Thread: Torx screw etc pivot pin question

I'm a pinning neophyte.

Most of mine have screws, etc. As Robert says, bend pins are my personal bugaboo. I sent one razor out, that was nice and tight, but apparently the pins was bent. After the customer used it, it wasn't closing right, and chewed up the edge. He sent the razor back to me dissatisfied.

Obvioulsy, that was my fault. But screws are, and stay nice and straight, are quite stiff stainless, which makes for nice repeatable opening and closing action. Also makes for nice mix-and match scales switching.

Both methods have strengths and weaknesses. Obviouly, for traditionalists, there is no question which way to go.

One thing I do notice really fast with this discussion that is not being brought up is pivot hole size...

Those of you that are customizing and making blades, seem to favor a larger hole size and adjustable pins...is this because of a knife making background????

Also I am just not seeing the cost factor... we are talking pennies no matter the way you go...

A #0 screw uses the exact same 1/16 thru hole perfectly. A beefier #2 screw requires a larger hole though...

I agree cost is not a factor for me.

Originally Posted by Seraphim

A #0 screw uses the exact same 1/16 thru hole perfectly. A beefier #2 screw requires a larger hole though...

I agree cost is not a factor for me.

I was talking more of the Torx/Slotted in the 1/8 size and I believe the others are 5/64....or perhaps the #2

The #0 Microfastener stuff we are all pretty familiar with, I still use those for mock ups ....

Glen, in taking apart older razors I learned that most of them have punched pivot holes (rather than drilled), and that many of them are not round and not perpendicular to the blade. That irritates the heck out of me, and I find it to be one of the things that cause a razor not to close properly. Therefore, I often drill out the pivot hole to make it perpendicular and round. Then I use an appropriate sized pin. If I use barrel 1/8" barrel pivots, I use then next large drill bit that I have.

Originally Posted by ChrisMeyer

Glen, in taking apart older razors I learned that most of them have punched pivot holes (rather than drilled), and that many of them are not round and not perpendicular to the blade. That irritates the heck out of me, and I find it to be one of the things that cause a razor not to close properly. Therefore, I often drill out the pivot hole to make it perpendicular and round. Then I use an appropriate sized pin. If I use barrel 1/8" barrel pivots, I use then next large drill bit that I have.

To be perfectly honest, I have NEVER had to re-drill or ream a pivot hole on any razor because of problems it caused. The argument of 'the pivot hole was punched crooked' has been argued over and over and in my opinion still holds zero merit. Problems in terms of the razor not closing properly usually stem from problems with the tang or blade itself than with the pivot hole.

Originally Posted by Philadelph

To be perfectly honest, I have NEVER had to re-drill or ream a pivot hole on any razor because of problems it caused. The argument of 'the pivot hole was punched crooked' has been argued over and over and in my opinion still holds zero merit. Problems in terms of the razor not closing properly usually stem from problems with the tang or blade itself than with the pivot hole.

True. The punched holes can look as crooked as a dog's hind leg but aren't the problem with the blade closing properly. Crooked tangs, warped tangs, scales that aren't flat or have uneven flexibility (provided a real wedge is used) all can make a razor a real b**** to set properly in scales. The only time I've ever reamed or drilled out a punch was when the edges of the punched hole were so crooked or evil looking that I thought it might cause severe pin wear after enough openings and closing. Not many were that rough, though.

I believe it is all in the details- what type of adjustable system vs. what type of traditional pinning vs. who does the work. Let's say person X uses adjustable pins of a certain style while persons Y and Z both pin razors traditionally. Person X's system may be better than person Y's, but person Z might do better than both of the others. I think that the disadvantages of traditional pins stated here have been exaggerated and same for the advantages of adjustables. Really, when taken care of properly, you may never need to disassemble your razor fully to 'clean' and likewise you may never need to retighten a pin. Still it's all in the details- we all treat our razors differently.

I've been lurking because I'm actually quite interested in this (still practicing/trying resto stuff in the background, just don't have much time) and something that's come up as a pro is possibly switching scales. And something I keep wondering is, unless you make your own scales, or can afford to have changing tastes, how many people actually do switch out their scales? Like I'm sure you custom guys can do it on a whim, but if I had to pay $30 for a set of scales I definitely wouldn't be doing it that often. My other issue is cleaning- and I will say that it would be nice to take apart the scales every year or so to wipe the blade down, but if you look at the 50+ year old razors on the bay, sure some look like **** but a lot of them really aren't that dirty/corroded so I wonder how necessary that is if you take great care of your blade.

Originally Posted by khaos

I've been lurking because I'm actually quite interested in this (still practicing/trying resto stuff in the background, just don't have much time) and something that's come up as a pro is possibly switching scales. And something I keep wondering is, unless you make your own scales, or can afford to have changing tastes, how many people actually do switch out their scales? Like I'm sure you custom guys can do it on a whim, but if I had to pay $30 for a set of scales I definitely wouldn't be doing it that often. My other issue is cleaning- and I will say that it would be nice to take apart the scales every year or so to wipe the blade down, but if you look at the 50+ year old razors on the bay, sure some look like **** but a lot of them really aren't that dirty/corroded so I wonder how necessary that is if you take great care of your blade.

It's not necessary to take a razor apart or switch scales for whatever reason you may have. And if you want to make sure you don't have those options, then standard peened pinning is a great choice.