Modding / Restoration WIP

Thought I'd post some pics of a little razor I picked up recently in an antiques shop, with some thoughts about what I sometimes like to do with handles and why. Here's my razor:

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Cracked off the plastic scales, gave a little vinegar bath and clean up:

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It's a bit difficult to read in that picture but on one side of the tang we have 'Walter Otton & Sons Exeter'. On the other that it's made from 'Kayser Ellison and Co's Best Sheffield Silver Steel', which I understand is a Good Thing. And then on the tail it says 'Germany'. Walter Otton and Sons was an old ironmonger and general hardware 'n' homeware type store apparently, so I'm assuming this was Sheffield steel, ground in Germany, and branded for them to sell (?). I mostly bought it because I was staying with my sister in Exeter, and I thought it'd be cool to have a razor from there.

I didn't have any of my handle making stuff with me, so I tried bevel setting on a Washita one day when I was bored. I use Washitas a lot for knives but had never tried one on a razor before, it worked surprisingly well in quite quick time.

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Or at least it would have if I had done the sanding ground work properly - there were a couple of little pitting marks on the edge that I hadn't noticed / didn't come out. So had to go back to some coarser sandpaper and start over. Hey ho, no biggie!

Handle stuff to follow in Part 2...

[p.s. Is there a way to stop some of my pictures being posted on their side? Nothing I seem to do makes a difference]

When I got my first razor the person I got it from also included another old one for me to have a go at restoring. And I don't really have the wherewithal or wookworking ability to start making scaled and pinned handles, so I started thinking about other designs, specifically whether one could make a fixed, hidden tang handle as you would a Japanese knife.

The traditional scaled and hinged handle of a SR is a very good piece of design for shaving; it's ergonomic, adaptable, and protects the blade when not in use. I don't think you can really improve on it.

It is also a terrible piece of design for honing; it's too long, it's too bendy, it's too bent. It needs a lot more stability and axial symmetry.

So could I make a fixed handle that I thought worked just as well for shaving, but found better for honing...? Here's my process, this is now the 4th I've done for a razor.

This is some wood. On the left is a piece of Red Mallee burl (ferrule), middle is Olive (spacer), and the dark bits are some used winemaking oak staves (main part). The latter is quite cool; given to me by a winemaker friend, the wood is normally white but after time the wine soaks through and stains the wood dark. When I work this in a specific way it's going to come out almost black.

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Epoxy 'em together:

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Now you can't see in the picture above, but I've also done something else at this point which is quite important - I've drilled the tang hole in the main, dark part of the handle. And it doesn't have to be particularly neat as any gaps will get flooded with epoxy or glue during the install. What it means though is that later I only have to drill through the ferrule and spacer, and that's much easier to do accurately especially if you don't have a drill press and are just using a handheld electric drill like I do.

The initial shaping is done on a belt sander laid on it's side, up to about 80 or 120 grit:

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Then my favourite part of the whole process - the first oiling. In Aus I usually use mineral/parrafin oil, but you can't seem to get it in the UK unless you buy 'Baby Oil', so instead I'm just using some oil for Teak. Oiling at this stage I find fixes and deepens the colour of the wood, and is going to mean the dark wood comes out almost black. It's now that you can first get an idea of what the finished handle is going to look like:

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Here next to the previous one I did:

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At this stage the handle is a little larger than it's going to be at the end, as the final shaping gets done on a series of hand sanding sheets up to about 600 grit. I give it another coat of oil after 240, again to give it more depth of colour and lustre at the end.

And then drill the tang slot through the ferrule, using files to make sure it's nice and neat. Unfortunately back in the day the hollow grinders of Solingen didn't envisage idiots like me buggering around trying to make wa handles for straight razors, and didn't design the tangs to make it particularly easy. A SR has a pretty wide tang in comparison to how small you need to make a handle, there isn't a lot of tolerance or margin for error here as you can see:

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If the main part of the handle wasn't drilled already this would be almost impossible to do without grinding or modifying the tang. And I don't like to do that because a.) I may change my mind about the whole thing, and want to make some scaled handles for it in the future. And b.) As mentioned above the tang is quite chunky so it'd be quite a lot of material removal, and if the tang is hardened, as it probably is to some extent, that's going to be a lot of effort. And I am idle.

Et voila! (With apologies for the crappy indoor night time picture):

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Before we get to the end result, first a note on the handle style...

