Posting some info here as a learning experience, NOT to bust on anyone's work so if you recognize the Maker PLEASE keep it to yourself... I got a Custom Razor into the shop the other day with pretty easy instructions.. Glen: Please hone this, and can you get rid of those stupid bolts that loosen every time I strop the razor and put some normal pins on there.. Also if possible when you take it apart the edge is coming through the bottom, so can you do whatever it is you do and adjust that, so it doesn't Thanks.. So I look at the razor, it has Pre-ban Elephant Ivory scales, and a "Spacer" rather then a "Wedge" Measurements: Front scale thickness = .155" -.170" at first I thought this was to compensate for the countersunk bolt hole but soon realized that the thickest part was actually in the middle of the scales Back scale thickness = .120" - .135" Spacer thickness = .155" So there is ZERO flex going on and because of the Spacer instead of the Wedge,,, the razor as it is opened and closed over and over is now allowing the point to protrude from the bottom of the scales ... This is exactly why scales are made for Straight razors a certain way, they actually flex and move to match the Tang angle and to keep the razor safe... Here are the before pics Note in the pic below with the Razor removed from the scales that there is NO flair in the scales indicating the use of a "Spacer rather then a "Wedge" It is also rather easy to see the Thickness differences between the Front (Left side here) and the Back (Right side here) scales.. To add insult to injury the inner bearing washers were SS,, and already in this razors young life they are cutting into the tang.. there was a reason why these were made of soft gliding metal. So I begin with getting the scales to an even thickness down to a Flexible .090" and got rid on the bolt holes in the process I make the "Spacer" into a "Wedge",,, then take it down carefully without launching it across the shop to .065" on the outside end and .095 on the inside.. You can see the flair now from it being a "Wedge" Another pic of the "Wedge" These next pics show the "Bow" that you get from using the right thickness for the material, and matching the "Wedge" to the Tang angles and another see the bow when the razor is in the closed position ??? If you compare this pic to the one above it illustrates how the scales need to flex as the razor is opened and closed.. This is caused by the Tang being angled from Front - Back and from Top - Bottom you have to allow for that ... This might help to see the Bow more... See how the Point is now tucked safely away, but more importantly, because the bearing surfaces have been changed and the scales are now built like a straight razor instead of like a knife the problems should never come back with normal use Also the inner bearing washers were changed to the more commonly used Brass ones Finally,,, absolutely NONE of these ideas or standards are mine, I have simply taken apart literally 1000's of Vintage razors and learned from the old masters... I hope this helps out to illustrate how these things work
Very informative, Glen, and you conclusions on how the wedge creates the right amount of flex is a factor I deal with every set of new scales I make. It also stresses the importance of scale thickness to allow the proper amount of flex when pinned. I've made plenty of errors—too thick or too thin on the scales, too steep or too shallow an angle on the wedges—and then one must deal with warping and twisting when using certain materials! Successful scale creation is more than making a razor sandwich, thats for sure!
