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New custom built - photo advice needed

Hi Fellas,

Thank you all for all your comments and opinions, I find it quite encouraging.
The most encouraging thing I've noticed is what has not been mentioned, those things I've got right and are meant to go unnoticed.
This is the second time I've attempted this and the first time I've done what could loosely described as hollow grinding. I do this for enjoyment and make these pieces for my own use, the practical buzz comes from removing fascial hair well with a tool made by my own hand.

The basic stock removal method is to take a piece of tool steel bar and remove everything that dosn't look like a razor. I learned from others that there is a sequence to doing this and techniques for keeping things square and symetrical about a centerline to end up with a blade that will fit a pair of scales nicely and be geometricaly viable as a shaver.
I have developed some of my own tricks to this end, and can assure you that this is by no means an easy feat the first time. I will galdly share this with anyone who wants to ask the specifics.

The blank I started with was already outlined on a waterjet profiler and was given to me by a gentleman I know as Dave, user name Del1r1um on that other well known forum so he has to take credit for that.

For the technically interested the blank was 1095 steel, not the easiest to heat treat. Shallow harding steels like this needs to be quenched very fast, I used brine which scares a lot of guys. The trick with brine is temperature to control the quench speed.

Rough grind was done on a cheap 6" bench grinder, final hollow grind beleive it or not was done on a belt sander (it can be done). This is not ideal but can't justify cost of a belt grinder at moment.

The vine and leaf is a well known spine decoration and there a tutorials on the net for this I have the links if interested. It's actually a straight forward technique but requires a little patience.

The finish to near mirror was achieved by progressivley sanding through the grits up to 2.5K wet and dry, I then moved to various grit slurries from hones I have all the way up to 12K then finished with Mass metal polish. Micro mesh is the way to go if you don't mind spending a little. I left the filed parts satin to give relief to the pattern.

My mentors are people like Bob Allman, Charlie Lewis and the exquisite Lloyd Harner.

I had the blank for ages but when I got started took me about 5 months in spare time. Some weeks I could only get 1 hour or so as family takes priority. Have to wait for soap operas to start to distract the missus.

Thats it fella's have missed out tons of detail but just ask if you want to know what I know

Thanks again
Joe
 
The bowl was made by a good friend of mine, though the scales are made from the same batch of wood (English walnut). The photography is great for the steel but does not do the wood justice. Finish on scales is CA.
I'm gonna give this baby a shave now so will be back in a while.
 
Deckard,
I hadn't read all of your post when I replied. After I did I read your comment above my first reply. Are you a Smithy of some sort or Machinest? If not you talk like one. Anyway, keep on doing what you are doing. It is obviously sucessful for you.

Very Respectfully

Chasmo
 
Chasmo said:
Deckard,
I hadn't read all of your post when I replied. After I did I read your comment above my first reply. Are you a Smithy of some sort or Machinest? If not you talk like one. Anyway, keep on doing what you are doing. It is obviously sucessful for you.

Very Respectfully

Chasmo

Hi Chasmo,
I am an engineer by training, I'm in the automotive game.
I trained as a tool maker which is a more accurate term than bladesmith to me.
I've also done some jig and tool design.
I find this stuff interesting, What can I say, some think it's a little sad (like the wife):lol:

Well she shaves, and shaves quite well in my opinion.
I shaved off a unicot edge and would say shave was comfy and smooth - job done.
As good as any shaver I own with the proviso of my favourites (we all have them).
A few comments, my prefered grind is full hollow/singer. This is definetley an axe in comparison, I would say this is closer to 1/4 maybe not quite 1/2 hollow. from face feel this seems a little hard for my taste (I'm a good judge of rockwell). I did undershoot tempering by an hour on purpose as I wanted to see how included angle ended up as the project goes so may stick this back in the oven for an hour.
Before that I'll max the edge out on a 2 sided canvas strop Gary sprayed up for me with .5 diamond and crox. Will let you know how tht goes

Joe
 
Deckard said:
The vine and leaf is a well known spine decoration and there a tutorials on the net for this I have the links if interested. It's actually a straight forward technique but requires a little patience.

Joey I and the other members too I think would be very interested in this link, if only to see how it's done. Now, if you ever feel so inclined, I think the Restoration Room could need an article about this!
 
