Thread: Pumas ground on one side and not the other?

I've seen a couple pumas where the following appears to be true, and in one case is stated as follows:

This razor is very nice and in mint condition, never been used or sharpend, the blade is hollow ground on one side and flat ground on the other side The Puma emblem is metal inlayed in the handle. The blade is 3 1/8" long and the razor opened is 9 7/8" long, closed 6 1/4".
Does that make any sense? - a razor being hollow ground on one side and flat ground on the other? Here's the listing, but there are two like this right now.

Puma Razor Vintage KNIFE~HUNTING~KNIVES~ - eBay (item 280297991494 end time Jan-04-09 16:41:08 PST)

Typically, razors that are ground on one side are designed to slice samples of material to be viewed under microscopes. I have one inbound, and I plan to see if I can get it to shave.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

Typically, razors that are ground on one side are designed to slice samples of material to be viewed under microscopes. I have one inbound, and I plan to see if I can get it to shave.

Please report your findings. This is interesting. You can get that smooth heavy grind feeling on one side of your face and that flexible hollow feeling on the other?

I have a razor ground that way. Although it is not a puma it is a B&L. Don't know what it stands for. It will take an edge great and also shave as well as a double grind. I hope you get it it looks rather nice I wish EBAY didn't remove money orders as a form of payment.

This is a timely post for me. A month or more ago I saw a mint 13/16 Puma model 16 with a buy it now of $50.00 on ebay. One photo and it was described as a straight razor. Of course I pulled the trigger. When it finally came to my door and I opened the package I had a beautiful Puma hollow ground on one side and near flat ground on the other.

Doing some forum searches and googling I found that what I had was a Microtome. The general consensus on the forums was that they are useless for shaving. I decided to keep it and put it on the back burner to see if I could give shaving with it a try and their it has remained.

Hearing that someone has successfully shaved with one makes me feel better about forking over the fifty bucks. I will pull it out sometime this week and finally see what I can do with it.

Originally Posted by spanx

I have a razor ground that way. Although it is not a puma it is a B&L. Don't know what it stands for. It will take an edge great and also shave as well as a double grind. I hope you get it it looks rather nice I wish EBAY didn't remove money orders as a form of payment.

A ton of vendors are still taking money orders. I don't think it's even a rule violation if they say only 18 year olds and up can buy - not real limiting for straight razors.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

This is a timely post for me. A month or more ago I saw a mint 13/16 Puma model 16 with a buy it now of $50.00 on ebay. One photo and it was described as a straight razor. Of course I pulled the trigger. When it finally came to my door and I opened the package I had a beautiful Puma hollow ground on one side and near flat ground on the other.

Doing some forum searches and googling I found that what I had was a Microtome. The general consensus on the forums was that they are useless for shaving. I decided to keep it and put it on the back burner to see if I could give shaving with it a try and their it has remained.

Hearing that someone has successfully shaved with one makes me feel better about forking over the fifty bucks. I will pull it out sometime this week and finally see what I can do with it.

please report back. Those things look really weird but really cool. I hope they are good.

Originally Posted by spanx

I have a razor ground that way. Although it is not a puma it is a B&L. Don't know what it stands for. It will take an edge great and also shave as well as a double grind. I hope you get it it looks rather nice I wish EBAY didn't remove money orders as a form of payment.

Bausch and Lomb. Which makes sense since the company made microscopes and microtomes like the one you have.

Shaving with microtomes seems unsettling to me. I wouldn't be able to help but wonder how many pieces of dead pathological human tissue it sliced through before getting to me. It shouldn't bother me if I'm willing to shave with vintage straights since those things could have nicked someone who knows how many times though.

Chris L

You should worry more about the frogs and ensuing warts

how do you sharpen the flat edge? that's not a wedge, it's like.....flat.