Tightening scales on new Dovo

Hi all. I have a Dovo ebony stainless I bought last November (new). When I received it, the scales were just tight enough not to flop around, but after a few months of use, it has loosened significantly.
I tried tightening it by lightly tapping the bulbous side, but it did not work. I then used a bit more force with a hammer and it has only tightened slightly, but not yet to my liking as it still flops a little. I decided to stop before I caused any damage.
Anyway have I been tapping on the correct side of the pin? As light tapping isn't doing any good, is it OK to use more force considering the scales are ebony wood?
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Thanks!

I would say you are working on the correct side. There is a video of how to do pinning here Straight Razor Restoration Start to Finish Video Series - Straight Razor Place Wiki that you may want to look at if you have not already seen it. I would not use a lot of force with a light ball peen hammer as you can cause a split in the scales. Very light rapid taps are used in peening. It is your razor and you proceed at your own risk.

Bob

You may need to tap on both sides to tighten and center the blade,first time doing it,try using a Table spoon with the pin backed on a pce of steel ( A hammer in a vice will do) go slow.

Just make sure the taps aren't any harder than you can handle on your thumb nail or you can bend the pin. Some of those pins can be a PITA & take a couple hundred "taps".

The pin of the razor MUST be laying on something solid like a hammer, marble countertop, vice...something solid or you are just spinning your wheels.

The part of the Vids that people seem to miss is that you have to tap "Around" on the peen, the objective it to create a Mushroom and that tightens the pin if you just hit straight down you just bend the pin (Which is BAD)
You are tapping on the correct side for the New Dovos the front side is a solid nail head and it will not peen...

Use the angle of the Ball to help strike the peen, that is why you are using a Ballpeen hammer, on your question of force, put your finger on the "Anvil" hit your finger with the hammer, right there at the edge of the Cuticle, that sensitive pressure point, if it hurts, you are hitting too hard, No really I ain't kidding try it...
You can Google "gssixgun, pinning" and I explain this all again



This is what pins look like after they have been beat on instead of being peened correctly, I just pulled these and replaced them yesterday, because the Razors could not be tightened, they get so bent in there the pins act much like a spring... Tap tap tappity tap, nice and light over and over around the top of the peen :)

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

The part of the Vids that people seem to miss is that you have to tap "Around" on the peen, the objective it to create a Mushroom and that tightens the pin if you just hit straight down you just bend the pin (Which is BAD)
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Glen, I've been pretty quick on the uptake for most things about straight razors, but peening pins has been my kryptonite. I get the light force tapping and tapping around the head of the pin, but I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I don't know if its just that I am expecting results quickly and not doing it long enough. How long on average would you say it takes to do one pin with brass rod?

I also use a stainless tablespoon to avoid too much juice on the pin or scales. 'A few yrs back, I think it was Glen who first spoke of using the fingernail/thumbnail as a test of force. He also said - hundreds of light taps all around the head of the pin. 'Just another example of his generosity - sharing what he knows.

I'm not Glenn, but when I am replacing a pin I can easily tapp 3-400 per side (the count is a WAG). It's all according to how hard the brass is. Drives my wife crazy when I am re-pinning...I LOVE IT!

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Originally Posted by Silents

Glen, I've been pretty quick on the uptake for most things about straight razors, but peening pins has been my kryptonite. I get the light force tapping and tapping around the head of the pin, but I feel like I'm not getting anywhere. I don't know if its just that I am expecting results quickly and not doing it long enough. How long on average would you say it takes to do one pin with brass rod?

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I would really have to try and count :) but time means nothing I do so many I am pretty fast and very accurate :) This is sorta like Honing it is hard to do lap counts as there are too many variables involved, you really have to go by feel...

Re-tightening vs new pins is also a difference, most every vid out there is re-pinning, Lynn did a really good one on just tightening that you should watch..

The new razors like the OP's Dovo are the hardest to do because they are one sided, the Vintage razors are mostly two sided and easier to do.. If you watch my vid you will also note another slight difference, the new nailhead pins do not allow for the same gymnastics of the razor while pinning, all the movement has to be only from the hammer.. On the double sided pins you can lean the razor and spin the razor at the same time you are tapping from above which makes it easier to create the mushroom effect..

The two biggest fails are because of not "Peening" the pin ie: just hammering straight down and not around the top of the peen, and 2nd is the Hard Solid surface under the bottom pin this is also harder with the newer razors because often times that little nail head isn't protruding like the double side pins.. You have to sometimes use the very corner of the Anvil or Block to make sure it is down solid... Lynn demonstrates this very well in his Vid...



Damn Scott, this is just like yesterday I keep typing at the same time you are :)

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

Damn Scott, this is just like yesterday I keep typing at the same time you are :)

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:rofl2::rofl2:I keep a tab open on your profile page to see what you are doing, then quickly post something ahead of you...even if it makes no sense at all!:rofl2::rofl2:

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Originally Posted by gssixgun

2nd is the Hard Solid surface under the bottom pin this is also harder with the newer razors because often times that little nail head isn't protruding like the double side pins.. You have to sometimes use the very corner of the Anvil or Block to make sure it is down solid... Lynn demonstrates this very well in his Vid...

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I think this is exactly what is happening, as the bottom pin on my razor isn't protruding. I'll give it another (light) shot with this in mind. Thanks very much, Glen and everyone else for your very helpful replies.
This place and you guys are awesome. :bow