Thread: Question regarding extra/stabilizing pins

I've been tweaking and making straight razor scales for a while and the pins have always been the major hurdle for me.

My question is about "extra" pins or "stabilizing pins". Say I've got a pair of 2 piece ivory scales, where each scale is made up of two seperate pieces of ivory. I'd like to put a pin in the corners where the two pieces join. This would be 2 pins per ivory piece, 4 pins per scale, 8 pins total.

The pins I've seen are always smaller than the pivot pin and rarely have any washer or collar. Is it safe to peen a pin like this? I don't want to risk putting a stabilizing pin in the end of a nice MOP scale if the process is to risky. Perhaps these pins are merely decorative and they aren't peened at all, just glued in and sanded flush?

Any advice or links would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Matt

Just a hunch but I do not believe that those pins are peened. Probably just glued.

Randy,

That's what I'm thinking, but then would they really stabilize anything? Hoping for a confirmation.

Just bumping this back to the top of the list. I'm hoping one of the serious restoration guys has a tip about these stabilizing pins.

Thanks,

Matt

Matt,
I actually do peen that pin, although it's not strictly necessary. Glue and friction would serve just as well to keep the stabilizing spacer in place. In some instances, it would probably be better not to peen it, depending on the material you're using. Of the razors I have with a factory 3rd pin, one is peened (a Henckels), and the others aren't. I usually use a stainless steel standoff, rather than a plastic pin or bead. As far as them actually stabilizing anything, they do. They stiffen the handle quite a bit, and give a rest for the shank of the blade.

Originally Posted by Joe Chandler

They stiffen the handle quite a bit, and give a rest for the shank of the blade.

I agree about stifening the hande, and adding more control to the open blade, but the third pin don't work as a blade (tang) rest.

Nenad

The third pin serves a couple of purposes.

• It keeps the blade from swinging all the way through the scales
• It keeps a workable dynamic between the blade and the scales goin' on when the blade has quite a bit of taper on the tang. It is mainly to prevent cracking the scales on those heavier blades when they are opened and closed. The third pin serves as a spacer to match the width of the blade at the point on the side of the scales where they match up together.

If the pin has been placed in the correct position, it will serve as a rest for the blade. You can see what I am talking about if you go to Making Scales 106 on my razor blog...

http://razortips.blogspot.com/

The pins I've seen are always smaller than the pivot pin and rarely have any washer or collar. Is it safe to peen a pin like this?

It is a customary way to attach pins to materials like ivory and mother of pearl in this manner. You just have to know what you are doing. The trick is to mushroom the head and not expand the pin as you are peening it. This is accomplished with light taps. Nothing harder than with the same force you would hit the end of your finger with the hammer.

Don't take offense, but judging from the way you asked the question, I would suggest you practice with some other materials first before you start with the ivory.

Originally Posted by urleebird

The third pin serves a couple of purposes.
[*]It keeps the blade from swinging all the way through the scales

Bill, I think this is not the case. The blade stops just like on every other blade, because it can't fit between the scales near the end spacer. At width of 1/8 inch and more at the spine it can't swing to the other side because no end spacer exceedes the width of 1/16 inch, and it's usualy less... I hope I got the inches right

Nenad

When I'm making my scales, I place the spacer in such a way that the shank of the blade rests on it. Again, I don't suppose it's absolutely necessary, but I like it that way. So yes, on mine, the stabilizing spacer also functions as a blade stop/rest.

I got the impression that the OP was talking about pins to stabilize two piece scales to a liner, not a third pin.

Thats what I thought also.

Originally Posted by SharkHat

I got the impression that the OP was talking about pins to stabilize two piece scales to a liner, not a third pin.