Thread: How to get pins out

I am thinking of picking up an old Greaves razor form a local antique mall and trying my hand at restoration. The blade looks pretty good, no rust on the bade and the scales seem in good condition - old yellow cellulid, I think.

How do I get the original pins out? the wedge end s simple enought - I'll just snip those, but what about the tang end of the blade - do I drill the pin out? file the peened pin end?

thanks

Barry

i tape the scales up and carefully file the peened part off. then you can push the pin out. dunno if there's a better way. but this works for me.

Illustrated Guide to Un-pinning and Re-pinning - Straight Razor Place Wiki

More than one way. Read that first.

Here is the Wiki link of an illustrated guide that I did some time back Illustrated Guide to Un-pinning and Re-pinning - Straight Razor Place Wiki

The actual thread has larger pics BTW...

Also Alex/Philadelph just did a pinning video that really shows how to tap in the pins even better than my pics could ever describe... For when you get ready to re-pin the razor..

I hit the pin with the edge of my bench grinder for a second, then switch to the edge of a file, and finish it off with an appropriately sized drift punch.

I have not even shaved once with a straight - i dont own one yet - and already I see a lot of fun ahead of me in resotration of old razors - I hope that the Greaves I saaw yesterday is still there when is top by this week.

My first straight should arrive next week - a shave ready King 6/8 spike point from a member of B&B.

Barry

Alternative method that works well for me in most cases; I often use one of these

The nippers have enough of an edge on them where they usually bite into the washers enough to work the washers upward a bit. Tiny little pinches around the washer and it's usually enough to get under the washer in short order. Then, nip the pin effortlessly and do the same on the other side. There's usually enough pin sticking out to grab it with the nippers and very carefully work it loose from one of the scales and then work it loose from the other.

You still have to be careful as you can crack the tips off the scales when you're working the pin loose. Especially those infernal bakelite scales.

Chris L

I have been using a 1/8" Melin Drill Point carbide Mill-Drill with good sucess. You can pick one up from Enco for about $11. Because its a mill, it cuts the pin better than a drill bit, and the point helps me keep it centered. I chuck mine in my Mini-Mill, but it should work just as well in a drill press. I clamp a piece of 2x4 in my milling vise, then lay the razor on top.

Once I mill the pin down far enough for the washer to fall off, I go a bit more to make sure that the end of the pin isn't still overlapping the scales. Then I place the razor onto a plastic bench block and tap out the pin with a 1/16" pin punch.