The World's Worst @Pinning the Straight Razor.

[MileMarker60]

Here is my process, it's worked well for a pretty good while

 

[eKretz]

Yeah @Slash McCoy you're off base on this one bud. The smaller the radius on the hammer that hits the pin the easier it is to deform the small area that it hits. The radius hits the pin with a point contact, so it never hits the entire head of the pin at one time - not possible unless you keep hitting in one place repeatedly and end up with a concave head on the pin...exactly the opposite of what one would want. Regarding the hammer size, I think it's a 4 oz. However, as I mentioned, it's not the tool but the tool holding the hammer that causes the problems. I could peen a razor just as easily with a 12 or 16 oz. hammer - very easy to control the force of the hit no matter what I use. That's the key really, controlling the applied force. You can do that with a spoon or with a hammer, es macht nichts.

@MileMarker60 that's almost the same as my method with a slight difference in the beginning. Works great for me too. Notice in the video how he's moving the hammer around to change that point of contact where the hammer hits, that's what I was trying to describe in my earlier post.

 

[seattleshaver]

I think it's best for you to consider that peening is easy. If it's not working for you, don't consider that it's because it's too hard, it's not. Just consider that you haven't quite figured out the right technique yet. Don't make it harder than it really is.

As others have mentioned, use either brass or nickel silver, preferably the latter. When you get a "kit" the larger washer is for between the scales and the blade. The tiny one is what you will be peening.

You may have a rod that is too hard but more than likely you just aren't cutting it close enough. The peening only shortens it a little. I peen it and if the blade is way too loose, I file more of the rod down and peen it again.

If your scales are breaking, you are likely hitting the scales and not the rod with some hits. I do disagree with the verbiage of "whacking" rather than "tapping". Light tapping a various point around the head of the rod is how I would describe it. Very little force is required.

I don't even have an anvil with a divot. I just use two small peening hammers. I use one as the anvil for the rod to rest against.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Everyone's feedback and all the tips are helpful even ones that disagree with others.

Here is my process, it's worked well for a pretty good while

I don't believe I've seen this video before. It's a good one. I suspect it would be better were the actions slightly out of the picture included in the picture, but most of what I am interested in is in the picture.

Just from what I've been watching on the videos I am 100% convinced that the rods I've used for my latest efforts have been a metal far far far harder than what everyone is using in the videos I've watched and rewatched.

I have received a new kit. I believe everything in it is brass. I'm going to give it a try. Maybe not today as my wife is home (which isn't a good time for me to being doing anything which even temporarily messes up her kitchen or any other room). Worse, she baking a cake. She tends to use new recipes and make the most difficult of cakes. Although she's an excellent, experienced, and skilled baker I have no idea why she doesn't use recipes she knows well. Not my call of course.

Usually she goes off to quilt and I have the house to myself. Everything is spic and span when she returns so we can both pretend there was never a mess made.

This quilt was my wife's gift to our niece (who is holding it) and was given to her right before she went off to school at Virginia Tech.

SWMBO particularly doesn't like pinning and peening. Too much banging plus she "knows" I'm damaging something if I'm using a hammer.

Not that she doesn't support my hobby. She gave me this nice Plisson for Christmas one year. Bless her heart. I know I'm not easy; this hobby makes zero sense to her.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

This afternoon after the cake was finished I got a shot at pinning my Wade. I used my new pinning kit which has brass components.

The result was pretty lousy looking, and barely acceptable even if my standards are low, but I know what I did wrong and how to correct it next time. I used store bought scales and didn't break them. The result isn't pretty but it will do for now. At least now my Wade can go into the rotation again (finally). It's a blade I used to really enjoy.

The brass rod was a million times easier to deal with than whatever I was using. I'll either make some nice scales or buy another set of store bought plastic scales (which really aren't bad for the price).

The Wade is all honed up and ready for a shave trial.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[MileMarker60]

I don't believe I've seen this video before. It's a good one. I suspect it would be better were the actions slightly out of the picture included in the picture, but most of what I am interested in is in the picture.

The only thing I'm doing that's slightly out of frame is opening and closing the razor to check the tension and to make sure it's all still center. I peen, check , peen, check, etc.. Once I'm happy with the tightness I stop.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

The only thing I'm doing that's slightly out of frame is opening and closing the razor to check the tension and to make sure it's all still center. I peen, check , peen, check, etc.. Once I'm happy with the tightness I stop.

Thanks. It's a really helpful video. One of the very best I've seen. Simple and not requiring too much in the way of equipment.