When I first made a fixed handle for a razor, the shape was what's called a 'Stadium Oval' - basically an oval with straight sides / a rectangle with rounded ends, and as I was going I didn't exactly know how I was going to end up holding it or if a razor handle without a hinge would work. But I suspected it would because handles (whisper it quietly) don't actually make a huge amount of difference, at least not on a knife.

Although you hold a knife differently from a razor, it's not actually a million miles away; both are held largely on the neck, spine or blade. The handle is mostly there to provide balance, somewhere to rest the fingers that aren't doing anything, and look nice. The other reason that I suspected the hinge wouldn't matter that much is because your wrist and hand have 16 joints in them, whereas a traditional SR has one and it only works in two dimensions anyway. Your hand is almost infinitely more adaptable - the importance of a hinge on a SR vanishes to insignificance by comparison. Plus of course, Kamisori have fixed 'handles', so I knew it wasn't a completely stupid idea.

The very significant impact of a hinged handle however, is that it protects the blade during storage or travel, and that for me is the downside of a fixed design. I need to get round to making some kind of clever box, or possibly even a saya.

Anyhow, I ended up finding that I like to hold fixed handle razors like this, with either just my little finger, or little and ring fingers on the 'underside':

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This grip also works well:

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Those two pictures above are of the third one I did, and you can see that by that time I've switched from the stadium oval shape to a traditional, lightly tapered, Japanese octagonal knife handle style. And there's quite a simple reason why the cross-section profile of this kind of traditional 'Wa' handle is an octagon:

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Again, one obviously doesn't hold a razor in quite the same way as a knife, but that artsy b&w picture of my hand does illustrate a simple point - the joints in your fingers are naturally inclined to form themselves in this kind of way, at these kinds of angles. However you're resting your fingers on a handle, an octagonal shape is going to be comfortable.

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I digress.

My handle gets finished with a few coats of Tung Oil, which I believe is what they term a 'drying' oil, meaning it dries hard, and importantly - waterproof. And then the razor gets fixed in. I tend to do this with two-part 5 min epoxy, which is very strong but has the downside of making it extraordinarily difficult to remove the handle if ever you want to take it off. You can also use glue pellets broken up, shoved down the tang slot, and then heat the tang to melt them when you insert it, or if you've got quite a soft wood, like the white Ho wood they often use on Japanese knives, you can simply heat the tang and burn it in without glue.

A couple of tips for using epoxy - if you warm it slightly it gets runnier and is easier to pour down narrow gaps, it also sets quicker so work fast. A smear of oil over the blade and handle beforehand will make any epoxy spills much easier to wipe off after, as epoxy won't bond to oiled or waxed surfaces.

And after all that we get here:

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The handle is a smidge longer than the previous one because the dark winemaking oak staves are quite light, and I like try try to get the balance at the point where the handle meets the neck. I'm rather pleased with it all round tbh.

Lastly of course will be honing, and because I had to go back and re-sand it the bevel is no longer set properly, it will have got scuffed up when getting the little bits of pitting out. A blessing in disguise though, as yesterday I received something that I'm fairly certain is a Gwespyr Stone - a somewhat uncommon sandstone from northern Wales that is apparently a very good bevel-setter. And seeing as this razor is a marriage of superior Sheffiled steel and the meticulous attention to detail of our Teutonic friends, I'm going to keep the progression 'in house' and use only British and German stones.

L to R: Gwespyr, Idwal, Tam O'Shanter, Moughton, Charnley.
Below: Goldfisch Wetzstein, Escher.

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I may not end up using all of these but I probably will, at least for a couple of strokes for fun. This is the coarsest of my Idwals, and I've not conditioned the surface very finely so hopefully will be alright after the Gwespyr, the others could probably all finish a razor to one level or another. Maybe the Tam and Goldfisch might be a little coarser, but I've not really tried them yet in earnest so will be fun to see!

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In regards to the handle design - I'd be keen to hear any thoughts, criticism, suggestions for tweaking or improvement &c. It certainly makes it far easier to hone, and I find just as easy in use, but I'm quite new to SRs so hadn't built up much muscle memory shaving with hinged razors. Perhaps an old hand (ho ho) might find it a bit weird? What do we think...

If I had a junk blade of wind chime quality and I wanted to make a wood carving knife out of it I could easily see making a handle like this.

The octigon picture is interesting but it is way to small for your hand and you don't hold it that way for shaving anyway.

