Thread: Making jimps?

Originally Posted by kaptain_zero

I would think that normally, the jimps are mostly done before hardening using something like a checkering file for the layout, then finishing with needle files or their equivalent in a profiled stone (or diamond coated needle file) after the steel is hardened. Profiled grinding wheels would be the way to go for production work....


Regards

Christian

I watched a friend work the back of a knife before hardening. He used a round and triangular needle file. Before hardening, the steel cut very easily.

Ilija, Some thing else I have used is the small wire brush with fine lapping compound.It makes a nice finish,but kind of a mess,you;ll have to wash your face when you'r done.I really like nice lookin jimps (uppers and lowers)on a razor.Best Regards Gary

I tried this with a dremel and heavy duty cut-off wheels. the HD wheels are thick, and make correspondingly thick jimps (like 1/8-1/16 of an inch) but the normal cutoff wheels are prone to exploding when they hit the hardened steel. i kinda like the look of the big jimps, and they're easier to clean, but it's no where near the same effect as what you traditionally see. and unless you want a square wave, you still have some file work after the grind to shape them aesthetically. and for the love of eyeballs, PLEASE where eye protection when using those abrasive cut off wheels. even the hd ones will shatter from time to time sending out a fair bit of shrapnel.

A small chain saw sharpening file might do the trick.

Originally Posted by emile

PLEASE where eye protection when using those abrasive cut off wheels. even the hd ones will shatter from time to time sending out a fair bit of shrapnel.

AMEN to that!!!!

Those wheels are scary the way they fly apart. I use a full face shield whenever I use them (I wouldn't want schrapnel in my cheek either, as it would cut down on my shaving enjoyment!)

Jimping was always done before hardening. Whilst fancy work, such as a workbacked pocket knife, would be done by filing, the plain parallel jimps of a razor would be ground on a wheel which had grooves cut into its surface using a diamond. (A similar wheel was used for grinding serrated knife blades.)
For 'retro-cutting' jimps after hardening I should think that the safest bet (for you and the razor) would be diamond files. Ordinary files will not touch hardened razor steel, though the razor might well blunt the file.
It might be worth arranging a filing jig to keep the cuts parallel and evenly spaced.
Good luck...

Duncan.

If you are just cleaning or removing rust wouldn't the checkering file work the best and quickest? You are really cutting the hardened steel in this example.

You are asking follow up in ta thread of which (almost) none of the members are around anymore to answer. The last post is from 2008.
If you have questions about this topic, it is better to start a new thread than to ask questions / answer people who have been gone here for close to 7 years.