Even I have a little (not permanent) vise which I attach to a large wooden cutting board which is weighted down (with cast iron skillets stacked up) on the kitchen island; it's not perfect but it will do the job when the job is most things related to peening and scale making.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Afoshie]

I use an open end wrench to do mine.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

This is a photo of the scales I pinned a week or so ago.

The post below is about that effort. The above photo shows the good side of that pinning. The other side looked much worse, but I can't find a photo of it (not that you would want to see it).

This afternoon after the cake was finished I got a shot at pinning my Wade. I used my new pinning kit which has brass components.

The result was pretty lousy looking, and barely acceptable even if my standards are low, but I know what I did wrong and how to correct it next time. I used store bought scales and didn't break them. The result isn't pretty but it will do for now. At least now my Wade can go into the rotation again (finally). It's a blade I used to really enjoy.

The brass rod was a million times easier to deal with than whatever I was using. I'll either make some nice scales or buy another set of store bought plastic scales (which really aren't bad for the price).

The Wade is all honed up and ready for a shave trial.

Happy shaves,

Jim

The scales described above and pictured above (the pinning really) were a step in the right direction, but still pretty lousy. So, I decided to try again.

This time I used a pair of store bought plastic scales which a member had given me, and I used nickel silver kit.

The pinning I did today was nothing to enter into a pinning contest, not even one for novices, but it is probably my best pinning job so far. I'll call it acceptable. The blade is tight and centered.

This Wade is one of my favorite blades. I am very pleased that it is back in service after months of being out of commission.

This photo (below) shows the Wade when I bought it (on eBay at auction).

I bought the Wade for the blade. The scales were clearly split when I purchased the razor. I tightened them and kept the razor in my rotation as long as I could, but the wooden scales finally finished their dying process, gave up the ghost, and were removed. Months ago.

Thanks to everyone who's helped me with my pinning efforts.

Happy shaves,

Jim

 

[Slash McCoy]

Gitter done! That should do just fine. Pretty don't shave. They will look better as you get more practice. Meanwhile those pins will do what they were meant to do as well as any others.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Gitter done! That should do just fine. Pretty don't shave. They will look better as you get more practice. Meanwhile those pins will do what they were meant to do as well as any others.

I'm with you there, Slash.

 

[Ice-Man]

Hell yeah we all have to learn this new journey, you dont want to see my first time but the more you do the better you get. That's what makes this all fun and those little pesky washers, an hour I tell ya trying to put my first one on the pin.
Until I found my tweezers and coil building kit, then I was rock and rolling those little pointed plyers with grips. then it come to hammers dont go there, I bent pins and whatnots until Slash McCoy said use a spoon and boy you get a nice peen for sure in fact you can see ya face in it lol....

But keep at it Jim you will get there trust me......

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Hell yeah we all have to learn this new journey, you dont want to see my first time but the more you do the better you get. That's what makes this all fun and those little pesky washers, an hour I tell ya trying to put my first one on the pin.
Until I found my tweezers and coil building kit, then I was rock and rolling those little pointed plyers with grips. then it come to hammers dont go there, I bent pins and whatnots until Slash McCoy said use a spoon and boy you get a nice peen for sure in fact you can see ya face in it lol....

But keep at it Jim you will get there trust me......

I have great tweezers (and, boy, are they useful essential) but what's a coil building kit and how is whatever it is used? Googling the term led me to vaping stuff which revealed tweezers but most of the tools are not ones I understand how to use for pinning. Maybe there's another coil building kit I'm missing using Google?

Little pointed pliers with grips?

If you were assembling a coil building kit for pinning and razor stuff, what tools would you include?

I'm not one to buy tools just to have tools, but I tend to buy good tools for specific reasons when I think I'll use the tools a lot. Sometimes I'll buy a junk tool at Harbor Freight when I need the tool just once and know it doesn't have to be the best, but usually regret that decision. The big problem for me in buying tools is getting something that turns out to be too much tool (like too big or something) or not enough tool.*

I prefer to go to Ace Hardware to look at and hold a tool before I buy it. Amazon maybe if I know exactly what I want.

I think I'm over the hump on pinning. I also am convinced a good bit of my problems (the ones which led me to start this thread were related to two problems).

• A rod which was some metal (probably SS) other than brass or nickel silver (and was just impossible because it was way too hard).
• Cutting rods too long is an easy mistake to make.

On my most recent effort which involved for sure silver nickel everything, and during the previous most recent everything which was for sure brass everything, I concluded that I like silver nickel better. Brass is easy enough to deal with in a way, but may be too soft (bends very easily). Silver nickel is the classic for good reasons.

