Damn Comfortable Shave

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

New one on me. Cool tool.

 

[Esox]

Two part epoxy is pretty tough stuff. A cousin of a friend is a Ford dealership diesel mechanic. I watched him use a two part commercial epoxy to seal a leaking AC line fitting, and it worked. Some of the commercial/industrial epoxies are almost as strong as the materials they bind together.

Yes, officer, I do have shaving soap in my other pocket.

As long as he doesnt ask why I carry it in a sock.

No bins for those yet lol.

 

[Esox]

New one on me. Cool tool.

Its basically two small diameter knife steels stuck in a handle.

 

[Somerled]

Oh, wow! Beautiful job of it. Really nice looking scales. Really, really, really nice.

What thickness was the Kirinite to begin with and where did you buy it? Those are nice scales.

Nice blade, too, but you made the scales.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thanks Jim.

The kirinite was 1/8", same as the first set of scales I made. But this time I spent some time sanding them down and tapering the edges. The moto saw cut them close to the outline I wanted and didn't have to spend hours sanding them into shape.

I bought it from Amazon.UK. There is a vendor I have saved on ebay that deals with kirinite, along with micarta, G10 (whatever that is) and other stuff. I'm sure it's the same vendor on Amazon UK.

Dark piece on the far right is 3/16" thick. Not sure if I'll be using that again, unless I get a belt sander.

The red one is called "True Blood" and the middle one is "Patriot" dark one is "Black Magic Pearl".

 

[Somerled]

The acetone did not soften the epoxy bond but it did a number on the scales. I may have caught it in time so they may or may not be ruined. I'm going to look at them again tomorrow, but they're out of the acetone and air drying.
View attachment 935471

Live and learn. Not a huge deal. I'm always learning from my mistakes.

Happy shaves,

Jim

Thats what this is all about.
Learning from mistakes and not be too afraid to experiment.

That being said, I hope they are not ruined.
Will be interesting to see how they turn out if not.

 

[Esox]

A very quick look on Ebay.ca gave me this.

White Pearl Kirinite 1/4" x 1.5" x 5" (pair) | eBay



All in thats almost $50CAD. Thats pricey.

 

[Somerled]

A very quick look on Ebay.ca gave me this.

White Pearl Kirinite 1/4" x 1.5" x 5" (pair) | eBay

View attachment 935486

All in thats almost $50CAD. Thats pricey.

1/4" is way too thick and yep thats pricey.
Also, 5" long is too short. Needs to be 6".

JB Supply UK | eBay Stores

 

[Esox]

1/4" is way too thick and yep thats pricey.
Also, 5" long is too short. Needs to be 6".

JB Supply UK | eBay Stores

Thats not getting any cheaper lol.

Thats pushing $80 all in. How does it cost $27 to ship that? lol.

I noticed on aliexpress too, that the shipping to Canada has gone waaaaay up. I read that because of the mail strike, companies dont want to send to Canada because it will take too long and they'll end up needing to refund for the item sold, so they increased the shipping charges to discourage Canadians buying.

Once again, we get screwed. At least its 25% off lol.

Yep, thats the least expensive shipping option...

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

A very quick look on Ebay.ca gave me this.

White Pearl Kirinite 1/4" x 1.5" x 5" (pair) | eBay

View attachment 935486

All in thats almost $50CAD. Thats pricey.

It's also 1/4" which is way too thick. 1/8" has to be sanded to make it thinner.

I ordered from Kirinite.com. It's important to get the right length pieces, too. Shipping was about an additional 50% on my small order, but I got enough material to make (easily) two sets of scales or (more precise cutting and everything) four sets of scales. I paid about $30 including shipping.

There are other vendors. A good many of them.

Thanks Jim.

The kirinite was 1/8", same as the first set of scales I made. But this time I spent some time sanding them down and tapering the edges. The moto saw cut them close to the outline I wanted and didn't have to spend hours sanding them into shape...The red one is called "True Blood" and the middle one is "Patriot" dark one is "Black Magic Pearl".

Thanks. You did a great job of it.

You mentioned in an earlier post how difficult the sanding to thin the scales was and how slow. How did you overcome that problem?

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

It's also 1/4" which is way too thick. 1/8" has to be sanded to make it thinner.

1/16 or even 1/32 would be better for the knife scales I have in mind. I havent looked around much, my enthusiasm is waning.

 

[Somerled]

Thanks. You did a great job of it.

You mentioned in an earlier post how difficult the sanding to thin the scales was and how slow. How did you overcome that problem?

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

The other set I made earlier this week, the kirinite was 3/16 thick.
I used my dremel to sand it down and made a big mess.
If I want to keep SWMBO on my side I need to avoid that.

First set I made the kirinite was 1/8 thick (same as 3rd). But I shaped the scales by sanding and quite simply, it took so long to I didn't relish more sanding to thin them down as well. So, they stayed at 1/8" thick.