As you say the blade is now unprotected so also beond the time and effort that you have put into this you still have to make some sort of a stand or box.


I have seen many, many scales made from untraditional materials. some I like and some I don't but I can't see changing something from the origional design if not necessary or an improvement.

Ah, but the idea is more that it's a considerable improvement for honing, while not actually making a difference in use because your hand is an infinitely more complex and adaptable piece of evolution/design than a single pivot on a razor. The payoff really for me is storage and travel (ha!), but then as I said - kamisori get designed with fixed handles... so perhaps it's saya time!

(Also the picture of my hand was to illustrate a point - you don't actually hold a knife with a hammer grip either.)

Just my humble opinion but, a traditional straight is held with the scales out straight like your knife handle straight for honing anyway so I don't really see how your design would be any easier to hone.

I reckon I would find yours much harder to shave with, I suppose it could maybe compared to a kamisori but I don't use those so I can't comment on that .

So, and I concede this may betray a complete misunderstanding of how others do it, but... when I hone one of my hinged razors I hold it like this:

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Handle as you say is at 180, and my pinch is on the neck/tang - I can't hold the razor just by the handle because the pivot means it'd move around.

Like that - I think it would be easier if the sides of the neck weren't so (relatively) long and flat, and you also in most razors have assymetry between the top and bottom of the neck/tang which doesn't help.

The bigger factor for me though is the ability to hold the razor by the handle, further away from the stone, which allows more delicacy and precision when honing. I find it particularly helpful on smiley razors, or if needing to apply a some pressure for bevel-setting or repair - you can do it more accurately. Though it doesn't matter at all if you have a completely straight edge. The downside obviously of holding it further away is there's more potential to make a mistake and balls things up, but at least you have the option. I also find scaled handles quite long and bent and sometimes get in the way of your arm or wrist, though that's a minor factor and probably wouldn't happen at all if honing on a table (I do it in hand). Just my thoughts obviously - I personally do find fixed handles far better for honing.

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When I first made one I didn't know at all whether I'd like it for actually shaving, and was actually slightly surprised when I did. I wouldn't say I prefer them over a scaled, hinged handle, but for me they're no better or worse. Though as I said above - this very possibly has something to do with muscle memory not being built up as much.

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FWIW - having thought about it quite a lot over the last few months - my completely ideal razor handle would probably be hinged (can go past 180 like normal ones but also be folded for storage) , straighter, slightly rounder and less flat than traditional scales, but with a mechanism that allowed it to click or lock slightly in place at 180 for honing. Bit niche, and I wouldn't be able to do it myself, but that's what I think I'd like.


[Sorry about another sideways picture... I still don't know how to solve that!]

If you prefer those knife handle razors and find them easier to hone, then more power to ya, A respected honemeister here wisely said, there's more than one way to sharp and if yours works for you that's great.

I doubt if anyone here would disagree or tell you your'e wrong.

We all hone by holding the tang, honing or stropping by holding the scales would be awkward for me at least and certainly wouldn't do the razor much good. Actually I can imagine it costing me a finger or two :D

Indeed... many options in the cat-skinning game!

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I actually make custom (knife) handles and sharpen stuff for a living so: a.) I probably spend far too much time, all day every day, thinking about nonsense like this. And b.) Shouldn't really be saying stuff like - that, apart from balance, handles don't really matter much and are largely aesthetic. But gotta call it how you see it ;)

I’m impressed by the fact that you aren’t using a fully-equipped knife makers shop to craft that handle - a hand held electric drill and a regular belt sander - WOW!! That encourages me to have a go at it.

I'm sorry, but this is just trying to reinventing the wheel IMHO.

Your also using knife honing practices, on a razor,
razors take a more gentle approach than a knife.

The grip you show is wrong as well. Its only going to lead to downward pressure to the spine, excessive hone wear, and possible deep metal damage within the blade. Touch points are the edges of the tang, not the sides.

Do what you will, I can respect that. But I'd really like to see if you can make a set of scales, wedge, and pin it up.

You do some nice work on the fixed handles, transfer that to a set of scales...... Which by the way...were never designed to be used as handles for honing or shaving.

Their design was to protect the object within, like the scales of a fish, or reptile.

I just did a quick experiment and grabbed a razor and a hone off my desk.

It needs its bevel set any way so I am not hurting anything!:D

When I study my stroke the scales do shift slightly from the push to the pull stroke. Not a whole lot but from this quick peek I think that the pivot pin does does have a role to play in honing. These are relatively thin scales and not a thick handle so I think that the handle would have more influence.

