Tighten Pivot Pins?

I have an oldie with a great blade, a Temperite made by Case with clear amber celluloid scales. The pivot is so loose I have to be very careful closing it so as not to hit the edge on the scales. Can I carefully tap the pins to tighten it up? Is there a prefered method? While I'm on the subject of odd razors, I also have one with the only mark being "BLUE STEEL" on the tang. Nothing more. It's in great shape, just wondering what more info you guys might have on it. Looks like black plastic handles. Thanks

Hey Threeput, I've been able to tighten the pivot pin on a number of razors with good results. This has been covered not to long ago, and urleebird covered it in great detail. You might want to serch for the thread. Any way you can tighten a pin up by carefully hamering on the end of the pin. You can use a small ball end of a ball peen hammer and lightly tap away at the pin whel supporting the other side of the pin on something hard like an anvil on a vice. I tightend up a pivot tonight useing a tablespoon for a hammer (I read that one here). It worked great. Just remember to take you're time and dont hit too hard, and check you're progress often. If you dont, you risk cracking a handle, or mabe over tightening the pivot. Good luck, I hope this helps, Tim

Thanks Tim I'll give it a try. I saw something by Mr. Ellis on this but it seemed quite involved. Burring our indentations on an anvil with a Dremel, etc.

The post I was talkin about is in the straight razor restoration forum under pinning. Heres a quote from Urleebird, thanks, I hope you dont mind Urleebird. :)

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You need a good ball peen hammer. A small one. Most use comes from the rounded end. This surface needs to be buffed smooth. The smoother, the better. Shiny shiny shiny... You also need a back-up to the hammer. I have two sections of rail road track that I use for an anvil. You could use just about anything metal, as long as it doesn't move around or bounce when you are using it.

I have used a dremel burr to create different concentric size "divots" in my rails to use for the forming of the bottom pin and for stability. Pick a divot that is closest to the depth and shape of the pin you are working on.

Rest the pin in the correct divot while holding the handle in the palm of your off hand, thumb and forefinger stabilizing the pivot end of the razor. With the driving hand, tap the pin with the rounded end of the hammer. Tap tap tap tap. Not hard or you will crack the scales.

Here's a good rule of thumb when I say tap tap tap. Put your finger on a flat surface. Use the hammer to hit the fingernail where it does not cause pain... or bleeding This is the intensity that shoud be applied when peening. It make take 100 or more taps to get the job done, but you will not wreck anything.

Run about 10 or so taps, check for the desired tightness, and flip the razor so you can peen the pin that was on the bottom. Repeat the process until you have a tight joint. Patience is the key.

If you are coordinated enough, you can also use a modified 3/32 nail set that has a cavity with the same configuration of the pin crown. Place the nail set on the pin as you hit it with a hammer. Your off hand needs to hold the razor in place on the anvil and hold the nail set at the same time while you hit it with the hammer using the other hand. Or you could get some trusting soul to hold the razor while you hold the nail set and the hammer. You shoud try doing it the other way until you get the feel for peening. It is easy to hit too hard when using the nail set.

To dress the pins, use a 3/32 or less nail punch that has been modified to fit in a drill. At a medium turning speed, take the pin of the razor to the drill and use slight pressure as it is spinning. This will smooth out the surface enough to use other dremel attachments to make the pin look nice. Do not take the drill to the razor for this process. Too many things happen when you do it this way.

Have I made it as clear as mud?

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I saw something by Mr. Ellis on this but it seemed quite involved. Burring our indentations on an anvil with a Dremel, etc.

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Well, he's just being, um, well, complete. Its not brain surgery. Just do it. :)

Yeah that was the post I was speaking of. The re-pinning kits that Ray has might be the way for me to go. This old Temperite is really in good shape, but the tang has all this black gunk (rust?) that is readily visible through the transparent handles. The handles and blade are in really good shape so I'd ike to bring this razor back to it's former glory and clean it up. Any opinion on the Temperite razors? Is it a good steel, or just a POS with CASE stamped on the tang? I'm a big Case fan from their knives. Thought it would be cool to have a razor from them.

I have not heard anyone say that the Temperite was a POS. It is after all made by/for Case and they have taken good care of their reputation. The repinning kit from Ray at Classicshaving.com would be a good purchase.

Just my two cents,