Thread: Custom Straight Razor by the Muskrat Man

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No I did not bookmatch the scales, the wood was not thick enough to permit it. I made the spacer from red brass.

Thanks all for the input!

It's always great to see someone jumping into making custom blades!!

That blade is 'silly' thin!! I agree that brass tubing would make that a great frameback and solve your width issues. I can not imagine trying to hone that!

GREAT start!!

C utz

I like it. A little hollow ground on an 8 inch wheel would be poifect.....

Lynn

I really like the looks of it, but definitely not for a honing newbie like me! Still a sweet looking blade, tho...

That's one elegant looking razor there. The sleek bade with its sharp angles and the roundness of the ironwood scales make for a nice balance between vintage and modern.

That is a very nice razror there. I very much enjoy the picture of it being balanced on the antlers.

I really like the simple lines and finish of your razor.

I think a simple custom is something that's missing from the market I suspect that there are lots of people like me who like the idea of a custom razor that shaves well and comes in material/grind/size that's not generally available, but don't want to pay for shaving jewellery (I like a shiny razor, but I'm just as hapy with a satin finish, don't care for fancy filework and scales made out of exotic materials don't turn me on - no offence to people who like this stuff, its completely a matter of personal taste/preference).

The blade is likely on the thin side and the flat grind would really make honing a PIA - I think the idea of using tubing or a slotted solid bar (which would add more weight) to create a thin-bladed frameback is a great idea. This would both give the razor more weight at the spine and make it hone like a hollow.

I'm interested in the steel - how well does it hold an edge and how will it stand up to shaving (i.e., frequent exposure to water and soap).

Great job!

Thank you al for your questions, comments and concerns. I'm awaiting the arrival of a frameback to examine, when it gets here I'll try adapting a similar type of construction to my razor design and materials and see what happens. I can see your concern with the honing, but I didn't find it that difficult, I just honed it like I tend to do my knives and it wound up with a really nice edge. The steel holds and edge well, like I said before, I make my hunting knives from this same steel, they can clean a deer without a problem and hold up to the blood, and afterwards the soap and water. I tempered the razor a bit harder due to the fact that it is a razor, and I know most razors that I've examined are much much harder than a knife. I'm assuming so it holds it's edge and isn't as prone to rolling over (due to it's thin edge) after it shaves a few passes. I have a couple folks interested in one, if they do decide to purchase one I'm hoping they will give me a full feedback report on it's performance.
My Best Regards
Kaleb

P.S Not trying to make this look like a spam thread or anything. Didn't post it with intentions to sell, but it just turned out that way

Kaleb,
I will be one of those people wanting to buy <g>. With the flat, the wedge design, is there a secondary bevel as on a knife or is it one flat plane from spine to edge? Is this to be honed dead flat on a stone or did you need to lift the spine as on a knife?

I like this one but would be just as interested in a frameback too.

Tony

Tony, I lifted the spine. there is a VERY SLIGHt secondary bevel on the edge, but for the most part it is flat ground from spine to edge with a honing bevel on the very edge since the spine was lifted. I honed it just like I do my hunting knives. no promies on a frameback, I need to study the deisgn and figure out a way to make it, so it may be a while before any framebacks come out of my shop.