Thread: What kind of blade profiles are there in straight razors?

I know there are spike points -___| round points -___) and half rounds that are like a round with a flat spot in the curve. Then there's those screwy ones with the indentions like -___(

What other blade profiles are out there and can you guys post pictures of them? That secret project requests this info and since I've dropped several more feelers out this week towards actually commissioning the pieces I figured I'd at least make some steps to completeing the design phase.

Ideally I'm looking for seven distinctly different blade profiles.

1. Spike Point = -____|
2. Round Point = -____)
3. Indentioned = -____(
4. Half Round = -____) *but with a flat tip*
5. Oblique = -____\ EDIT:Thanks for the tip Superfly
6. ?
7. ?

Little help guys?

This is mildly disheartening...even in MY travels through the internet I've been unsuccessful in dredging up other profiles that this. Hopefully tomorrow while the rest of the world is awake I'll get some info. I hate being on graveyards sometimes... There are many many MANY different profiles in the knife world each with its own logical explanation for the design. Most of them wouldn't be translateable to a razor because they are designed for their piercing and slicing qualities...things which are not only undesirable in a razor but could be downright dangerous!!!

Here's a thought...since part of our love of these things is aesthetics what can we do with the razors to change the looks and keep the utilitarian aspects of them? I think the wharncliff or sheepsfoot blade profile would make a fine razor...and though they are extremely rare I have seen some razors that have a curved blade so that the spine razor looks more like )) which could easily be translated as a cutlass or scimitar profile. Agreed the curved edge might make for a nerve racking shave at first but as with any other tool I'm sure you could become proficient with it over time.

The typical spearpoints, tanto, bowies, and other profiles would be less apt to be used in a razor because most of us use round points primarily to AVOID sharp pointy things near our gullets...but just for the sake of discussion what do you guys think? Anyone have any ideas as to how those burved razors were made? The curve of the blade just lends an inherant difficulty during the manufactuing process and I wonder what sort of jig could be produced to achieve the right results. I'm kinda thinking a Scimitar and a Wharncliff would be fine additions to complete the seven profiles...

Gawker, I think that's about it, with you's Maestro point being called "Oblique".

Other than those, I've seen PierreTierre's hand forged, with fancy barber-notched tip, and barber-notches in general...

Nenad

Also square tip, not very different than spike

Well I suppose, then, that the wharncliff could be considered a round oblique point going by the nassrassieur guides. Even so I think it could be a fitting profile. Upon a little further consideration however I think maybe the curved blade profiles would simply be TOO difficult to manufacture as well as to shave with comfortably to be much of anything beyond a novelty.

However I still think the oblique and sheepsfoot or wharncliff could be differentiated enough between each other to be considered two profiles which leaves my list at 6 profiles. The idea behind this is to find 7 distinct shapes for a seven day set so that each blade is different rather than having a matching set all across the board.

I'm negotiating with a small forge in Colorado for a set of seven separate damascus billets each with a different pattern so each blade will have a different pattern in the steel than the others. These billets will be going to world famous knife maker (CENSORED) to grind the blades for me once I can convince him to give it a try. During this process I'll be manufacturing the micarta stock for the scales and a brush handle according to a technique from a knife maker in Argentina...damn...how did my knife fetish get chucked solidly into the middle of my shaving hobby all of a sudden?! I'll probably attempt to make the scales myself but if I don't think I can pull them off the I'll probably try convincing Mr Ellis himself to do the scales which brings yet another talented craftsman into my project. Bill if you read this do you think you'd be interested?

I'm also brainstorming on how to create a piece of the Raggish micarta around the size of a hardback book that could be sliced into two pieces and milled out to create a matching case for the set to bring the entire thing together. The matching scales all across the board with a matching brush and case is how I plan to pull seven completely different blades together into a cohesive whole. Right now I'm waiting for a quote on the steel from Colorado and a quote for the grinding in Ohio. Once I have those and can make a decision as to wether or not I can afford this project I'll get started on the micarta and possibly bother Bill Ellis about those scales...the more I think about it the less I like the idea of me trying to do them.

Don't forget the French point.

Well...back to the ole drawing board. Got my response from Deer Mountain today and he's not taking new orders currently due to his backload of work. Guess I'll start looking around for other makers to see if I can come up with some other damascus for this...

What are you looking for in Dam? Seven different billets of mosaic? You could be talking a LOT of money. I'd love to hear more info...

Jeff

Originally Posted by Gawker

Well...back to the ole drawing board. Got my response from Deer Mountain today and he's not taking new orders currently due to his backload of work. Guess I'll start looking around for other makers to see if I can come up with some other damascus for this...

I'm actually not very fond of mosaic dammy outside of bolsters...but as with everything else in life that's preference. This is the forge I wanted to get the steel from. Craig's patterns are right on the page to give you an idea of more what I was thinking.
http://www.deermountainforge.com/steel.htm

I've looked into Devin Thomas as well (those of you with knife backgrounds should know him) but with his high demand the steel alone would cost almost $900 before grinding shipping etc. Agreed, this isn't even a prospectively cheap endeavour...but I actually like Mr Barr's dammy over Devin's and with Deer Mountain being a smaller forge I was hoping I might save a little dough on the billets. I'm still hunting a source for the steel so hopefully this idea won't fall through...but once I have a price for the stock I'll be contacting Mr (CENSORED) again about the grinding and getting a serious quote so that I can make a final decision on this project.

If I just can't swing this in any way I'll probably spend the dough for a billet from Devin Thomas and have a single razor done. I can afford that.

SIDE NOTE - anyone here into metalurgy to give some insight into materials of choice for a razor? All I ever hear around here is carbon and stainless...but nobody ever mentions alloy numbers or anything that would help me choose something. Craig Barr runs 1084 and 15n20 which is a high carbon steel and a carbon nickel steel. Is the blade material really of much importance in a razor other than carbon content? Also what level of hardness are razors tempered to? Food for thought...

I think dam would be fine as long as it has contents meant for performance. Pretty alone won't cut it, no pun intended. Too much nickel, while it etches into a beautiful blade, night not be a good idea for a razor. Unless if course it's a mosaic picture away from the cutting edge. As for other steels, a knifemaker friend of mine is currently working on something that I will test for him, then he may start turning out a few...the CPM steels are the route he's taking. He suggested and I agreed that a steel such as that should not be hardened past 57 or 58 rockwell, lest it be impossible to maintain with traditional methods. The affect of a smooth strop is already questionable even at that modest level of hardness. More to follow soon...

Jeff