Now with the moto saw I can cut them so close to the shape I need, sanding time is vastly reduced. So, sanding them a bit thinner by hand isn't that big a deal. 1/8" doesn't need much to get to the right thickness.
It still takes a while, but I quite like doing it. Kirinite is nice to work with.

These are the best scales I've made to date. Everything about them is right.
The shape, the wedge, the level of shine to show the kirinite at its best, even the blade centers perfectly.

I polished them starting with 400 then 600 grit W&D.
That removed most of the deep scratches from the initial sanding.
Then using the dremel and felt pads, polished with 5 micron diamond paste until all scratches were gone.
Finished off with CrOx (green 0.3 micron) and then FeOx (red 0.1 micron) - i have a lot of this stuff, compared to diamond paste.
This gave the shine depth and made it pop.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

1/16 or even 1/32 would be better for the knife scales I have in mind. I havent looked around much, my enthusiasm is waning.

Kirinite is enjoyable to work with.

Kirinite offers an unusual blend of durability and workability. Unlike other acrylic materials, it’s not brittle, so it resists chipping and cracking. Sanding, shaping, drilling, and buffing are also easy with Kirinite…when treated with just a bit of restraint, the material won't melt, seize your drill bit, or warp when being worked.

You don’t need special tools to work with Kirinite, either…whether you’re accustomed to working with wood, plastics, stone, bone, or other substances, you can use the same tools on Kirinite without fouling the tools or compromising the beauty or integrity of the material.

Here’s an example of what professionals are saying about working with Kirinite:

“I’ve never had a problem with Kirinite. It’s easy to shape and sand, and you can finish it any way you want…you can polish it like a gem, give it a satin finish, or whatever you can imagine. I’d rather work with Kirinite than with wood, because the Kirinite is more forgiving.”
— Ryan Carlson, NYKM

“Kirinite is excellent to work with…it’s not chippy, grainy, or melty. Other polymers tend to heat up and cling to drill bits and other machinery, but Kirinite keeps its stability. Plus, it polishes beautifully, and has a good, rich feel in the hand.”
– Mike “Whiskers” Allen, WhiskersKnives.com

“Kirinite is very stable…it doesn’t shrink, it’s easy to shape, easy to sand…in fact, it’s the easiest stuff to work with in our shop! It polishes nicely, too…and the more you polish it, the less slippery it gets!”
– Wally Gardner, Canal Street Cutlery

The quoted material is from their website, but my little experience convinces me the stuff is easy to work with. Other than sawing with the coping saw it was a very enjoyable project. I've gotta find a way to drill it correctly, too, as the stuff is about impossible to drill with a pin vise. Working with it, especially hand sanding it, was a pleasure.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The other set I made earlier this week, the kirinite was 3/16 thick.
I used my dremel to sand it down and made a big mess.
If I want to keep SWMBO on my side I need to avoid that.

First set I made the kirinite was 1/8 thick (same as 3rd). But I shaped the scales by sanding and quite simply, it took so long to I didn't relish more sanding to thin them down as well. So, they stayed at 1/8" thick.

Now with the moto saw I can cut them so close to the shape I need, sanding time is vastly reduced. So, sanding them a bit thinner by hand isn't that big a deal. 1/8" doesn't need much to get to the right thickness.
It still takes a while, but I quite like doing it. Kirinite is nice to work with.

These are the best scales I've made to date. Everything about them is right.
The shape, the wedge, the level of shine to show the kirinite at its best, even the blade centers perfectly.

I polished them starting with 400 then 600 grit W&D.
That removed most of the deep scratches from the initial sanding.
Then using the dremel and felt pads, polished with 5 micron diamond paste until all scratches were gone.
Finished off with CrOx (green 0.3 micron) and then FeOx (red 0.1 micron) - i have a lot of this stuff, compared to diamond paste.
This gave the shine depth and made it pop.

Thanks. Nice tips. Bunches of nice tips. Like you, I find Kirinite nice to work with and I'm looking forward to making my second set of scales. You seem to have figured out the drilling issue, too, which I have not. I can't see how to do it with consistency, accuracy, and reliability without a drill press.

What grit sandpaper did you settle on for sanding the inner surfaces of the scales to get the material thin enough? I have 36, 60, and 80.

In thinning the scales were you shooting for a measured thickness or just eyeballing it?

I want my Kirinite scales to be about as thin as some of the scales original to razors I know still have very nice factory scales. I notice these factory scales are not all of the same thickness; I'm eyeballing them and haven't put the calipers to them, but it's obvious their thicknesses are not all exactly the same.

Did you use the CrOx and FeOx with the Dremel and felt pads?

Your results and the quality of your work and your method speak for themselves!

