Thread: Cleaning jimps

Hello,

Any tips and tricks for cleaning the jimps on a razor?

Thanks

wire bush,,,,,,,,,,,,

Jimp file. What else?

.....

I was using a soda blaster, but in a post about a year ago, a gentleman from EU stated that cleaning all the black out of the jimps changed some historically correct state. I’ve been thinking unless there is something wrong with the jimps, I am not going to clean the drop forge black from jimps. The soda blaster was totally fast and effective. I have a very tiny one for models etc.

I use 3M Radial Bristle Discs on a Dremel. The maroon wheel work best for cleaning jimps and the spine between the scales. They will remove rust and muck from jimps, without removing metal and leave a like new finish. Use them at slow speed on the Dremel.

You can buy a small set from EBay for about $10-15 of various grits. they can be ganged up to make a larger brush, but thin enough to fit between the scales.

For dirt and or grime I prefer to use a dental pick.

Also 600 grit greaseless on a used wheel, so there is just a bit of grit, not a fully loaded wheel will clean and shine jimp up in a minute, if the scales are removed.

You can buff them with scales, but you must be careful not to hit the scales and there will be some of the tang that you cannot reach. Here the Radial wheel can get in there.

I use 600 grit greaseless a lot and keep 3 wheels loaded with different amounts of 600. Fully loaded, half loaded and barely loaded. When the barely loaded get reloaded, the rest move down in progression.

Hitting a corner with a loaded wheel quickly removes the grit, so if it is too aggressive, just buff a corner then hit the jimps. A lightly loaded 600 wheel is good for removing blade blemishes without going too deep.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

Jimp file. What else?

Absolutely! As others wrote, a wire brush or radial wheel on a Dremel works wonders; but cleaning the jimps (especially those on the underside/thumb-notch) was only half the battle: the rest was getting them sharp. I didn't want rounded, dull jimps rubbing my thumbs like a tired bar-girl at 3AM -- no, I wanted them to grip! Hence, the file (triangular, lest you had some doubt).

Smooth shaving!

They have some very fine files watchmakers use. Needle files and escapement files they are called. They will do the trick with ease.