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

Spine is 1/4", height is 15/16"; I am not sure I understand the meaning of edge to spine contact point.

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.

Yes you actually do

Take a Bic pen, empty it, cut it to the correct length, slice it lengthwise carefully, and slide it on to the spine of the razor..

That will make a cheap easy test bed

Originally Posted by Kees

Spine is 1/4", height is 15/16"; I am not sure I understand the meaning of edge to spine contact point.

In that case why not try 3 layers of tape and see where you are?

Bob

Originally Posted by Kees

The other day my barber gave me a GB Anchor razor. I looked at it today and wondered how barbers in the olden days would have honed them. It is a full wedge. Nowadays we use electrician's tape on the spine but sticky tape did not exist at the time these razors were made and used. Any thoughts?

Kees

I am confident that with true wedges from the 1700s to the mid 1800s, or those with just the slightest concavity, most fellows in those days used concave stones. It just seems logical to me.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

A lot of the wedges show the spine wear,,,, I doubt they noticed or cared as much as we do now.

About spine wear. I think that with true antique wedges, spine wear and edge wear go hand in hand. And also that some of the wedges that we see and buy that have spine and edge wear, that wear is from more recent user/owners attempting to hone these antique razors with modern techniques and flat stones.

Alex

Originally Posted by gssixgun

Yes you actually do

Take a Bic pen, empty it, cut it to the correct length, slice it lengthwise carefully, and slide it on to the spine of the razor..

That will make a cheap easy test bed

first time I've seen Glen recommend a Bic for anything

Originally Posted by alx

Kees

I am confident that with true wedges from the 1700s to the mid 1800s, or those with just the slightest concavity, most fellows in those days used concave stones. It just seems logical to me.



About spine wear. I think that with true antique wedges, spine wear and edge wear go hand in hand. And also that some of the wedges that we see and buy that have spine and edge wear, that wear is from more recent user/owners attempting to hone these antique razors with modern techniques and flat stones.

Alex

I have seen this idea of a Concave Hone put forward more then a few times on the various forums by a few people

YET

We find no mention of it in the old Stone or Barbering manuals and literature

I find the idea of a wheel then a fine stone finish a bit more plausible myself

Originally Posted by gssixgun

I have seen this idea of a Concave Hone put forward more then a few times on the various forums by a few people

YET

We find no mention of it in the old Stone or Barbering manuals and literature

I find the idea of a wheel then a fine stone finish a bit more plausible myself

Do you find any mention of flattening stones, the method of and the technique in those manuals? And how flat is flat in the 1830s, and look at what an active topic it is now. I don't think that flat was as common as dished, and that dished was the norm and that dished stones are easier and less hassle for full wedges. One barber may have been more particular than another, but just because there is no mention of concave stones in the old manuals Pre-1850, does not mean that all the barbers were keen on flat.

I stand to be corrected.

Alex

Here are photos of a wedge I bought last year, I shaved with it yesterday after I honed it on a concave stone set being a concave King 1k and a concave Jnat tomae with a progression of; botan, tomo, clear water. The shave was OK, close but not so smooth. There is still a lot of rust and pitting on the edge and I only used the minimal number of strokes from 1k to finish 21, 21, 21, 21 and stroped 20 times on vintage leather and 20x on vintage linen. I will supply some photos later.

Alex

On page 8 of Pogonotomie ou l'art d'apprendre à se raser soi-même Perret describes the importance of an entirely flat hone and how to achieve it.

Originally Posted by alx

Here are photos ...
Alex

I submit that you're just using this discussion to show off a beautiful old razor