Thread: need help on this matters

# 1 is 3/16" scales harder to work on than 1/8"scales?Have new 3/16" scales with 3/16" spacer or wedge for the bottom,do I need to change the spacer to 1/8"?
# 2 how can you tell the age of a older razor,is it like the designs,noticed English,german have little different designs.
# 3 I have noticed some people refuse to hone the new razors,but will work on the old ones?Have been told that the new dovo's and other new razors are stamped from the factory and not hand made like the old ones or maybe the steel is not the same?
Would appreciate some feed back james

well, I got a wedge with the scales but its a 3/16"wedge,total height would be 1/2"---sounds like a monster wade butcher 7/8" or 1" razor.Either that or start sanding scales and wedge.
Thank you for the feed back guys.

3/16 sounds pretty thick for scales. The thickness of the wedge depends on the razor grind mainly, and notice it is a wedge not a spacer so one end will be thinner than the other.

I am not sure why some will refuse to hone new razors, I'd question the skill level in those cases.
Current Dovo are stamped from a sheet of steel but are hand ground. I am not sure how the other current brands are made, probably there are videos on that on the internet.

For dating razors, it would be best to post pictures here, and I am sure you will get feedback where applicable.

There are a number of factors in dating a razor. Size and shape of tang. What is stamped on tang (country of manufacture, logo, region of manufacture). You can find some info in the library on this site or strazors.com.

I usually use 1/8" wide scales, sometimes thinner. I tried 3/16, but it didn't feel right in my hand. If I use a spacer, the spacer is the same width as the spine. For wedges, I make the maximum thickness to be half the width of the spine and taper down over about 1/2"

To tell the age of a razor I usually just google the company name and model name or number on the razor. 80% of the time it leads me right back here to SRP where someone has identified it with a rough date. The other 20% of the time I usually find some kind of company history. To a certain degree you can guess from the original scales and monkey tang. You could also look them up in Goins. And obviously, you can post pictures here and ask the masses.

Honing and restoration are two separate processes in my opinion. While a lot of restorers hone, I could see sending it out to be honed to have a professional edge on it.

New razors are stamped from sheets of steel and come with a factory edge on them. A professional honing will set the bevel on it (the critical part) and deliver it back ready to shave. Once the bevel is properly set, a casual honer can maintain the edge with a 12k or 8k.

I hope that helps some. If not, feel free to expand your question.

3/16 scales are just as easy to make or even easier to make than -1/8 scales, but aren't optimal for the job. For at least 2 good reasons
1 weight
2 flex
Add if we are really picky
3 looks

Originally Posted by rocarule

3/16 scales are just as easy to make or even easier to make than -1/8 scales, but aren't optimal for the job. For at least 2 good reasons

Can you share some tips?

I am no expert but I am getting better at this. Check out maggard's videos on YouTube. Check videos 6-10 on straight razor restoration. That is what I use as a base for my restorations.

As far as weight the scales should be lighter than the razor. When I doubt try to aim for the original scale shape and weight, since craftsmen in the early last century knew more about it than we do. Once you become proficient at replicating and getting a good feel about scales you can get more adventurous.

Originally Posted by rocarule

I am no expert but I am getting better at this. Check out maggard's videos on YouTube. Check videos 6-10 on straight razor restoration. That is what I use as a base for my restorations.

It is easy for those that have power tools I agree, for those that have no sander or planar thinning is not as trivial.

The theory still the same, but takes a bit more time. Do you have a
A coping saw
A large enough flat enough surface to work on (where a whole sheet of sand paper can fit) for the curved part get one of those sanding blocks that are a solid piece of rubber.