Thread: Triple stacked pins

I've been getting into restoration recently and I've cleaned up about 5 or 6 blades by hand.

Five of them are going to get new custom scales (horn and bone on the way! ) and brass pins with single washers. I've found a company here in the UK that sells 1/16" brass rod and the washers so I'm good to go there.

The last blade is a great W&B Celebrated Hollow Ground which has lovely looking scales. I've managed to unpin the scales and clean the blade up so it looks great, but in the process I've lost the lovely triple stacked washers it had.

What size of washers does one use for that triple stacked look? And is there anywhere in the UK to get them? I've been looking but no joy so far.

I'd really like to put the triple stacked washers back on this blade as it looked great with them and the lovely horn scales nicely worn in.

Thanks folks!

Microfasteners carries them but shipping etc: would be crazy so If I were you I would ask a "Friend" that lives on this side of the pond to order extra when "your friend" needs them and mail them to ya...

How many ya need????

Thanks Glen!

I'll drop you a PM.

Thanks matey, that's great.

I know it's personal preference, but I would highly recommend you check out what three stacked washers looks and feels like before you pin the razor. To me, and maybe only to me, the mountain of metal sticking off the scale is just too much. But I'm sure there are others that love the effect. You may not know till you handle it in person, though.

Hmmmm That's odd Dylan because I have found them to be almost identical to the mountain of metal that sticks out from the side of a Vintage W&B, but even then, there is more difference because the Vintage washers has been mashed down somewhat over the years but the triple stack hasn't ...I think they are still within 100th of an inch though if you measured, even inaccuratly... In fact that was what the triple stack was designed to emulate,, Or when you take the time to spin yer own, again designed to copy the old Bullseye/Beehive washers I am sure that some would disagree but that's just me...
Now if you just like the look of the old vintage washers that would be a personal preference in itself...

You can make your own too.

What I do to 'taylor' my washers is put a couple on a nail and put them horizontaly in the vice.
I then take my dremmel with a sanding drum attachment and lightly apply it to the edge of the washers.
They will start to spin and they will slowly decrease in diameter, so you can go small, medium and large....simples!

Now that is a good idea

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hmmmm That's odd Dylan because I have found them to be almost identical to the mountain of metal that sticks out from the side of a Vintage W&B, but even then, there is more difference because the Vintage washers has been mashed down somewhat over the years but the triple stack hasn't ...I think they are still within 100th of an inch though if you measured, even inaccuratly... In fact that was what the triple stack was designed to emulate,, Or when you take the time to spin yer own, again designed to copy the old Bullseye/Beehive washers I am sure that some would disagree but that's just me...
Now if you just like the look of the old vintage washers that would be a personal preference in itself...

I was just voicing my own opinion, that it's best to see if you really like it before doing the pinning. That was the only point of my first post.

I'm not sure what washers everyone has available, but I'm basing my statements on the 0 wide brass, 0 stainless, and 0 brass (biggest to smallest OD) that I have available to me (from microfasteners). Comparing to vintage washers, the stack of three is markedly taller than the various vintage, bullseye washers I have around. But that is not the only difference. The vintage ones that I have are more than 1.5 the diameter of the 0 wide. So now you can probably see why I said mountain of metal - the stacked 0w, 0, and 0 is narrower at the base and taller, making it much steeper off the scale, like a mountain. The vintage ones are wider and shorter, more like a hill. Just as significant, to my touch at least, is that the vintage washers are nicely rounded; the "steps" from one ring to the next are rounded and gradual. With stacked brass, the steps are each bigger and have much harder edges, even after I buff them.

Yes, these are all small differences, but with such small measurements, the %'s are not so small. And given that I run my hands over the pivot washers a lot while handling razors (honing, stropping), and since I put my razors into a lined roll, I find these differences to be very evident. (I would also be careful if you use coffins to store razors, because the change in width at both the wedge and pivot can prevent razors from fitting if the clearance was close to start.)

Maybe all that is ONLY because the vintage washers are smushed, rubbed, worn, etc, but that is why I like them; they are nice and rounded, and they feel good in my hands.

But again, all this is only MY OPINION based on MY experiences and the materials I have available to me. None of this is universal, and it is by no means truth. It just leads me to the idea that it may be a good idea to try it out before pinning; similar to "measure twice, cut once."

Hi my name is Dylan, and I like the Vintage ones better I think says it all....

Hi my name is Glen and I like the new stacked ones better...


PS: Stu I have about 200 of the old ones in a baggie on the bench I'll send ya some of those too

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Hi my name is Dylan, and I like the Vintage ones better I think says it all....

Except that was not what I was saying in my first post. I was saying "I would recommend you try before you pin to see what YOU like."