourself because you have said you were used to using power tools in a prior life... so carving or filing or hand sanding away large amounts of wood is probably just going to piss you off. (Maybe this is a subliminal excuse to start acquiring those tools again? )

Scales... since the blades of str8 razors are a variety of lengths, widths, and thicknesses there can't be a "one-size-fits-all" scale... so if you're blade isn't close to the right size to match the scales you can get from Classic, you have to make your own. 1/8th hobby size wood is available from a number of sources and there's all sorts of exotic horn, bone, etc. materials available from knifemaker materials suppliers... all of which you can find by reading a little here or using the search tool. Hardwoods are popular because they look nice and they are more forgiving to errors in the pinning process.

Wedges... similar to scales, their size (thickness and taper) needs to be matched to the blade (if you're going to do it right!). Hence they need to be shaped to "fit". Plastic and wood wedges are manageable with hand tools and a Dremel, but I think you need more if you're going to use brass, etc.

Pins & washers... there must be a hundred threads that address this... both how to and where to get the materials. Most of them make it sound easy. Honestly, getting the materials is the easy part... assembling them so that the blade is centered in the scales and properly tensioned is the uncertain part... particularly if you're a perfectionist. Fixtures and tools may help you drill better holes, form nicer heads on the pin, fashion fancy washers, etc. But they won't help you much when it comes to the final steps where you have to actually assemble it. As with most things, practice makes perfect. When you get it right the razor will open/close with correct tension and centering for a long while... do it wrong and after you open/close the blade a few dozen times it either gets loose, or goes off-center, or the scale cracks. Just my $.02, but I recommend you practice repinning junkers for a while before you attack a project using a $40 piece of exotic wood or a fancy nudie scale you're repinning. When you don't get the results you want take the time to figure out why... was the wedge taper wrong? Did you bend the pin peening it? Etc. Otherwise you're doomed to repeat the error.