Who knows about pin technology?

[LittleStropper]

I have seen a lot of people talking about techniques for pinning a straight razor. There are some very good videos on the topic. I would like to know if anyone has evidence of, or genuine insight into HOW the pins were put in in the first place over the decades. Something tells me that they weren't ordering pins from TX Knife Supply, cutting them with a flush cutter and peening them in a vice wit ha hammer. I was wondering if, certainly in the latter part of the 19th century, if pins were not inserted and tightened be means of an automated or hand operated press. The pin ends on many are so perfect, they don't look like the hand peened stuff today. They appear to have been done in some sort of a press in order to produce a uniform result. if so, I wonder if any still exist. If not, it would be a great engineering project to build one.

Anyone with even a pinch of real insight will pitch in their knowledge.

 

[Legion]

They were put in the same way as they are today. By a man with a hammer. They don't do it with hundreds of tiny taps, though. The videos I've seen they just give it two or three good wacks.

There are videos on youtube of the Dovo and TI factories at work. Have a look at them.

 

[LittleStropper]

They were put in the same way as they are today. By a man with a hammer. They don't do it with hundreds of tiny taps, though. The videos I've seen they just give it two or three good wacks.

There are videos on youtube of the Dovo and TI factories at work. Have a look at them.

I find it hard to believe that there was nothing that held the pins straight as they were being peened. After using all of that power machinery and "tech" in making the razors and scales, why would the risk the whole thing on some guys hammer blow? Maybe they did...but I can imagine something like a press or riveter being used with greater precision and efficiency.

 

[Brownbear]

Back in the day peening and clinching nails were just skills many men had. Entire boats were put together with hand peened copper rivets or nails bent over into a hook. Peening brass nails or bits of rod isn't very difficult and goes quickly. It is the best technology the 18th century had to offer. I've unpinned several razors with bent pins, didn't seem to matter much. Although the pins look cool and are cheap and easy every razor I've unpinned has had severe corrosion around the pin hole except for more recent ones with brass washers and grease.

I'm drawn to microfasteners since they can be taken apart and maintained.

 

[Loric]

I find it hard to believe that there was nothing that held the pins straight as they were being peened. After using all of that power machinery and "tech" in making the razors and scales, why would the risk the whole thing on some guys hammer blow? Maybe they did...but I can imagine something like a press or riveter being used with greater precision and efficiency.

There is a risk, but like anything else if you do something all day for years on end you get very very good at it. Plus if you dont know a better (or cheaper) way to do it, then you do what you have to do. Just my two cents.

 

[honed]

Peening is, like stated here before, an age-old technique of fastening.
When workers did it everyday for 10 hours straight, I think they got pretty good at it & could probably get the job done with very few blows.
No magic, just skills

 

[Neil Miller]

It was done just the same way as it is done today. I have seen youtube videos of it being done in the 1940s and 1950s, and those people were taught by older people who in turn were taught by older people. Most razor makers/grinders did not so it themselves - they had a 'setter-in' whose job was to stamp the small washers out of thin brass latten plate, assemble the scales, wedge and blade, and 'set' them together.

Sometimes it was a womans job - as was the polishing of the blade.

The key strokes were using the ball of the hammer to turn down the edges of the pin - mushrooming it - before inserting, cutting to length and mushrooming the other side. The razor was continually flipped during this operation, then when the head was fully formed the hammer was reversed and the flat face was used to widen the pin head out, before turning it over again and dressing it with the ball.

That last operation was particularly vital with ivory scales, where washers were not commonly used and the scales were reamed to a conical shape to prevent splitting as the head widened into a conical shape.

Only someone who has never seen an old exponent of the art do it would think that a few strokes were necessary - unless they worked in a Solingen-based company in the 50s - 60s, when it was quite common to clout the pin and bend it, rather than cut it to the right length or file it if it is too long - a direct consequence of modern working practices, probably. A lot of modern razors exhibit this degree of workmanship too, unfortunately.

Regards,
Neil

 

[Legion]

It was done just the same way as it is done today. I have seen youtube videos of it being done in the 1940s and 1950s, and those people were taught by older people who in turn were taught by older people. Most razor makers/grinders did not so it themselves - they had a 'setter-in' whose job was to stamp the small washers out of thin brass latten plate, assemble the scales, wedge and blade, and 'set' them together.

Sometimes it was a womans job - as was the polishing of the blade.

The key strokes were using the ball of the hammer to turn down the edges of the pin - mushrooming it - before inserting, cutting to length and mushrooming the other side. The razor was continually flipped during this operation, then when the head was fully formed the hammer was reversed and the flat face was used to widen the pin head out, before turning it over again and dressing it with the ball.

That last operation was particularly vital with ivory scales, where washers were not commonly used and the scales were reamed to a conical shape to prevent splitting as the head widened into a conical shape.

Only someone who has never seen an old exponent of the art do it would think that a few strokes were necessary - unless they worked in a Solingen-based company in the 50s - 60s, when it was quite common to clout the pin and bend it, rather than cut it to the right length or file it if it is too long - a direct consequence of modern working practices, probably. A lot of modern razors exhibit this degree of workmanship too, unfortunately.

Regards,
Neil

Yes, the modern videos support this. As do the number of bent pins in modern razors.

 

[Neil Miller]

Here's a short video, no doubt already seen by most - its a knife being pinned, but the process is essentially the same:

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Regards,
Neil

 

[honed]

It was done just the same way as it is done today. I have seen youtube videos of it being done in the 1940s and 1950s, and those people were taught by older people who in turn were taught by older people. Most razor makers/grinders did not so it themselves - they had a 'setter-in' whose job was to stamp the small washers out of thin brass latten plate, assemble the scales, wedge and blade, and 'set' them together.

Sometimes it was a womans job - as was the polishing of the blade.

The key strokes were using the ball of the hammer to turn down the edges of the pin - mushrooming it - before inserting, cutting to length and mushrooming the other side. The razor was continually flipped during this operation, then when the head was fully formed the hammer was reversed and the flat face was used to widen the pin head out, before turning it over again and dressing it with the ball.

That last operation was particularly vital with ivory scales, where washers were not commonly used and the scales were reamed to a conical shape to prevent splitting as the head widened into a conical shape.

Only someone who has never seen an old exponent of the art do it would think that a few strokes were necessary - unless they worked in a Solingen-based company in the 50s - 60s, when it was quite common to clout the pin and bend it, rather than cut it to the right length or file it if it is too long - a direct consequence of modern working practices, probably. A lot of modern razors exhibit this degree of workmanship too, unfortunately.

Regards,
Neil

Thanks for your very informative answer!