Thread: What do you use for rivets?

I just won a Wade and Butcher straight on Ebay, and I love the blade. It's going to take some TLC getting it shave ready, but I'm not happy with the handle. I would like to exchange them for some cocobolo and I'm wondering what restoration experts on here use for rivets?

AFAIK, rivets aren't used for pinning a razor, just brass, nickel or SS pins peened down to clamp the scales on. There are also hex-head nuts that are used, but those aren't rivets either...

Check out this thread for more info and be sure to post completed photos.

Well that's awesome! Thanks! That pretty much covers everything!

Basically you can peen the pivot and toe with a 1/16 brass or silver nickel rod. There are also adjustable screws that some like and or use for personal reasons. Be it with a pivot barrel and matching torx screws or the hex head screw with matching sized nut.
Peening is still the way to go. It's also what has been used for a very very long time.

Maximilian is right on. BUT...

If I am feeling really fancy about a particular razor restoration, I like to use these

2knives. how do you make the rods?

I think it a noble effort making rivet pins from silver, but personally, I would choose for 925 Sterling (coin silver) instead of Fine silver as it would end up being stronger with approximately the same appearance and working properties. And, oh yes, it is slightly less expensive.

Isn't the pure silver too soft?

See this thread here. For $22.00 USD I just ordered 50 rivets and 50 washers from Revisor in Germany. That ought to keep me going for awhile.

Originally Posted by ignatz

I think it a noble effort making rivet pins from silver, but personally, I would choose for 925 Sterling (coin silver) instead of Fine silver as it would end up being stronger with approximately the same appearance and working properties. And, oh yes, it is slightly less expensive.

You are right, that sterling silver is stronger and cheaper, however I had this lying around from when I bought a couple of silver ingots like this for about $8 bucks a piece (before precious metals skyrocketed) so it was a very cheap option for me.

As far as appearance you are also right as they are approximately the same in appearance; but, sterling tarnishes easier easily maintained but maintenance nonetheless. Pure silver is not very reactive... it will not tarnish like sterling silver. It oxidizes like aliminum with a oxidized layer that is not vizible to the naked eye or even in microscopes without running an EDS scan to find the presence of oxides.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Isn't the pure silver too soft?

It is very soft, but it is work hardened through the peening process. You can take a 2 inch silver rod an bend it very easily, but with rod < 1/2" (as it would be as pins in the razor) it is not bent easily at all as you can't get very much leverage on either of the ends, especially after being work hardened.

The biggest thing that I have about it is the galvanic corrosion. It is on the same level as high nickel & copper alloys which takes an extremely long time to get their work done corroding if the straight razor is properly maintained i.e. kept dry. I like to use a fine watch oil to lubricate my pivots and I haven't found out if that is conductive or not but I do have a couple of ongoing experiments trying to see if there are many long term affects.