New project this weekend, straight razor.

G

gixxer

Joined
Sep 21, 2006
Messages
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I have not posted in probably a month, have not worked on knives in the same amount of time. I have recently started shaving with a DE razor, and two weeks or so ago I got a couple straights. So I figured I needed a project that involved blade steel, so why not? Off to the dry ice warehouse in a few min, and a solid three days to work on it before I have to go back to work!
 
Knowing going into this I pretty much have no idea what I am doing, I was not expecting a $600 worthy outcome. So, I started off flat grinding the initial bevel to remove metal, then I took the 2.5" wheel to finish. you can see in the first pic that the pivot hole is not centered, that is on purpose so I can taper the spine down to the monkey tail, it will be centered when I get there. Anyhow, I need a 4" wheel. I was trying for a 5/8 and well, in this case I went about it wrong. Good thing is I have not exactly ruined anything yet. The hollow grind only goes halfway up to the spine and my unfinished edge is sitting right at .008-.010. So, the good thing is I can remove metal with the proper wheel when I order it tomorrow. Heh, not too shabby for my FIRST EVER hollow grind. Anyhow it's a good thing I made two blanks.

PICT0057.jpg


PICT0058.jpg


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hey no problems yet and no need for the other wheel
all my early razors were ground with only a 2 inch wheel
and thats including 8/8s

round the spine a bit and then jsut keep moving the hollow up to the spine
 
I'm jealous, I really want to make some straights! Gotta upgrade the grinder first!

They look great, I hope you keep posting your progress! One day I'll be able to afford a custom!

*wow, just re-read my post, sorry for the ridiculous amount of exclamation points, I guess I just attribute it to my excitement for fresh straights...*
 
Hey if you need a home for one of those straights after you finish it I have a place in my den already picked out for it! :D
 
Wow, those are looking pretty good! I don't know much about straight razors. I do have a couple of old antique ones that were handed down, and yours are starting to look like 'em so that's a good thing!:D

Nice work.
 
Butch, to be honest with you I was going to take the easier way out just doing a plain quarter (or half?) hollow with the 4". I do not think I can keep both sides an even thickness through the hollow if I pull the grind with the smaller wheel. I'm skeered!:eek:

It would look ugly as hell but I could just keep it the way it is, I mean that is an "official" concave grind what I have there right now! Nah, it looks like butt.

Hey, when was the last time you saw a straight with a concave grind?
 
grinding the sholder out woudl be the better way trust me as it is much easer to grind progressivly smaller wheels not the other way around (any time i try to go back to a bigger wheel i mess up the esdge)

and who said you have ot make it a full hollow grind it so that its a little thicker and follow the grind lines

the 2 hardest blade grinds to get right are wedge and full hollow all others are jsut wiggled in and based on how stiff it is
here is close to concave :)
dsc01018sm.jpg
 
Hey Butch, how thin is too thin? I ground the edge down to .003 in some spots by accident while pushing the grind up.
 
003 is fine you want as close to 0 as you can so long as thers a bit behind the edge and the whole razor is not that thing (shaving with foil is sucky)

i go tto near 0 edge then test sharpenn to see where my high and low spots are then grind some more to even things out
 
I have not given up on this project, however, Korea is right around the corner. Between out processing the base and getting ready to leave, I have not been in the shop. And I have to pack up my shop before I leave so the house can show. It might take a year or so, but I will come back to it. Well, any shop project for that matter. Thanks for the help so far Butch.
 
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