Thread: First set of horn scales

Well here is my first set of horn scales I have ever made.

I like the shape.

Those look great!

I like how the scales are translucent. You must have thinned them out to get that.

Please provide a pic that shows their thickness.

They were to thin one of them broke when I was pinning the razor yesterday. Talk about frustrating.

Originally Posted by Cattleman02

They were to thin one of them broke when I was pinning the razor yesterday. Talk about frustrating.

That can happen even if the scales aren't too thin. Pinning is a skill that is deceptively harder than it seems.

Some things to master with pinning:
1)use a light hammer, tap lightly more times, as a rule of thumb tap no harder than you can tap your knuckle.

2) make sure the pin is just long enough. If it is too long it will bend. This can cause cracks or breaks and can make the scales offset and the blade not center well. Rule of thumb here is cut the top side with a pair of side cutters as close to the collar as possible. It should just barely stick up above the collar. It will seem too short but, believe it or not, that is the right length.

3)some people peen one side first and cut the other side. I have a pinning block with a pin sized hole that the pin just fits in, pin the other side, then flip, cut the excess and peen the second side. Either way works well but the first way conserves a hair more of the pin stock.

I shaved them down to .080