Thread: Balancing razor / new scales

I've rescaled a few razors now using wood and have noticed that, for the big Shefields anyway, the balance seems way off. For slimmer, hollow ground razors the 1/8 wood works great and seems to balance pretty well. What do you guys do for the heavy grinds? I tried using thicker wood but it seemed a little too stiff. Any advice?

I have not done a rescale yet, but want to say this. some guys end up balancing heavy blades by using very large scales, I don't think that is necessary. use a heavier wedge, or a larger wedge. I have a big razor with synthetic scales, which I'm guessing are lighter even than wood, it balances great but they are perfectly proportioned and don't have a blocky appearance.

just my 2c on aesthetics.

Red

First off that's fantastic that you are concerned about the balance, to many times people just stick the scales on and hope for the best...

Look on this thread I actually took a pic of me checking the balance on this one

http://straightrazorpalace.com/325739-post1.html


There are quite a few tricks to balancing out the big choppers.
The material used for the wedge, the length of the scales, where you place the pins, sleeving the wedge in brass etc: etc: Just adding weight to the scales is not the answer it is where you add it the counts more...

Just so long as you can get them to balance somewhere on the tang when fully open you are doing really well...

My rescales always balance on the shank, quite near to the end of the scales, but I usually use largish lead wedges. Not that I would care much if they didn't blance approx. half-way - I mean, I don't walk about with a razor balanced on my finger or anything! In use, the scales are at approx. 90 degrees to the blade, so the balance doesn't matter. When put away, they cover the blade, so the balance doesn't matter there. That covers about 99.9% of possibilities: for me, at any rate.

I have just tried balancing a few dozen (on my finger - wasn't walking about like it though!) and nearly all the hollow ground ones blance just forward of the pivot hole, on the shank. The heavier wedges had the balance point nearer or immediately in front of the heel. A few old french razors with 3/8 blades naturally balance where the scale material overlaps the shank, as does a wider tang-less french one.

I don't think the blance point was a science or an art or a pre-requisite - if it was even thought about - why would it be? - just a natural consequence of this type of construction.

I wouldn't worry about it too much.

Regards,
Neil

When I use a razor to shave I find that I don't like what it feels like when the blade is so much heavier than the scales. I feel like it's about to slip out of my fingers. So, for me, the reason for balance is a practical one. If I where scaling one for another person and they didn't care then I wouldn't worry much

Ed - how do you hold the razor when you shave? Most people grip the shank with a thumb on the underside, a couple or three fingers on the top and the little (or ring) finger on the tang - the handle passing between ltlle and ring finger at somewhere less than 90 degrees or so to the blade. All the weight of the scales is then thrown forward to around the pivot point, forcing the centre of balance up somewhere into the spine. I would have thought that the scales against the fingers provided more benefit grip-wise than any weight they had.

Regards,
Neil

Neil, sorry to butt-in here but, it’s not just the actual shaving stroke, it is also when not doing anything with the razor at the moment, or moving to shave the other side of your face, or holding the razor under the running water to rinse, or rotating the blade to start a stroke… maybe up to 50% of the shaving time are those “in between” actions when the razor is comfortably “balanced” between those fingers that matters… it is a very subtle balance… but one appreciated even by barbers of yesterday.

And with all that said… it doesn’t matter much to me either because I have gone accustomed to using a Wapi with its original stainless steel scales, as well as razors with scales so thin and light they could be considered nonexistent... but i guess we are all different.

Hello Smythe - no problem, what you say makes sense. Especially about it being subtle. All I'm really getting at is that if you have a long metal thing to shave with, and want it to pivot into a protective sleeve, then the centre of balance is naturally going to fall somewhere along the shank - if you balance it on a pivot and have the scales at 180 degrees to the blade. Any movement in the hand, any movement of the scales relative to the blade, and the centre of balance is somewhere else entirely - usually favouring throwing it further along the shank and into the spine.

I'm glad that we both agree that it doesn't matter to either of us!

Regards,
Neil