Korn(y) Question

[MrAtomic]

Hello All,

I noticed this auction for an interesting looking little razor manufactured by the George W. Korn company, and was wondering if it piqued anyone else's interest:

Geo W. Korn Vintage 9/16 Straight Razor /w thumb notch - eBay (item 110392057983 end time May-25-09 19:17:27 PDT)

It's a small razor -- the auction notes that the blade is just 2.25 inches long, yet it has a whopper of a spacer. Does anyone know the logic behind such a design? I searched SRP for information on Korn blades, but didn't find any mention of this seemingly unique style of blade. Then again, I am a newbie, and I suppose the simple answer could be that the tip of this blade was broken off at some point, or that a previous owner added a jumbo spacer for one reason or another.

I'm curious because it seemed to generate some bidding interest, and looks like a very neat little shaver. Were razors of this design common at one time? Incidentally, this is my first attempt at posting a link to eBay, and I can't quite tell if I loused it up or not. In case I did, I'm referring to auction number 110392057983.

[Kees]

It is a heavy grind razor, the are no longer made like that. It seems to be in very good condition which answers your question.

[quicknicker]

mratomic,

It was my interest in the Geo. KORN you overcame. I am interested in razors of Little Valley, NY origin for personal reasons. There are several that have larger spacers. Why? I don't know.
If you tire of this razor let me know. Contact arboristaAThotmail.com

quicknicker

[Undream]

MrAtomic... your razor is in the mail, I'll get you the confirmation # via e-mail today.

I think you'll like this little razor...it is very unique, I was surprised when I pulled it out of its box for the first time.

The one thing I noticed while working on it was that the size really grows on you and it feels pretty normal after holding it for a while. I have no doubts you'll enjoy the shaves once you hone it up!

What you don't see and I failed to mention in the auction is that there is a 3rd pin that holds the razor up when closed in the scales, and it doesn't come through the scales completely....of course, if you see the size of the spacer you'd probably have already figured that out.

[Lynn]

It had two good ebay characteristics.......It was shiney and a good brand. Korn razors are excellent shavers. These little guys were what I thought were called "Mustache" razors in the old days because of their size and maneuverablility. Cattaraugus made a similar one as well.

Lynn

[Joed]

CarrieM has a Robeson in a similar size with a spacer that compares to the one you pictured here. She also has a Torrey with a similar size blade but the spacer is more proportional. She loves her Torrey named 'Little Guard' but I don't think she has tried her Robeson yet.

Sorry I can't post pics for a while. Hope PC took a dive.

[MrAtomic]

I have to say that the sheer volume of helpful members and razor-related information on this forum is pretty remarkable. Hopefully, I'll get to a point where I'm able to give back in proportion to what I receive from SRP.

Thanks very much for your comments -- so we're talking about a maneuverable, "moustache" razor, eh? When I was searching for information about the Korn company, I came across some posts about smaller, monkey-tail razors. They seem influenced by similar design philosophies (and both look pretty interesting, too).

I'm struck by the number of domestic razor manufacturers that apparently flourished (however briefly) during the twentieth century: Genco, Robeson, Novelty, Cattaraugus, Shumate -- now add Korn to the list -- and who knows how many others. Learning about their unique approaches to the common problem of shaving (monkey tails, "moustache razors," multiple blade sizes and shapes) is really interesting. It reminds me of the domestic watch making industry, and even the American whiskey industry, both of which supported a large number of diverse companies for many decades. Sorry for rambling, but I'm training to be a historian and these long-lost American razor manufacturers are getting under my skin (not literally -- that would be quite bloody).