Thread: Is my new Marks & C. Fontana a "singing" razor?

I just got a really nice razor from ebay, a Marks & Co 10-6/8 Fontana. Marks isn't a BIG name and searching SRP only returns 3 hits, but there wasn't a discernible hone line on the spine and the little fountain inlay on the handle looked cool and nobody else was bidding so...

After I cleaned a thick layer of dirt and grime I tested the edge on my arm hair, it was about as sharp as really sharp pocket knife, better and better.

When I first pushed the blade into the thousand grit, it made a high-pitched ringing sound, likewise on the strop it made a kind of ringing instead of the wisk-wisk I'm used to.

It also sounded very different when I shaved with it.

Is this one of those "singing" razors I've heard of?

All of my others are full hollow too, but are narrower and lighter than this one.

Most extra hollow ground razors make some sort of singing sound when stropped due to vibrations of the blade. Some models are advertised as singing others not. If yours sings you could call it a singing razor.

If you are hearing a "ting" or something like that, you'er into a singing blade. The singing blades come in a variety of sizes. In general they will be full hollow or extra hollow ground. I personally like a singing blade in 6/8 or 7/8. The extra weight of the larger blade coupled with the extra hollow ground gives me the best shaves.

Originally Posted by Kenrup

If you are hearing a "ting" or something like that, you'er into a singing blade. The singing blades come in a variety of sizes. In general they will be full hollow or extra hollow ground. I personally like a singing blade in 6/8 or 7/8. The extra weight of the larger blade coupled with the extra hollow ground gives me the best shaves.

Although it says 6/8 on the blade it's actually a little bit wider than 3/4". It's much thicker in the tang and spine than my other, now delicate seeming, razors.

It also seems to be sharper than my others.

Originally Posted by shuredgefan

Although it says 6/8 on the blade it's actually a little bit wider than 3/4". It's much thicker in the tang and spine than my other, now delicate seeming, razors.

It also seems to be sharper than my others.

For me the size and weight of the larger blades, even the extra hollow ground ones, seem to enable the blade to "glide" through my shave better then the little ones.