Fixing a wedge safety razor

I have been thinking about this for some time. I see old wedge blade safety razors with the stops worn out. Well my curiosity got the best of me. Last week I started looking for a razor with bad stops. They tend to go cheap. I found a French razor that fit the bill. It has 3 very usable wedges so that was a big plus.

Sorry I forgot to take pictures before my initial modification. What I decided to do was, instead of just adding solder to build it up. Then filing to shape. I drilled and taped a 0-80 hole. Then I installed small brass screws. Now if I were able to get the holes positioned perfectly. This alone could have worked.

Anyhow the holes are off by about .010 inch. My next step is to solder the back side of the screws to the base. Then file the screws to the correct position. Once that is done, I will lightly solder the top side. Then clean up the top side to make my stops. If all goes well I will have a nice shaving French wedge safety razor on the cheap.

Here are 2 pictures with the screws installed. I will solder and work on it this weekend. I will be sure to post the process.

 

very cool Tom..nice repair..

 

Nice job! I had one with bad stops, so I went the solder route. Not being too happy with the results, I ended up selling it (more like gave it away). Using screws (very tiny screws) sounds like a MUCH better route to go.

 

Ingenius. You never fail to amaze me

 

You are a sick man taking old razors that shave better than modern stuff and making the usable again. What next are you going to start making razors that perform as good or better than artisan offerings for pennies on the dollar.

 

Thanks. And yes that is my evil plan. Make great shaves available to the masses for cheap.

 

I think you need to be sent to a razor reeducation seminar and yes you will have to pay for your own seat and supplies.

 

Brilliant work sir.

 

Too bad wet shaving isn't more popular, I could just go city to city, holding 'build your own slant' seminars. "Did you bring your Razorock Barber Pole handle? Good, Good. "And a Tech or Old Type head?" Good. "We may now proceed."

The real question is when is Tom going to modify an old wedge razor to take modern DE or SE blades?

 

There is a guy on etsy that 3D prints wedge adaptors for Gem blades.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/613777958/wedge-razor-spineless-gem-blade-adapters

 

What I really want to do is make a razor that takes Rolls blades. As there is a plethora of those a available. Unlike the regular wedges.

 

Tom, you really need to start a sideline business here. Just saying.

" Tom's vintage razor resurrections"

I can see it now

 

If you can take out the blade spindle from a rolls that you could incorporate as part of the proposed razor frame you might be onto something.

 

I did a review on these the other day. They’re hit or miss depending on the razor.

 

As I mentioned to Tom he needs to make Turd's (Tom's ultimate razor designs). If he wants to be literal about it make one out of fossilized poop and shine it up proving you can polish a turd.

 

I got them and use one in a Star Kampfe wedge razor and it works fine.

 

Kampfe is on the good list along with Gem and Griffon.

 

Wilkinson Empire sets definitely not and the Wilkinson Pall Mall razors maybe. It will depend if that can take a wedge blade that fits on the standard run of American made wedge razors like the Star, Gem etc. I know they can just barely hold a Gem SE blade but don't remember if the same held true for Gem wedges.

 

that's a cool idea..

 

Well the deed is done. It went incredibly smooth. I first soldered the back side.
Then the top of the screws

I then began smoothing everything out trying to make it look halfway decent. I will hone up the blades and give it a go tonight. The great thing about this is. If I find it to mild I can file more to amp it up a bit.



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