Joseph Rodgers Wedges?

Stumbled across a matching pair of Joseph Rodgers razors on the weekend. I've never owned a wedge before, but these two look like wedges to me. Handles are either bone or horn of some description. Blades need some more heavy duty cleaning up than I've already done - I got impatient and honed them...

Anyway, I guess my question is more about wedges than anything else. The bevel I established is about 1-2mm wide (very rough guess) on each razor, which clearly means there's some sort of shoulder to edge concavity going on. Does this mean these are not technically wedges, or do all wedges have a slight hollowness?

BTW, does anyone know which UK Majesties J Rodgers & Sons held/hold the royal warrant for? Or is it an ongoing thing?

James.

PS Will post pics when I get home...

I think "true" wedges, where the whole razor is the 'bevel' so to speak, are pretty rare. I've never seen one. People commonly call 1/4 hollows 'wedges'.

There was a long thread here last year about the need for a clear and agreed-upon nomenclature, i.e. how much hollowing on the Henckels scale could you have and still call it a wedge. I can't remember what the final consensus was, though...

James,

How does it relate to in the attached chart?

John

Well, it's a bit tricky but to me they look like either I, II, or II1/2. Probably closer to a I. That's a very cool chart, thanks John.

Having said that, would an I produce a (let's say) 2mm bevel?

Dylandog - yeah, I figured there must have been some discussion around this before. Clearly I'm not a good judge of search terms...

James.

I've always found this chart kind of confusing, because it looks like the only factor is how far up the blade it's thin and flat before it starts flaring out to the spine. But I think there can be a lot of variation in the curvature of the sides, independent of what percentage of the blade is "flat" when viewed down the barrel so to speak. I have a TI that has only the slightest curvature, looks almost like a true wedge, and I have an old sheffield blade that has a good deal of convexity for example. In my mind I think of the TI as a wedge, the sheffield as a 1/4 hollow; they look and feel completely different. But on the scale they'd both be classed the same; neither has any flat part to speak of.

On the other hand, I have several fillies, and they all fit in very clearly as half-hollows, VI's on this scale.

When I get home in a couple of hours (damn this having to go to work caper) I'll post a head - on shot of one of the razors, mimicking the chart.

All I know is that these two razors are definitely way different in both look and feel to my hollows - so what's not a hollow must be a wedge, right? (probably a flaw in my logic there...).

James.

And then you find an old Sheffiled make that is listed as a "NON-XLL" and you wonder.......
:thinking:

Ah hell, who cares, does it shave well?

C utz

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by C utz

And then you find an old Sheffiled make that is listed as a "NON-XLL" and you wonder.......
:thinking:

Ah hell, who cares, does it shave well?

C utz

---

Yes, yes they do! You're right, it doesn't matter. But I am curious...

OK, here are some pictures. Just remember that I'm an instant gratification sort of guy, so don't bag me out too much for not cleaning up the blades - I'll get round to it eventually, but I wanted to shave with them first!

Attachment 1703Attachment 1704Attachment 1705

Attachment 1706Attachment 1707

James.

One more...

Attachment 1708

James.

Boy, Jimbo, I'm no authority, but that looks pretty 'wedgey' to me - I've got a couple similar razors - if I lay a ruler from edge to spine, I can see a small sliver of light in the concavity, but it's only a millimeter or two at the most.

...in my book, that's a wedge.

(but, then again, I'm an idiot...so factor that in!)

-whatever

-Lou

That's a very lovely pair.

I'm not an expert but I expect any piece made by a firm who were cutlers to the Royal Family can't be bad!

I have one of their framebacks. A gift / challenge from Nelson.
It is my best razor, giving me the best shaves.
The scales may not be much, and the blade itself has some pitting damage but boy does it shave smoothly.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by scarface

Boy, Jimbo, I'm no authority, but that looks pretty 'wedgey' to me - I've got a couple similar razors - if I lay a ruler from edge to spine, I can see a small sliver of light in the concavity, but it's only a millimeter or two at the most.

...in my book, that's a wedge.

(but, then again, I'm an idiot...so factor that in!)

-whatever

-Lou

---

Lou - after factoring in all considerations (;) ) I'm going with wedge too. After all, wedgeyness is in the eye of the beholder, as you rightly point out.

(And, I'll get a kick out of giving myself a wedgey next time I shave!:D )

James.

Morning James,

Glad to see you up bright and early. And I thought you said you couldn't take photos, look alright to me :)

I vaguely remember looking at that set and seriously thinking on bidding for them, hey they are nice looking. I'm certainly no expert, but from what I've seen they look like a wedge to me also.

John

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Pegaso

That's a very lovely pair.

I'm not an expert but I expect any piece made by a firm who were cutlers to the Royal Family can't be bad!

---

Thanks Pegaso, yeah I guess not. They'll be lovelier when I do a proper cleanup job on the blades. Scales are in really good shape, apart from a small chip at the front pin on one of them (which is what made me think they're bone or horn, or maybe even ivory - but I'm completely ignorant of how to tell).

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Bruno

I have one of their framebacks. A gift / challenge from Nelson.
It is my best razor, giving me the best shaves.
The scales may not be much, and the blade itself has some pitting damage but boy does it shave smoothly.

---

That's good to know Bruno, thanks. I've shaved with both of these now, and it's a very smooth and easy shave. And silent. Maybe that's the wedge - stropping and honing were both strangely silent (compared to my hollows) too. "The silence of the Wedges...". Anyway, I've got a feeling these will become favourites in a very short space of time.

James.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnmw1

Morning James,

Glad to see you up bright and early. And I thought you said you couldn't take photos, look alright to me :)

I vaguely remember looking at that set and seriously thinking on bidding for them, hey they are nice looking. I'm certainly no expert, but from what I've seen they look like a wedge to me also.

John

---

Hey John,

You're up early too - what's the time in Adelaide? No mate, I'm no photographer - all credit must go to the equipment and luck if these turned out OK:)

There might be more than one of these sets out there - I got these from an antiques shop in Brissy. But that's not to say the dealer didn't ebay them initially. Don't suppose you paid any attention to what the auction went for...?

Yep, I'm going wedge, and damn the consequences!

James.

James 6.30 am here.

Funnily enough they were selling on ebay but they were actually located here in Adelaide, which is very odd in itself.

I shall have a bit of a dig and see if I can find the sale.

John

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnmw1

James 6.30 am here.

Funnily enough they were selling on ebay but they were actually located here in Adelaide, which is very odd in itself.

I shall have a bit of a dig and see if I can find the sale.

John

---

Thanks mate - I'd appreciate it. The result might even induce me to quit my day job and take up antiques dealing!

James.

James,

This is the one I was thinking of http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=330074229429 They are not wedges though.

John

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by johnmw1

James,

This is the one I was thinking of http://cgi.ebay.com.au/ws/eBayISAPI....m=330074229429 They are not wedges though.

John

---

Cheers John. Those look like they're in marvellous condition - real beauties! Whoever got those is a lucky bugger. I paid a similar price for mine, but mine are in worse nick (although they have better scales). So I guess I won't quit the day job just yet...

James.

Well, I'm the lucky bugger what got them .....

They arrived 2 days ago, and in real life - they even look better than on eBay.

Ben

Hi Ben,

I hope you seriously enjoy them because they look very nice indeed. I was so going to bid for them mainly because they were such a nice pair and also because they were local to me and for once I would'nt have to pay international shipping. But in the end I let them go (that reads RAD) :)

Enjoy

John

Ben,

Good snag mate!

James.