Thread: How did barbers hone a wedge in the olden days?

well I used to just hand them to the man with the cart and horse that came to town once a week!! and then when cars were invented we could just drive over !! tc

At long last come round to taking pics of the razor. Been having end-of-life problems with the camera's battery so it took a while

As you can see it is an almost perfect wedge with no honewear on the spine.

Thanks for all your thoughts on this matter. In the mean time I have been doing some research myself.

I found 2 interesting books.

La pogonotomie ou l'art d'apprendre à se raser soi-même, 1770, by J.J. Perret. La pogonotomie, ou L'art d'apprendre a se raser soi-meme, avec la manier de ... - Jean-Jacques Perret - Google Boeken The book recommends the X-pattern we still use. In the text he refers to pictures that were not included by google books, presumably because they were lost as many old books lost their pictures to unscupulous owners who tore pictures out of books to frame them and sell them at a good price. Here's the picture he refers to: http://www.lerasage.net/article-18623534.html The first picture shows a leather blade guard that was invented by Perret.

I was very surprised to read a description of the technique of hollow grinding on page 26. Until now I thought hollow grinding was a Solingen invention that led to the decline of razor making in the U.K.

2nd, more accessible for most members: Treatise on razors, 1810, by Benjamin Kingsbury A treatise on razors - Benjamin Kingsbury (razor-maker.) - Google Books
Starting on page 19 he discusses the technique of honing a razor. He stresses the importance of putting the razor flat on the hone. He recommends you start drawing the razor in a somewhat circular motion across the hone until you have a wire edge. Thereafter he describes the X-pattern to perfect the edge. On page 21 he names 2 reasons why one might lift the spine slightly while honing. The first reason would be if you need a stronger bevel for a very tough beard and second if the spine is so thin or the blade so large that putting the razor flat on the hone would create too weak a bevel.

So the blade does have some slight concavity to it? You could always do the calculations to determine how many layers of tape you would need to keep the bevel angle in the spec range.

Bob

Kees
Great post above, and that old drawing is spectacular. The leather adaptor could work for sure, but it would be thin don't you think? I mean we are talking about the difference between 2 or 4 layers of tape as making a difference, the leather must add a 1/4 roll of black tape. If he designed the leather aide then he probably designed a specific grind of razor to go along with it, maybe with a thinner spine to make up of the added bulk of the leather. He sounds like an inventive guy. Here is a link that shows Perret's wooden "blade guard" to prevent deep nicks when shaving, maybe it similar to the honing guide.


From Perret to Kampfe: Origins of the Safety Razor

Alex

Originally Posted by BobH

So the blade does have some slight concavity to it? You could always do the calculations to determine how many layers of tape you would need to keep the bevel angle in the spec range.

Bob

Only a minimal concavity, undoubtedly due to a large grinding wheel.

Originally Posted by Kees

Only a minimal concavity, undoubtedly due to a large grinding wheel.

Yea, I don't think you could grind a true flat wedge on the outer circumference of grinding wheel. I can't remember but in one of the threads on wedges I think it was Neil Miller that suggested a flat grind true wedge would have to be done on the flat sides of a grinding wheel.

Regardless of that how do you purpose to hone the blade? I the spine is too narrow for the height of the blade and a reasonable number of layers of tape will not add enough width to the spine some have suggested making a temporary false spine for honing.

Bob

@alx:

I think the blade guard was not intended for honing but for shaving. If you look at the pictures illustrating how to hone they do not show anything covering the spine. Perret's text does not mention using anything to lift the spine either
On page 75 he starts describing how to shave with the wooden guard.

This however does not mean the blade guards were not used when honing.

Originally Posted by BobH

Regardless of that how do you purpose to hone the blade?
Bob

I don't know yet, I started this thread hoping to get some tips and tricks. A false spine might be worh while pursuing. However I don't have the skills to make one.

Originally Posted by Kees

I don't know yet, I started this thread hoping to get some tips and tricks. A false spine might be worh while pursuing. However I don't have the skills to make one.

Can you measure the spine thickness and edge to spine contact point?