Maybe this is how I learned and if I learned on a thick fixed handle I would have learned a different stroke?

Tim

I'm in agreement with the obove posts. You do some fine woodwork. But a razor is not used in that manner.

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Originally Posted by outback

I'm sorry, but this is just trying to reinventing the wheel IMHO.

Your also using knife honing practices, on a razor,
razors take a more gentle approach than a knife.

The grip you show is wrong as well. Its only going to lead to downward pressure to the spine, excessive hone wear, and possible deep metal damage within the blade. Touch points are the edges of the tang, not the sides.

Do what you will, I can respect that. But I'd really like to see if you can make a set of scales, wedge, and pin it up.

You do some nice work on the fixed handles, transfer that to a set of scales...... Which by the way...were never designed to be used as handles for honing or shaving.

Their design was to protect the object within, like the scales of a fish, or reptile.

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I'm not actually trying to hone a razor as you would a knife. I hone a razor as you hone a razor, and knives like knives. Neither are desperately complicated, but they are completely different.

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Originally Posted by Gasman

I'm in agreement with the obove posts. You do some fine woodwork. But a razor is not used in that manner.

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How'd you mean?

You do nice work but I'm afraid you won't convince guys here who have decades of razoring under their belts.
For me I have to feel like the scales are barely there. Even with wakamisori I prefer the rat tail tang unbound. As for something like the Williams Purist I hate what is to me a bulky tang.

As you say the hand & muscle memory can adapt to many things. Just no reason for me change what works.

As for advice, if you want to persist with the concept, look at the shapes of something like Feather razors. There was a vintage maker that did a razor with a solid handle,slim & tapered it was, but can't for the life of me remember the name. Maybe someone knows the one ? I guess that makes my point. A lot of 'new" ideas become forgettable when things ain't broke.

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I do like what you have done. It looks very nice. I would agree that a "fixed" handle makes it easier to hone, especially when removing nicks on the edge of the blade. When I am performing the restoration of a typically scaled razor I will take 2 popsicle sticks and place one on each side of the scales then wrap the electrical tape tightly around the popsicle stick/scales. This gives me rigid tang/scales that do not move while honing. Years ago I did not do this on razors that required a complete recovery of the edge and bevel. The result was that occasionally the pivot pin would work loose (or the scale would crack at the pivot pin) and require me to retighten the pivot pin. So, I am in complete agreement with you on the advantages of the "fixed handle" idea for honing.
As noted this is a variation on the Japanese Kamasori style which I find very attractive.

Good work! :)

In your pic of the 5 stones, I was puzzled by your statement that the 3rd stone was a Tam O'Shanter. All of the Tam's that I have are either grayish or whiteish in color with numerous small speckles. They are also very difficult to work up a slurry.
Might yours be a Water of Ayr?

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Originally Posted by cotedupy

I'm not actually trying to hone a razor as you would a knife. I hone a razor as you hone a razor, and knives like knives. Neither are desperately complicated, but they are completely different.

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The razor with pivoting scales, have been around for over200 years, as well as the teachings of honing them.

How are you going to fix something, that was never broken in the first place.

I'm in the group, that has sharpened knives, as well as many other edged tools n such, starting at a young age.

I was sharpening knives before I was 10 years old, and honing razors at the age of 17. I'm 53 years old, now.

Knives are child's play, in comparison to razors. But now after years of honing all types of razors from late 1700s to the present, makes them child's play as well.

With me.....your barking up the wrong tree, on honing and sharpening. I have no use for dull things...I'm my life.

But carry on, have fun with it. We've all done stupid, meaningless things, during our lives. I'm too, guilty as charged.

Maybe look more on the geometry of the kamisori, it would go great with your design's.

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Originally Posted by randydance062449

In your pic of the 5 stones, I was puzzled by your statement that the 3rd stone was a Tam O'Shanter. All of the Tam's that I have are either grayish or whiteish in color with numerous small speckles. They are also very difficult to work up a slurry.
Might yours be a Water of Ayr?

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I'm fairly certain it's a Tam, but I don't have a WOA so can't compare, though I did get it from someone who has a lot of expertise in terms of UK stones. And it certainly acts fairly similar to my other Tams, which are the more normal grey type.

