Thread: Most Expensive Mistake?

Got a rusty Puma off eBay. Surface rust but a lot of it. About half way through getting it off I let the Dremel get away from me and put a huge chip in it.

Paid a pretty chunk for it. I suppose the scales being in good shape is one consolation.

That being said, trying to make myself feel better, what's the biggest, most expensive mistake you've made?

*edit* It's about 1/4" from the heel...

(sorry, I love to hear when other people screw up as bad as I do)
Hey, look at it this way...now you have those Puma scales you needed


I'd say the worse I've heard is J.Crowley doing the same thing and killing a 7/8" Wonderedge! I tell him, that's like killing a unicorn...... A mythical beast to be sure!

OH, I've killed my share of Razors. I guess the last one I remember was a Henkels 415 5/8" with cracked ice scales and nickel-silver bolsters....OH, and a nice BIG chip in the blade.

I swear, it's a new custom design!!

C utz

Originally Posted by C utz

that's like killing a unicorn...... A mythical beast to be sure!
C utz

Funny you say that... last week i had a beautiful 7/8 "Unicorn" razor tore out of my hands by a belt sander...

Ping Ping Ping around the workshop it went... I wondered if it was even worthwhile looking for it.

End result wasnt too bad... I've convinced myself that it works better as a 5/8 anyway.

Greg Frazer

Originally Posted by Greg Frazer

Funny you say that... last week i had a beautiful 7/8 "Unicorn" razor tore out of my hands by a belt sander...

Ping Ping Ping around the workshop it went... I wondered if it was even worthwhile looking for it.

End result wasnt too bad... I've convinced myself that it works better as a 5/8 anyway.

Greg Frazer

Geez Greg - forget about the razor mate! A flying razor could've turned *you* into a 5/8

I've got a dremel and have used it a bit to clean up a few old, manky blades. But generally I just crack out the sandpaper or a cloth and Autosol and go it by hand.

James.

Originally Posted by Jimbo

A flying razor could've turned *you* into a 5/8
James.

I hear you mate... it's happened twice and both times were a result of getting distracted by something else. When using the belt sander (for razors anyway) I wear a leather shop apron with a generous pocket in the chest area... usually i keep a 6x6 inch piece of 3mm mild steel in the pocket... a bit like a rednecks bullet proof vest and goggles of course.

You have to be mindfull of the position of the steel against the belt, so that if you do loose you grip on it then it will naturally fly away, not toward you... if it hits the block wall behind the sander it can rebound but "hopefully" its lost enough energy not to be dangerous anymore... you can be practically guarenteed it aint got a sharp edge anymore though

Greg Frazer

Okay, mine was not during a restoration but did kill a great razor.

I won a beautiful vintage Thiers Issard Sparatcus on ebay for around $80. Square point, grained "French Ivory" scales with an inlaid Gladiator in brass. Perfect blade, honed up quickly and off to the shave I headed. I finished stropping, laid the razor on a towel still open (big mistake) and opened the medicine cabinet door only to have a comb fall out and drop directly on the blade, splitting it cleanly edge to spine.

Never even got one shave off of it.

Tony

Originally Posted by Greg Frazer

...you can be practically guarenteed it aint got a sharp edge anymore though

Greg Frazer

Yea, but they say it's the dull one's that are going to get you!

C utz

Originally Posted by Greg Frazer

Ping Ping Ping around the workshop it went... I wondered if it was even worthwhile looking for it.

End result wasnt too bad... I've convinced myself that it works better as a 5/8 anyway.

Originally Posted by Greg Frazer

I hear you mate... it's happened twice and both times were a result of getting distracted by something else. When using the belt sander (for razors anyway) I wear a leather shop apron with a generous pocket in the chest area... usually i keep a 6x6 inch piece of 3mm mild steel in the pocket... a bit like a rednecks bullet proof vest and goggles of course.

You have to be mindfull of the position of the steel against the belt, so that if you do loose you grip on it then it will naturally fly away, not toward you... if it hits the block wall behind the sander it can rebound but "hopefully" its lost enough energy not to be dangerous anymore... you can be practically guarenteed it aint got a sharp edge anymore though

Greg Frazer

It would be fun to watch you work...from behind a thick shield. I think I'll stick to my old hand tools...and they say I'm crazy!

- Dale

Originally Posted by Jonedangerousli

Got a rusty Puma off eBay. Surface rust but a lot of it. About half way through getting it off I let the Dremel get away from me and put a huge chip in it.

Paid a pretty chunk for it. I suppose the scales being in good shape is one consolation.

That being said, trying to make myself feel better, what's the biggest, most expensive mistake you've made?

*edit* It's about 1/4" from the heel...

Ouch... Sorry to hear that.

I split open my left twinky with a str8 that required stitches. I guess that was pretty expensive.

After this story, my 13/16 Puma is going to be handled only by a professional (not me!) when it comes to clean honing, and rescaling. It is probably going to Joe Chandler very soon.