Thread: How to tighten a straight razor

All,
I have a Wade and Butcher that is "loose" the blade swings fairly free and will not stay open. Is there a way to tighten up the top pin on the scales?

Thanks,
-Jim

Tap on the pin very gently with the smallest ball peen hammer you can find. Give it a few taps and then check, repeat until you're happy. If you go too aggressively you can bend the pin and then you'll need to replace it. When hitting the pins it helps to rest the other side of the pin on an anvil or (as I do) on the head of another hammer.

Above all, be patient. If it takes a while you've lost a little bit of time. If you hit it too hard you can bend the pin or even crack the scales.

Also, if you search the forums you should find a lot of info about pinning a razor. It wouldn't hurt to look for that first just to get other perspectives.

Ball peen hammer and anvil or slab of steel. Put the razor on the steel (or other very hard surface), make sure it is sitting flat and resting on the pin. Take a ball peen hammer and give the pivot pin 3 or 4 LIGHT taps and see if it is tight enough. You can also use a punch and regular hammer. If you don’t want to do that, send me a PM and I will give you my address and I will tighten it for you. No charge, just a couple bucks for postage unless you are driving out to Dayton any time soon. It literally takes 20 seconds. You are just mashing a brass rod flat, or domed.

I've had success using the anvil part of my vice and a plastic handled wood chisel with a flat from the blade through the handle top. The weight of the chisel is just right and you can drop it straight down with a very consistent, repeatable impact. More control, at least for me, than a hammer.

All,
Thank you for the help on this one. I will give it a try as instructed and let you know how it goes.

-Jim

I would also recommend using a jewelers hammer you can find them at any hardware store.

They are very light weight and allow you to do the job faster and reduce the risk of cracking you scales.

I am do not regular hammers as they are heavier and the chances of cracking the scales or bending the pins are much higher

If you can't find a small anvil or a piece of steel. You can get one of those wedges they use for chopping wood at any hardware store. Rest a roll of masking tape under the thin side...and you'll have yourself a nice flat-solid surface to work on. And, it'll cost you about $9. That's what I use, best of luck.

Allen

A small ball peen or jewelers hammer works well, but check regularly in both open and closed position. I have one razor that is loose when closed and tight when opened and another the other way around. If you tighten too much at either end, you will crack the scales.

The other great piece of advice I got when I asked the same question is to hit it as hard as you would hit your thumb nail. I actually tested how much it hurt on my nail before I tapped the pin on the razor. This works, but you have to be gentle and careful.

My ball peen is a small finishing hammer and older than I. The peen is no larger than a dime, I would not use a full sized hammer, it would be too easy to mess up the scales or bend the pin. My anvil is a peace of heavy warehouse rack U channel cut from a bent support bracket, works super.

I just used a spoon and anvil and tightened up just fine.