I'm sure now that I have my basic technique down well enough. From here it's a matter of practice. It's easy to look at the videos of experienced guys doing this and not make the connection between their experience and their speed. I don't expect to be fast yet. If it takes a while that's okay with me.

Happy shaves,

Jim

*Long ago I asked my wife to hand me the pliers. She didn't know what pliers were (didn't know pliers from a hammer). So, I took her to Sears and showed her tools, particularly pliers. This is back when Sears had a really great hand tool department. Showed her all the pliers. They had pliers which were tiny. They had pliers which were maybe three feet long, or longer, and everything in between. She wanted to buy them all. I had to explain that I had no idea why anyone would want or have a use for 90% of the pliers sizes Sears offered + we didn't really want to spend $10,000 on pliers.

Turns out my wife has an aptitude for all things mechanical. She just wasn't brought up by a dad or mom who taught her anything about tools or fixing stuff. She's also not terribly interested in projects like razor rehab, but she'll will suffer through a bit of pinning or scale making talk.

Not that I do any sort of razor work when she's home. I've learned to keep it out of her line of sight.

 

[eKretz]

Glad that you finally got it dialed in. It will only get better.

The specialty pliers are irreplaceable when you need them. Some tasks just can't be done (or done easily) with regular ones (snap rings, spring hose clamps, closing fuel lines... they are myriad). I think if I had to count all the pliers in my various toolboxes I might hit over the hundred mark.

And at least your wife admitted she didn't know what pliers were. I once helped one of my younger brothers repair his car and asked him to grab a Crescent wrench out of Dad's toolbox - he was in his 20's at the time - and he came back with a set of pliers. He said "Here you go," I replied "No, a Crescent wrench, you know, an adjustable wrench..." He says "Oh yeah, whoops," then comes back with a handful of tools. "Is one of these it?" *forehead smack*

 

[steveclarkus]

That would be me.

View attachment 987510

Trying to get my Wade back in the rotation, I bought some inexpensive but decent enough scales. This is the result of a couple of hours of frustrating but "careful" work.

It sure looks easy when experts do it.

View attachment 987511

It's not like I haven't done the same thing before either; these white scales were nice, handmade, and heartbreaking to ruin. Fortunately today's ruined scales were only a matter of a few bucks in terms of everything but today's labor and frustration.

I'm good at tightening slightly loose scales, but when it comes to starting from scratch I'm terrible.

View attachment 987512

I've watched every video I can find, bought the tools and such one is supposed to need, and thought about the matter at length. I've not practiced a great deal. Frankly it is seeming like a job beyond me.

I'm considering trying one more time (not today). Only one more time.

Fortunately other SR related matters are all coming along nicely.

Happy shaves,

Jim

JR said I was the worst so Suppose you are off the hook. I just send mine to him to pin now. I’ll never do enough to do it well so I leave it to an expert. No more cracked scales!

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

JR said I was the worst so Suppose you are off the hook. I just send mine to him to pin now. I’ll never do enough to do it well so I leave it to an expert. No more cracked scales!

Well, that's a relief!

People say it's easy. People also say golf is easy and law school is easy and marriage is easy.

 

[Bevel]

I think I'm over the hump on pinning. I also am convinced a good bit of my problems (the ones which led me to start this thread were related to two problems).

• A rod which was some metal (probably SS) other than brass or nickel silver (and was just impossible because it was way too hard).

Can you remember what the "snap" was like when you cut the original rod.
Stainless steel would "snap" but brass not so much.
I'm just wondering what it was like compared to your "confirmed" nickel silver.

 

[Chan Eil Whiskers]

Can you remember what the "snap" was like when you cut the original rod.
Stainless steel would "snap" but brass not so much.
I'm just wondering what it was like compared to your "confirmed" nickel silver.

More evidence it was probably SS. Snapped.

 

[Njguy1977]

I’ve done a few pinning jobs and some advice I can give is that pinning is a lot like working sheet metal on a car. To work sheet metal your using the hammer to HEAT the metal by friction of your blows. After hitting spots over and over again you can deform the metal easily because of the friction your impacting on the sheet metal.

When your pinning your doing the same thing, just on a smaller scale. Lighter and multiple blows will HEAT the of end causing it to deform or as we know it, peen. If you take your time and keep your strokes light and small you will peen a razor over safely.

Larry

 

[Njguy1977]

I forgot to add, BEFORE you peen any razor I file the pin flat. That makes hitting and rounding even on the pin. Also makes a nice rounded head as well.

Milemarker60 video he posted is EXACTLY how I peen my razor scales. Slow and steady and when peening the opposite side, notice how he rocks the razor to even the peen on both sides on the anvil.

Larry