Thread: Soldering Worn-out Pivot hole in Razor

Hi... I've been shaving for a few years now... restoring for the last 18 months or so..I just restored a Joseph Rogers & Sons razor with horn scales.. and when disassembling came across heavily worn out pin pivot hole... As and electronics geek, I thought I would try soldering to fill the hole... I made sure the blade didn't get any hotter than hot water would make it... and It seems like it did the trick... I was able to sand down smooth and drill a new hole... Has anyone done that before... Attached are the photos from the restoration...

I usually put a small washer in the hole. I think someone said the holes were done with a punch at forging. That is why they are not round.

What is that on the scales in one of the photos? Glue or solder?

By the way, nice job.

Nice work.

A few years ago it was all the rage here, to pin old Sheffield’s as tight as we could get them.

Guys were peening in brass tubes and rods, epoxies, and gluing or brazing in all manner of plugs, rivets and what not, then drilling the pin holes straight and true.

Apparently they stamped the pin holes, back when they were made and did not drill them, and what we though was excessive wear, was a normal pin hole.

Some of us had fits, trying to get a bushed tight, hundred-year old razor to sit straight in the scales.

So, many of us have found, that it does not really need to be done, as they will work just fine, when they are re-pinned. Your original pin hole looks to be about normal for a Sheffield of the day. Nice work, and a great save on the scales.

One of the coolest idea is popping in a rivet filing it smooth and drill it straight, quick and simple, or JB Weld.

Enjoy.

I have yet to find an easier fix than to just fit a brass or nicad tube into the pivot hole. Mark it, and use my dremel to cut it to size, insert, and then pin the scales. Works like a charm everytime with no fuss. And will last forever.

If you absolutely need to do it, an aluminum pop-rivet works great, as Euclid440 mentioned.
here; http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ml#post1666985 post 4455 onward.

Originally Posted by lz6

I have yet to find an easier fix than to just fit a brass or nicad tube into the pivot hole. Mark it, and use my dremel to cut it to size, insert, and then pin the scales. Works like a charm everytime with no fuss. And will last forever.

I've also had success using brass tubing. To cut it I insert an old 1/16 drill bit then use a utility knife and roll it back and forth on the bench until it's cut.

The only reason to bother, is if you are doing a set of Custom Scales and you are an OCD type person and like to get the Wedge fit really tight..

But if the wedge vs nose fit is open like on most production razors were then there is simply no need


One thing I always have warned about for the last 9 years on here is that if you make it a tight fitting pivot hole you open yourself up to other issues

A Brass tube that fits near tight eliminates all that

Remember the tang is NOT straight, so when you fill and re-drill you have to take that into account it is tapered from top to bottom and front to back.. Worse the older the razor the less likely that taper will be even from side to side

A little Slop on the pivot holes is not a bad thing

Tons of feedback, many thanks ! ! I never thought that it was punched not drilled... That makes so much sense based on how some of the holes have looked... I'll stop trying to fix what isn't broken... LOL.. OCD... Isn't that what gets us into this stuff in the first place... Thanks again for the information and feedback..

That's epoxy on the scales... Died black to closely match... It wasn't 100% but pretty good..