Thread: Modding / Restoration WIP

I recommend to learn how to remove scales without damage and do no mods to blades as going down this knife-handled road.
Surely someday you may see that those who made these razors knew what they were doing.
Being able to go back is a blessing more often than not. Changing your mind without the parts to begin anew can be a challenge.

The articulation of the scales in relation to the tang angle made/make for a multi-faceted tool for a job requiring it.
Nice to have scales for use instead of just cracking them off.

Much the same experience might be had in the honing dept. by going with common synthetics first and learning on something consistent instead of the wild variations of found, odd, natural and non razor hones. No advise can be more certain than on common synthetics.
Adversely, no advise could be more sketchy than that on unknown individual naturals and stones not intended for razors..
JMHO

Certainly good points, though perhaps I haven’t made all this clear (I did try, but a few people seem to have jumped to quite a lot of assumptions)...

I know how to, and do, remove scales without damaging them. And as I said - the tangs are not modified specifically so that I can remove a handle should I change my mind in the future. If I did so I’d probably make my own scales, as these ones had fairly shoddy plastic ones and I didn’t like them.

I also have razors that I’ve kept the original scales on, and which I use equally often. For me they are no better or worse in use than fixed handles, in fact I find them very similar indeed. I do however prefer fixed handles for honing.

Likewise, I have quite a lot of synthetic stones that I use as well, mostly Japanese waterstones; Shaptons, Naniwas, Suehiros, Kings. Some Nortons too though I don’t use them for razors. I just find natural stones more interesting, and at the finer end of things I like them better for SRs. The reason that I did an all natural progression here is that I don’t have any of my synths with me, they’re all back in Aus - I’m visiting family in the UK atm, and only have stones I’ve picked up here. This was actually the first time I’ve done bevel set and mid range work on natural stones, and tbh it surprised me they worked as well as they did - I was expecting it to take far longer to do well.

- - -

As I say - perhaps I didn’t make the above clear, but I wasn’t necessarily looking for advice about honing here, I’m quite comfortable with it. More just trying to hear any more detailed thoughts people might have about the relative merits and demerits of fixed vs hinged handles. I fully expect some people not like fixed handles, but I was kinda hoping they might think about and explain why, because as I said... *for me* they are almost identical in use.

(p.s. I don’t mean to have a dig at you there! Just trying to explain better than I did originally.)

(p.p.s. Are any natural stones ‘intended’ for razors? Or indeed, apart from BHs, any synthetics...?)

I can start with a couple advantages that hinged handles have, which no one’s pointed out. One is (or was) significant, the other I’m not so sure about yet...

1.) A hinged handle that moves almost 360 degs is probably going to be far better for shaving other people than a fixed handle would be - as in a barber shop. Though obviously that’s less relevant now than back in the day.

2.) If you look at a hinged razor in two dimensions, then the balance point on the X axis tends to be around the pivot point when the handle is straight at 180 degs. If you move the handle up or down then the balance point shifts forward toward the blade, as well as up or down on the Y axis. You cannot do this with a fixed handle razor. So far I’ve found it doesn’t affect me too much when shaving, but balance points tend to be quite important, so I’d be interested to hear what others thought on the matter - whether the ability to change specifically the balance point was an important feature...

Originally Posted by cotedupy

I can start with a couple advantages that hinged handles have, which no one’s pointed out. One is (or was) significant, the other I’m not so sure about yet...

1.) A hinged handle that moves almost 360 degs is probably going to be far better for shaving other people than a fixed handle would be - as in a barber shop. Though obviously that’s less relevant now than back in the day.
Not necessarily. Wakamisori are not hinged & were generally used by a barber or servant on their employer.

2.) If you look at a hinged razor in two dimensions, then the balance point on the X axis tends to be around the pivot point when the handle is straight at 180 degs. If you move the handle up or down then the balance point shifts forward toward the blade, as well as up or down on the Y axis. You cannot do this with a fixed handle razor. So far I’ve found it doesn’t affect me too much when shaving, but balance points tend to be quite important, so I’d be interested to hear what others thought on the matter - whether the ability to change specifically the balance point was an important feature...

Never thought about balance as scales are usually so light as to be insignificant. I've always considered them to just be a protector for the edge when closed tho shaving or honing without them does feel "unbalanced".

Originally Posted by onimaru55

Never thought about balance as scales are usually so light as to be insignificant. I've always considered them to just be a protector for the edge when closed tho shaving or honing without them does feel "unbalanced".

Yep indeed - very light, but quite long, and that pulls balance back loads. It is surprising how much difference the balance point makes I think. Though I’ve never tried shaving with a unhandled razor, I have tried honing them a few times, and it’s considerably more annoying and tricksy (I find anyway).