Thanks and happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Just what you don't need, Mike, is even more expensive shipping. I'm not a guy who much likes much that the government does (to help us, haha). However, it seems to me that it is in everyone's best interests, including the government's, to make trade as easy as possible. Making shipping terribly expensive seems counter productive if the goal is a strong and vibrant economy and happy citizens.

Pardon my excursion into anything remotely political. I'm sorry it's so hard for you, Mike, to get items which arrive at my place from England and China, etc. with reasonable shipping. Of course, I do shop around for shipping prices (hint: Connaught, if you live in the USA).

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Esox]

Just what you don't need, Mike, is even more expensive shipping. I'm not a guy who much likes much that the government does (to help us, haha). However, it seems to me that it is in everyone's best interests, including the government's, to make trade as easy as possible. Making shipping terribly expensive seems counter productive if the goal is a strong and vibrant economy and happy citizens.

Pardon my excursion into anything remotely political. I'm sorry it's so hard for you, Mike, to get items which arrive at my place from England and China, etc. with reasonable shipping. Of course, I do shop around for shipping prices (hint: Connaught, if you live in the USA).

Happy shaves,

Jim

I'm hoping it just a temporary thing. I read yesterday that apparently there are 600 tractor trailer loads of mail waiting to be processed. Once they're caught up, hopefully, things will return to normal.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm hoping it just a temporary thing. I read yesterday that apparently there are 600 tractor trailer loads of mail waiting to be processed. Once they're caught up, hopefully, things will return to normal.

Normal?

 

[Somerled]

What grit sandpaper did you settle on for sanding the inner surfaces of the scales to get the material thin enough? I have 36, 60, and 80.
In thinning the scales were you shooting for a measured thickness or just eyeballing it?
Did you use the CrOx and FeOx with the Dremel and felt pads?

Jim

I'm using up what I have lying around.
Got a small amount of 60 grit left and a big roll of 80 grit. (leftovers from a few months ago when we re-decorated the ground floor of our house)
I have a big old rubber sanding block that I use as a "rest" for the scales as I sand them - quite handy.
Just keep checking as I go along to make sure I'm keeping everything even and not sanding down one side more than the other.
All done with the eye.

I leave both halves stuck together when sanding and only seperate them once they are polished and the pivot hole is drilled.
Keeping the inner surface of the scales as they are, got some inner pivot washers now (didn't have any for the first set I made)

All polishing with diamond paste, CrOx, and FeOx are done with dremel and felt pads.
Keep the speed low, polishing at high speeds tends to throw the polish off everywhere.

Sure it would be so much easier with a belt sander and buffing machine.
But I don't intend to do this on an industrial scale, so a bit of slow manual sanding is fairly theraputic.
At least the moto saw does the hardest job, as I see it, and makes everything else much easier. Plus being able to attach the vacuum cleaner makes it a no brainer in my book.

 

[Esox]

Normal?

A semblance of, will suffice lol.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

I'm using up what I have lying around.
Got a small amount of 60 grit left and a big roll of 80 grit. (leftovers from a few months ago when we re-decorated the ground floor of our house)
I have a big old rubber sanding block that I use as a "rest" for the scales as I sand them - quite handy.
Just keep checking as I go along to make sure I'm keeping everything even and not sanding down one side more than the other.
All done with the eye.

I leave both halves stuck together when sanding and only seperate them once they are polished and the pivot hole is drilled.
Keeping the inner surface of the scales as they are, got some inner pivot washers now (didn't have any for the first set I made)

All polishing with diamond paste, CrOx, and FeOx are done with dremel and felt pads.
Keep the speed low, polishing at high speeds tends to throw the polish off everywhere.

Sure it would be so much easier with a belt sander and buffing machine.
But I don't intend to do this on an industrial scale, so a bit of slow manual sanding is fairly theraputic.
At least the moto saw does the hardest job, as I see it, and makes everything else much easier. Plus being able to attach the vacuum cleaner makes it a no brainer in my book.

Thank you. Very helpful to me it is.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Sunday's shave established a trend.

Three good shaves in a row. That's a trend, gentlemen.

My skin does not feel at the moment quite as good as I'd like, but I've not yet applied any post shave moisturizer. Only witch hazel and the splash.



I also wondered if the razor might need a bit of CrOx, but I decided to do one more shave (probably; I could change my mind) before hitting the edge with linen coated with CrOx.

My wife and daughter left for Asheville a little while ago. They will be back tomorrow, but I'm on my own over night. I believe I'm going to make myself a deep dish skillet baked pizza. That means a trip to the Publix to buy some pizza dough (they have real dough already sitting there in a refrigerator case). We've used it before and it makes a great pizza. I'll buy some non alcoholic beer to go along with it.

Plus I'm out of the really good bath soap I like. The Kirk's website has some interesting DIY recipes. I discovered their soap on a beach trip when I bought the cheapest soap in the store only to find I liked it much better than the soap I'd been using at home. So, I'm one of those people they warn you about - a zealous convert.

Happy shaves,

Jim