Pin won't stay tight

[Munxcub]

On my old Boker, the original pivot pin wouldn't stay tight. I'd tighten it up and move it through some ranges and it'd be loose immediately.

I recently took it apart and repinned it with brass rod that I've used on other razors and they stayed tight, but on the Boker they loosen up.

Any tips? Could the scales be doing it? I am still using the original scales. Do I keep tightening the pin until it stops doing this? Should I pop it open and add some washer "bearings" between the tang and the scales?

I've tried opening the blade to where it gets loose first and tightening it there, but it didn't change anything.

 

[Freedom]

You need to work out what is causing it to loosen, my guess is the tang tapers quite significantly so when you close it the scales are forced apart by it.

This makes me wonder how flexible the scale material is, may be it has hardened up over time?

As far as fixing it, you could try adding extra spacers either side to reduce the flex, "make sure there roughed so they cause some friction", you could also add a greater taper or thickness to the wedge, or change the scale material to something more flexible.

Or you could glue microfastners in place to hold it (this however means the scales will always be subjected to the extra bending stress, this may have consequences).

 

[Munxcub]

The scale material is not very rigid, it's quite flexible actually. The wedge is fairly thin now that you mention it, but it's all original stuff.

 

[rambus007]

The scale material is not very rigid, it's quite flexible actually. The wedge is fairly thin now that you mention it, but it's all original stuff.

mmm interesting. Try flattening two off those #2 brass washers I sent to you and using those on the inside.

 

[Munxcub]

mmm interesting. Try flattening two off those #2 brass washers I sent to you and using those on the inside.

Any concern about not flattening them exactly the same and messing up the centering of the blade in the scales?

I was thinking of repinning it one more time now that I have some NiAg rod, it was originally pinned that way and I didn't really want to do brass, but I also really wanted to hone it up and wipe it all over my face. heh

 

[dakotaev]

I've had a couple of razors more susceptible to this as well. As Freedom mentioned I usually notice in these cases the tang is more tapered so when the blade is opened and closed there is greater pressure on the pins at certain positions and less in others, and they tend loosen easy.

You could try the nickel rod and see if that helps. Just keep in mind, the more often you tighten the more chance that the pin could bend and off center your blade. Its happened more than once to me.

 

[Munxcub]

I ran into a bent pin on another unrelated one. The NiAg rod I got wasn't exactly straight to start with.

Any tips on fixing that issue? I don't want to just bin the rod as it was really hard to find around here... heh

 

[Ray-man]

Chris,
First thing you need to check is the hole the pin is going through on the tang. If it is larger than the 1/16" pin, you will not get it tight enough to hold for any length of time.

Second - Razors do not need more than 1 washer on each side of the tang between it and the scale, even if the neck and tang are tapered.

Third - The reason for a wedge on the toe of the scales is to create a bow from one end to the other. This bow is there purposefully to compensate for that taper and is essential for proper fit.

Ray

 

[Munxcub]

Yeah I wasn't going to put more than 1 washer on either side of the tang, in fact I've only ever put washers in there once just to see how it goes. And I am up to speed on the wedge at the toe.

The boker in question doesn't have too big a hole in the tang, I had some 3/32" NiAg and hoped it would still work, but it wouldn't fit so I don't think that's the issue.