Western Straight Razors with Short Blade Length

[rbscebu]

An 1890s T.R.Cadman "Bengall" 6/8 French point that I restored. Edge length is 59mm. Cost tens of USDs. In fact I will be shaving with this SR this morning. It is one of my favoured razors.

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[Nik]

Links I sent kind of show some of the vintage options, they tend to be narrower, 4/8 is a normal size for these from what I’ve seen of the vintage ones. I’m no expert though. I prefer a little wider and weightier, though I love the look of the Japanese blades that are a bit shorter and almost Sheffield style wedgey grind.

 

[Steve56]

Bismarck is about 60mm.

Most thumb notch razors are a bit shorter, so CVK M.K. 30-series, Thiers Issard thumb notch razors should be shorter.

 

[KW Driver]

the DePew is an awesome little razor. the edge measures just about 2 1/4"/54-55mm. I picked up this one fairly cheaply, but she was beaten on. polished up just fine with cosmetic blemishes all over the blade. spine and edge were/are fine and it shaves amazingly. they're just really hard to come by.

I've got a Brian Brown 7/8 shorty. I wasn't paying attention when I ordered it. it doesn't get a lot of use.

another consideration is to shorten up a standard vintage. you could go from either edge, but if you were to shorten the toe, it helps to shorten or remake the scales as well. there have been some very nice examples here over the years. it's not hard to do with some patience.

 

[Slash McCoy]

A Gold Dollar W59 style SR is a good one to have a try at making your own shortie. New OEMs are had to find but their are plenty of "clones" available. I had one that developed a crack near the heel. I ground that down to an edge length of about 50mm.

Grinding a SR down to a shorter edge length is not difficult. You just have to be aware of the heat generated in the steel and grind in such a way so as to prevent heat (>200°C) developing, particularly at and near the edge. I do this by grinding underwater.

I suddenly have a picture in my mind of you sitting in a chair on the sea floor in scuba gear happily grinding away, watched by fascinated clams, lobsters, fish, and octopi.

 

[HazMat Shaver]

I've made my own from cracked or damaged blades. Its fun and helps you to learn more about razors.

 

[Slash McCoy]

So you want thumbnotched shorties? Okay. All Slash McDollars.

Often, when a razor is severely damaged at toe or heel, it is salvaged by making it a shorty. One way to fix a bad heel is instead of rounding it off, hollow it out into a thumb notch, which of course makes it a shorty. You can go as short as you want. Usually you will want to rescale, with shorter scales to match.

 

[rbscebu]

.... Usually you will want to rescale, with shorter scales to match.

Shortening at the heel end does not require shorter scales. Shortening at the tow end may require shorter scales.

 

[J B Addis]

Speaking of the De Pew, original models seem to be difficult to come by, but an ersatz version is easily acquired with a ground down toe-damaged razor and a quick TIG weld (easy, I suppose, only assuming you have a TIG machine and know how to use it).

 

[Slash McCoy]

Speaking of the De Pew, original models seem to be difficult to come by, but an ersatz version is easily acquired with a ground down toe-damaged razor and a quick TIG weld (easy, I suppose, only assuming you have a TIG machine and know how to use it).
View attachment 1594457

That's a good idea. I can see how that could work. Welding would seem like it would overheat the blade, but just adding a tail on, should work fine, especially using a bench vise for a heat sink.

 

[kcb5150]

If you can source one, an Adam Haining "the grip" is a Sheffield shorty made that way from the start but they are rare.

 

[SammieM]

So you want thumbnotched shorties? Okay. All Slash McDollars.
View attachment 1594429View attachment 1594430View attachment 1594432View attachment 1594434View attachment 1594436View attachment 1594438

Often, when a razor is severely damaged at toe or heel, it is salvaged by making it a shorty. One way to fix a bad heel is instead of rounding it off, hollow it out into a thumb notch, which of course makes it a shorty. You can go as short as you want. Usually you will want to rescale, with shorter scales to match.

Slash, those look amazing mate. I especially like that French nose one with honey coloured horn looking scales.

 

[Slash McCoy]

Slash, those look amazing mate. I especially like that French nose one with honey coloured horn looking scales.

Thanks. I made quite a few like that, before I decided I would look into making from bar stock instead of starting with a GD. I don't think I have any of them left, either. I will get around to making some more 1095 ones, one of these days, but I won't be doing any more full mods of GDs unless I decide to throw my hat in the ring of the annual competition we have here.

I PIF-ed a few of the modded GDs that didn't quite make the cut. You shoulda been here!

 

[SammieM]

Thanks. I made quite a few like that, before I decided I would look into making from bar stock instead of starting with a GD. I don't think I have any of them left, either. I will get around to making some more 1095 ones, one of these days, but I won't be doing any more full mods of GDs unless I decide to throw my hat in the ring of the annual competition we have here.

I PIF-ed a few of the modded GDs that didn't quite make the cut. You shoulda been here!

A day late and a dollar short as they say. Thank you! I’d be curious to see those 1095…

 

[J B Addis]

That's a good idea. I can see how that could work. Welding would seem like it would overheat the blade, but just adding a tail on, should work fine, especially using a bench vise for a heat sink.

I just wrapped the blade in a bit of wet paper towel before welding, and the heat coloring only made it as far as the H in Butcher anyway, it's really a very limited opportunity for heat input if you do it skillfully, only three or so seconds of actual arc time by my estimation. The real thing to be careful of is avoiding arc strikes from whatever you're grounding it on. Using a copper plate as my worktop, fully insulating the blade with plastic spacers, and initiating the arc on the tail piece then bridging the gap with the filler metal prevented it in this instance. Maybe I'll do a thread on my exact tail-extension process at some point.

 

[Herrenberg]

Koraat offers a shorty option; mine comes in at 59mm. I don't know whether he would do an even shorter one if you asked.

I too like short razors, but that mostly just means I have a bunch of kamisoris.

 

[alex1921]

I think I just bought a 7 day set of short razors from the UK. Will share pics when they get here. MAB razors.