Here's a better pic that shows it does actually have the Tam speckles, as well as a quite cool cloud-like pattern (that wasn't slurry on the stone), but I did certainly get it because it was a bit different. And at the risk of having a lot of people telling me I don't even understand the notion of beauty... I think it's rather pretty:

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In G&H 3 there's a picture of the 'Dark Blue' type of Tam... it's that I think:

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Cool huh! :)

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Arrrghhhhh! Now I want the dark blue Tam! :)
What I like about the Tam's is when I raise on slurry on it then it cuts very quickly.
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A number of years ago one of our members here, Coully, went to the Tam O'Shanter quarry and met with the owner, Kenneth Montgomerie.
The mine was no longer being used because it did not have the necessary safety permits. So, the owner had quarried out a pile of rock from which he filled orders.
Coully (Simon Coull, https://www.facebook.com/coully) had a bunch of pics which he posted here. I do not remember the name of the town but I do remember that the owner was a bit non-social! He never returned his calls! :)

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Originally Posted by randydance062449

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Arrrghhhhh! Now I want the dark blue Tam! :)
What I like about the Tam's is when I raise on slurry on it then it cuts very quickly.
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A number of years ago one of our members here, Coully, went to the Tam O'Shanter quarry and met with the owner, Kenneth Montgomerie.
The mine was no longer being used because it did not have the necessary safety permits. So, the owner had quarried out a pile of rock from which he filled orders.
Coully (Simon Coull, https://www.facebook.com/coully) had a bunch of pics which he posted here. I do not remember the name of the town but I do remember that the owner was a bit non-social! He never returned his calls! :)

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It's quite cool isn't it... I can't detect much noticeable difference in terms of 'grit' level, how it acts &c. but sure does look pretty!

I'll have a search on the forum to find those pics of the visit, must have been very cool. I didn't know they were still doing orders supposedly (if he answers calls;)), but makes sense... presumably that's where these came from (?): https://www.demessenslijper.nl/ayr-stones/

One of my other Tams is a weird shape, the other a small size, so I'd not really done a huge amount of normal sharpening or honing on them. It was only when I got the blue one that really I noticed what you say - with slurry they can cut really quite quickly. That one leaves a really nice, very-fine-but-toothy edge on a kitchen knife if you atoma it a bit before. I haven't tried it as a finishing stone for a razor though, as I assume they're not quite fine enough...?

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Here's one of my others; an oval shape stick 'For Pruning Shears and Secateurs', which I got in a cheap job lot and had no idea what to do with. So, in another bout of fixing-things-that-weren't-broken, made into The Celebrated Tam O'Shanter Scotch Honing Rod (I did save the label)...

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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.

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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...

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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...

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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".

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Originally Posted by cotedupy

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Interesting handle idea but for practical purposes are you loosing the handle half of the stone?

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Originally Posted by 32t

Interesting handle idea but for practical purposes are you loosing the handle half of the stone?

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Ah no... stone only goes in about 1cm, just a bit further than the sliver of Red Mallee at the end. Tams of any shape don’t seem to get much longer than that I don’t think...

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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".

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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).

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Originally Posted by cotedupy

Ah no... stone only goes in about 1cm, just a bit further than the sliver of Red Mallee at the end. Tams of any shape don’t seem to get much longer than that I don’t think...

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But how do you use the stone at the handle end?

Show me how to sharpen a pruning shears with the handle attatched?

Similar to a sythe stone you use both ends.

Or if you put a handle on one end you loose the abiltiy to use that end.

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Originally Posted by 32t

But how do you use the stone at the handle end?

Show me how to sharpen a pruning shears with the handle attatched?

Similar to a sythe stone you use both ends.

Or if you put a handle on one end you loose the abiltiy to use that end.

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Ha! Yes sorry, I’ll explain this more fully...

I got the Tam pruning shear thing in the job lot pictured above. But alas I am no topiarist, so I wondered for a while what the feck I should do with it.

What I do do though is sharpen and use quite a lot of kitchen knives. So what I made it into is a knife honing rod for quick touchups of your edge between proper sharpening sessions. Just one that’s made out of TO’S, rather than ceramic or steel.

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Originally Posted by cotedupy

Ha! Yes sorry, I’ll explain this more fully...

I got the Tam pruning shear thing in the job lot pictured above. But alas I am no topiarist, so I wondered for a while what the feck I should do with it.

What I do do though is sharpen and use quite a lot of kitchen knives. So what I made it into is a knife honing rod for quick touchups of your edge between proper sharpening sessions. Just one that’s made out of TO’S, rather than ceramic or steel.

