Well I miss placed some spacers for a restore I was working on so I'm going to have to make some more. I was looking at some threads for punching out your own...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...e-spacers.html

After looking over this info and some similar info I decided to give it a run myself but for some time something has been nagging me about the original spacers.

I've noticed that many of the original washers are almost funnel shaped when you look at em (slightly raised at the center). I know the craftsman back in the days could easily make flat washers so I have to figure why so many razors that I've taken apart have this flared washer instead of flat.

So I'm wondering if maybe the washer shape has a good purpose and then it occurred to me. If there is a raise in the center of the spacer that sits in the tang hole. The the tang hole being bigger would be corrected by the spacers acting as a self centering funnel (possibly also giving solid friction if the shape is acting like a tension spring as well) (see illustrations)...



So going with this theory I picked up a hand punch at harbor freight for $20...




If you look at the male part of the punch it has a center point. Now if I use a drill on my material first then punch, I can use that center point in the drilled hole to make sure the washer is centered when I punch it. By drilling first that center point has no effect on the spacer and I can make a flat spacer rather easy.

However, if I use the punch first I get a slug that is slightly cone shaped, I can then use a finishing nail and drive a hole through the spacer and come pretty close to emulating what I see on the razors I dismantle.

I have not dialed it all in yet, but here are pictures of one flat and one not flat washer I mocked up to show you what I'm talking about...



I still need to file down the nub left behind and clean up the washers. but I'm betting I can get pretty close to matching exactly what I pull out of old razors if I tried.

So anyone think there may be some validity to my idea here, or am I way off?