Thread: The wedge at end of the scales -- what, why, how.

One thing I have not seen is a discussion on is the wedge
at the end of the scales.

What is the primary purpose of the wedge? If it
was only a spacer it would be a spacer.

What are they made of and why?

How to size?
To glue or not to glue?
How thick?
How much wedge?
Thicker at the top?

I ask because I have a good shaver from ebray that
has ugly but serviceable scales and this detail does
not seem to be well addressed the way pins and
domed washers are.

My W&B 7/8 has a lead one, I *think* it may have been a counter balance for that big slug of Sheffield steel as the razor has excellent balance.

Wedges can be made from any kind of material really. As far as function, they give the scales slight bend to house the blade, but a straight spacer also works fine in my experience. When I measure the wedge I aim @ width that alows the blade to sink between the scales so that I have ~ 1/4" sticking above the level of the scales.
I have seen glued wedges, also drilled wedges.
A nice tutorial about making a wedge can be found here:
Making Wedges - Straight Razor Place Wiki

The answers I provided are just my opinion. For a tutorial, I'd refer you to Icedog's excellent step by step guide in the wiki. Here.

What is the primary purpose of the wedge? If it was only a spacer it would be a spacer.

To act as a space holder so the scales don't meet at a very sharp angle and for decoration. I guess it could've been named a spacer, it just wasn't.

What are they made of and why?

Whatever you want, so long as it's durable and nice looking. I've seen metal, plastic, wood, stone, shell, bone. Sky's the limit.

How to size?

After drilling the hole, sanding the taper, and getting close to the thickness, I temporarily assemble the scales with the wedge in it and file or sand it down to flush with the scales.

To glue or not to glue?

I don't, but I don't see why not.

How thick?

For thickness, I guess and check. If you want a taper, sand it in first, then gradually remove thickness until you like the look. If the spine is very thin, you'll probably wind up taking off more.

How much wedge?

Enough to work and not interfere with the blade.

Thicker at the top?

By top do you mean spine vs. edge or heel vs. toe? Spine vs. edge - No. Heel vs. Toe - yes if you want a taper.

Thanks all....
Now I know what I was missing.
Now I need to tinker and try it...

http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ge-spacer.html

pretty good overview of options and opinions iirc