Thread: How did you all do that?

How do you guys get the fancy back to your blades? Files or sanding drums or hammers?

I believe dremel is what works very well.

Depends on what type of fancy back you are talking about. If it's a new razor before it's been ht'ed. You could use a file or a engraver.

If you use the Dremel and a stone, clamp the blade in pieces of wood, metal or plastic, to foil the tendency of the tool to "walk" along the blade.

Some are done before heat treating with a belt grinder. Example, the Boker 1056. Sorry, I don't have a photo of that time of spine work. See the "unusual result" thread for an example.

Pretty much all razors have the back worked and any other design work done before they have been heat treated. They are done with files, sanding drums/belt sanders/grinders, sanding blocks, and whatever else available or comes to mind. Once things are hardened (heat treated) you are pretty much stuck with what you have.

Attempting to work a spine on an existing razor is asking to ruin the heat treatment. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that caution should be used to keep the heat down to no warmer than your bare fingers register as getting hot.

Originally Posted by shooter74743

Pretty much all razors have the back worked and any other design work done before they have been heat treated. They are done with files, sanding drums/belt sanders/grinders, sanding blocks, and whatever else available or comes to mind. Once things are hardened (heat treated) you are pretty much stuck with what you have.

Attempting to work a spine on an existing razor is asking to ruin the heat treatment. I'm not saying it can't be done, just that caution should be used to keep the heat down to no warmer than your bare fingers register as getting hot.

It doesn't much matter what happens to the heat treatment at the back, and the use of a Dremel tool and stones or sanding drums is unlikely to draw the temper more than a fraction of an inch from the seat of operations. It surely wouldn't if you meant it to. Files, in razor-hard steel, may be capable of doing harm, but not of doing good.

For most steel tools you are recommended to clamp it between pieces of copper sheet, which will absorb heat before it reaches the edge. I wouldn't risk this with a razor, though, since it is extremely hard and brittle. Clamping it between pieces of wet felt or leather should do fine, though.

I hope I am preaching to the uncontrovertible, though, since I don't think any worked back looks as good as the rounded spine of a plain-backed razor. I always think of Trilby in George Du Maurier's late Victorian novel of that name, who had the most beautiful feet in Paris, including heels like the backs of two razors.

So far I haven't altered any of my backs, I just wanted to know how it was done it I ever tried to make one from scratch.

Seems it all has been said, new blade not heat treated - files work wonders. On blades already heat treated a Dremel with stone wheels will give you a tremendous variety of pattern looks on the spine and even barber notches but it is very easy to heat up the blade very quickly doing this. Things that can happen are messing up the temper, warping the blade and deep discoloration.
If you wish to do this I would suggest a couple things. One (as stated above) make sure you securely clamp your work piece, use very light pressure when grinding, back your tool off the piece often and lastly a little trick I learned some time ago, I wrap the areas of the blade that I am not working (as much as possible) with 3-4 wraps of wet paper towel. The paper towel will actually draw out the heat from the blade giving you a little more "working" time between lifts and you can add water as you go. Remember this is to help draw heat away but again you should not overheat the blade or you risk damaging your piece.

You could use water cooled grinder as they use for grinding glass.