Thread: pinning question.

I appear to be bending the pin when attaching scales. I never notice it. but sometimes when I am done the scales don't line up perfectly. the only thing I can think of is that I bent the pin. is this common in beginners. I was told to hit the pin with a level of force that if I substituted my thumb on the anvil in place of the razor, it wouldn't hurt.

The pinning being offset might not be a bent pin, it can also be that you are hiiting the pin only one way, and shifting the pin (sometimes desirable)

When pinning you want to create a mushroom effect. so you tap with glancing blows all around the pin, many little tiny taps around and around, it takes practice and attention to keep everything straight... this is why the Ballpeen works so well, it allows for the glancing blows because of the rounded surface

Hitting the pins dead straight just smashes them down

I'll pay attention to see if I am in fact not hitting evenly in all directions. how would shifting the pin be desirable? sounds interesting

If you need to center a blade, between the scales, you can actually shift it quite a bit, by using "Directional" pinning on all 4 points

that totally makes sense, never thought of that