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So you have changed it into what you think it should be not what it was originally intended to be.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 32t

So you have changed it into what you think it should be not what it was originally intended to be.

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Yep. Into something I will use as opposed to something I won’t. Would’ve been a bit sad to have a nice old Tam sitting completely unused just cos it was a weird shape. (I only have one stone that I don’t use at all and I’ve made my peace with that.)

Though looked at another way... it’s a piece of rock from Scotland. It doesn’t have an intention or purpose in its life, no path set out at birth. Not even if people cut it up into an oval shaped stick, or put a handle on the end.

Putting a Straight WaKamisori style handle on a "Folding" style razor isn't anything new, you are correct in balance and flow when stropping..

https://sharprazorpalace.com/custom-...pproaches.html (have quite a few more of them on here too)

The pivot point sizing and fit are critical to a smooth flow and rotation while stropping regardless of the type of scales you design..

The balance of any tool it to the point at which you use it, for a SR it is to the tang, everything about the SR comes down to having control at the tang, Shaving Stropping and Honing are tweaked with subtle adjustments at the corners of the tang.

I don't see how the abrupt change between the handle and tang is conducive to a smooth rotation nor can it allow for your finger to control the corners of the tang.. It is however your razor, so it is your choice..

Keep in mind everyone here is trying to actually help you, it isn't that we are know it all's it is that we have made many of the same mistakes already :)


Looking for a few more pics for you

Here is another one that might give you a better look at the Tang/Handle fit

https://sharprazorpalace.com/custom-...microtome.html

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Putting a Straight WaKamisori style handle on a "Folding" style razor isn't anything new, you are correct in balance and flow when stropping..

https://sharprazorpalace.com/custom-...pproaches.html (have quite a few more of them on here too)

The pivot point sizing and fit are critical to a smooth flow and rotation while stropping regardless of the type of scales you design..

The balance of any tool it to the point at which you use it, for a SR it is to the tang, everything about the SR comes down to having control at the tang, Shaving Stropping and Honing are tweaked with subtle adjustments at the corners of the tang.

I don't see how the abrupt change between the handle and tang is conducive to a smooth rotation nor can it allow for your finger to control the corners of the tang.. It is however your razor, so it is your choice..

Keep in mind everyone here is trying to actually help you, it isn't that we are know it all's it is that we have made many of the same mistakes already :)


Looking for a few more pics for you

Here is another one that might give you a better look at the Tang/Handle fit

https://sharprazorpalace.com/custom-...microtome.html

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Very nice work! I had thought about trying a something similar-ish next time I'm doing one.

The ones that I've done so far have a balance point right at the beginning of the handle, so when honing or stropping that's where I'm holding it - I'm not actually touching the tang, so the more abrupt change doesn't come into play in that way. Though I would like to play with a more gradual transition, probably including more taper as I'm less keen on longer handles.

Q. - When you've done the style of conversion as in your links above - do you always mod/grind/dremel the tang and tail in some way in order to fit the handle style? Or do you sometimes leave as is?

Quote:

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Originally Posted by cotedupy

Very nice work! I had thought about trying a something similar-ish next time I'm doing one.

The ones that I've done so far have a balance point right at the beginning of the handle, so when honing or stropping that's where I'm holding it - I'm not actually touching the tang, so the more abrupt change doesn't come into play in that way. Though I would like to play with a more gradual transition, probably including more taper as I'm less keen on longer handles.


Yes I can see that, and actually you are losing the really subtle feel and control from the Tang corners, that is what I was saying... Using those corners allows you to make subtle adjustments on all three phases of use.

Q. - When you've done the style of conversion as in your links above - do you always mod/grind/dremel the tang and tail in some way in order to fit the handle style? Or do you sometimes leave as is?

Yes, those are full conversions, not to ever come apart so the tails and tangs are Modded also .. They are completely sealed so they don't rust under there

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Make Sense ???

If you search the term "Patch Knife" you will see many like what you made..
They were often made out of the older heavier bladed Sheffield razors to cut the Patches for Muzzle Loading rifles

Up here in Idaho and Montana there were quite a few Rendezvous meets,,, so I have had requests to make them in the past

The breadth and depth of knowledge among our members continues to amaze me... all the more so, that it's shared freely and in good-faith. I fully believe that 2022 is going to be a banner year for SRP!