Compliments to your craftsmanship!
Would you let us know a little more about the blade, please? Steel used, forging process, shaping, finishing ....?

Cheers
BlueDun
 
BlueDun said:
Compliments to your craftsmanship!
Would you let us know a little more about the blade, please? Steel used, forging process, shaping, finishing ....?

Cheers
BlueDun

Hi,
Steel used was amercian spec 1095, not my choice but good if decent ht job done.
I didnt forge this, forging brings it's own problems if not done right (another subject).
My steps would be for stock removal:

1 Get 1/4" thick tool steel of choice (mine would be o1).

2. Create template for profile and lay onto steel and shape steel to this profile. I use hack saws, angle grinder, files, dremel. You get the idea. Though in this case it was done for me as it was profiled on a cnc water cutter.

3.Scribe centre line. Scratch this in quite deep to survive heat treat, I use a height gauge. You can use a 1/4" drill bit.

4. Drill pivot hole, I use a cheap drill press to keep things square but it should be possible to clap to a simple jig and use a hand drill. Dril hole to suit pin used no hard and fast rules my preference is 1/16".

5. Taper tang bench sander important to keep things even and central. I got my way of acheiving this but to windy to go into here.

6. Rough grind hollow for blade 6" bench grinder, I leave on about 3mm at edge and work to Centre line.

7. Do spine file work if at all.

8. Finish to at least P800 grit. I do this by hand cos I am to stingy to get buffing kit and greasless compounds.

9. Heat treat to suit steel, I use 2 brick gas forge, though I'm converting an old barbeque.

10. Final grind bench sander. The chaps on the other side of the pond say it can't be done, they just forgot to tell me:lol: . Gotta watch heat here and keep honing to watch where steel needs to be removed from developing bevel.

11. finish to desired polish and hone. Fit to scales of choice.

I don't like to get things to hot while removing stock as this can cause problems at heat treat if stress builds up in the blade. The 2 steps where a project can die are heat treat and final grind, it's not over till the fat lady sings. Bob Allman has done some great pictorials on SRP if you care to take a look. There are a few tricky bits and some sizes to keep an eye on but to much to go into here, but this is basically the process I follow.

Hope this answers your question.

Thanks
Joe
 
Great work, and thank you for sharing your experience:thumbup: .

Shaving with a straight razor is a lost art... indeed, the same can also be said about making them.

I suspect in the old days when making a blade, they would make the “blank” wider than the final product, because when "single-wheel" grinding a razor by hand, minor corrections would often be made at the edge, that would bring it down to the desired size (3.5:1 ratio of spine to width of blade).

So here is my advice, next time you give your self some wriggle room.

Have a good one, and please lets see some more of your work when you have the chance.
 
Smythe said:
So here is my advice, next time you give your self some wriggle room.

Spot on,
I have just about got away with this one, bevel angle and hardness factored in.
I learn more each time I do this.
Razor smiths don't make mistakes, they just make smaller blades;)

Regards
Joe
 
Deckard said:
7. Do spine file work if at all.

9. Heat treat to suit steel, I use 2 brick gas forge, though I'm converting an old barbeque.

Hi Joe,
I noticed that order. Would it be feasible to reverse the order, i.e. do the filework on the final product ?
Without going through too many files that is.
Wim
 
[/quote]
Would it be feasible to reverse the order, i.e. do the filework on the final product ?
Wim[/quote]

No,not really.
My forge is simple with no means of controling temperature and this virtually dictates what steel to use. These steels aren't worth messing around with in my opinion. Theoreticaly you could heavily clay up the spine before heat treat to keep softer, but then the forge conditions would have to be so marginal there would be a real risk of missing the hardness on the blade and warping. Shallow hardening steels tend to be all or nothing. You could locally aneal spine afterward but all of this wouldn't be worth the hassle to me, I'm sure there are blades out there with softer spines, I've put jimps on tangs on older razors before now.
By the way these steals are great for creating hamons if you know what you are doing even without clay. risky though.

Joe
 
I am officially on holiday from now and all razor stuff is out of my vocab.
Unable to respond for 7 days.

See ya

Joe
 
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