Smiling Wedge Razor WIP

Mike Martinez

Well-Known Member
This smiling razor will be done in W2 for the purpose of pulling a cloudy hamon. I've made other 8/8 but have not attempted to do differential hardening on them; this is definitely a first. The design is modeled after an older Wade and Butcher that caught my eye a while ago but was WAY outside of my razor budget. The blade will also be hollow ground on a 72" radiused platen for just a slight hollow that is nearly flat.

As always, any and all criticism and tips are welcome.

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Cutting the paper pattern out from a photocopy of the original

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The pattern is adhered to the steel billet with spray adhesive

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For the sake of redundancy the pattern is scratched into the steel with a carbide scribe and repeated with a black permanent marker

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Very cool. I just saw some razors elsewhere and now this one... I've really wanted to give these a try, might finally take the leap. Thanks for sharing this.

Jeremy
 
Jeremy and George, thanks for the comments. If you're wanting to try a razor, give it a go. Just keep in mind that you have to approach it a bit differently than a knife if you want proper results. It took a bit of trial and error for me to learn that a razor is not a knife in the way that we are used to; its a very specialized cutting tool meant for only ONE task. Anyhow, I'll try and make this thread as detailed as possible when it comes to grinding and honing the edge.
 
Mike,

I'm sure with your WIP we will have better insight as to what awaits us. I just hope I can finish the 3 current projects before starting a new one. LOL
 
Primary profile with bandsaw, 12" wheel and spindle sander.

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Blades are left over sized to allow for fine tuning.

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Surface grinder time. The stock is at .275 which is a bit thick so it taken down to final thickness.

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Using the spindle sander to true the arcs and tail.

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Grain Refinement prior to grinding bevels
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Thanks Mr. Gregory. Through my meager 5 years of wet shaving experience I've arrived at that same conclusion regarding wedges. :D
 
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Thank you Randy, its been a learning experience which has deepened my appreciation for all of you guys who do WIPs. Not only does one have to do the work of building the blade but one must also stage the photos and try to convey a point through them.

Godspeed.
 
There are few photos missing in between that I'll be adding to the PDF/eBook that I'm putting together for this build but nonetheless here is a shot of the first 5 razors after their soak in muriatic acid following the HT. Even though I used ATP-64 there was still some scale left on the spines and tangs/shanks of the blades. Also, a good soak in acid helps thin the blade some without having to grind it. :)



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Very interesting WIP. I love the idea of a straight razor but never tried to make one. I might give it a shot now.
 
Just a quick and dirty update on the 8/8 Smiley Wedge in two tone amboyna burl. Notice that the scales are held together with micro fasteners; this is done so that any flaws are visible prior to using brass rod to peen the scales permanently.

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Working on another finger-numbing razor. So far its at 2000 but I'm taking it back to 1200 for a proper satin finish after etching the logo and touching up the tail grind. Again, the scales are being held together temporarily with micro-screws as they were being fitted. Now that they are sure to work well with the razor, I'll finish shaping and sanding.

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