Thread: Honing the barber's notch

The purpose of the 'barber's notch', A.K.A. 'notch point', is unknown. Many have speculated. My personal opinion, having only recently shaved the mustache I sported for decades, is that the notch enables the shaver to get above the mustache, around the nostril area, more easily. A Spanish point, and to some extent a French point are equally handy IME. Other than that I see no practical purpose for the notch besides looking cool. Some say it was for ease of opening the razor but I've never found it difficult to open any razor sans notch, so I don't buy that theory.

I've never encountered a razor with a barber's notch that was sharpend from the end of the bevel up to the notch. Not a vintage razor, nor a new model, and I've had quite a few come and go. YMMV.