Smiling Blades

I have seen plenty of smilers for sale here and on other sites like the bay but they have all been vintage (I have 2).

Were/are smilers made deliberately or accidentally by honing?

I haven't actually seen brand new purposely manufactured smilers (except for custom jobs) but maybe I am just looking in the wrong places :shrug:

As an aside, I have read that a lot of people like them. I think I actually prefer straight blades. Every time I use a smiler I seem to end up with red scratches on the side if my neck. No blood but scratched enough so the marks last a couple of days.

Steve

As far as vintage smilers go, I think that you can mostly look at the spine to see if it was purposely made to smile. If the spine smiles the grind probably always smiled.

I have no proof, but I posit that the move away from smiling razors coincides with the adoption of the double wheel grinders being used to mass produce full hollow razors. The double wheel grinders do not lend themselves to producing smiling blades.

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Originally Posted by bluesman7

As far as vintage smilers go, I think that you can mostly look at the spine to see if it was purposely made to smile. If the spine smiles the grind probably always smiled.

I have no proof, but I posit that the move away from smiling razors coincides with the adoption of the double wheel grinders being used to mass produce full hollow razors. The double wheel grinders do not lend themselves to producing smiling blades.

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I just looked at your website. Some gorgeous razors, I need to start doing the lottery so I can win it and buy more razors :D

Steve

Doubt the style of grind, smiling or straight has anything to do with cutting yourself. If anything, a smiler would be less likely to cut you, as it is an automatic scything cut of the beard.

It is either shaving technique or more likely a chipped or rolled edge. It can take a bit of technique to properly strop a smiling razor, depending on the amount of “smile.

Yup, easier/faster/cheaper to grind a straight edge

I forgot to mention that when razors were being hand forged, a smile is a much more natural shape to forge.

Shave the lather, not the face... Probably techniques.:shrug:

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

Doubt the style of grind, smiling or straight has anything to do with cutting yourself. If anything, a smiler would be less likely to cut you, as it is an automatic scything cut of the beard.

It is either shaving technique or more likely a chipped or rolled edge. It can take a bit of technique to properly strop a smiling razor, depending on the amount of “smile.

Yup, easier/faster/cheaper to grind a straight edge

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You're right of course. I used one again an hour ago, mostly because I wanted an excuse to try out my new Rocky Mountain after shave balm and beard oil :D

Anyway, I used it again and concentrated on how I was shaving.

It seems I tend to use the toe end most of the time because I can put it where I want it without the rest of the blade being in the way which seems to be the case if I use the centre.

I probably do the same with a straight blade to so I guess I better watch that.

So because I use the toe to shave I scratch myself, simple and pretty stupid really.

Incidentally, I got a jewellers loupe today ( 30x 60 x) and used it on all my blades to try it out. I don't think any of them are rolled but the edges are huge! Or that could be the loupe :rofl2:

Steve

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Originally Posted by outback

Shave the lather, not the face... Probably techniques.:shrug:

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Hi Mike, you're right. It is my technique.

I think I have it figured out now.

Steve

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Originally Posted by Euclid440

Doubt the style of grind, smiling or straight has anything to do with cutting yourself. If anything, a smiler would be less likely to cut you, as it is an automatic scything cut of the beard.

It is either shaving technique or more likely a chipped or rolled edge. It can take a bit of technique to properly strop a smiling razor, depending on the amount of “smile.

Yup, easier/faster/cheaper to grind a straight edge

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Is stropping a smiler different than a straight blade?

IMO, as long as you are stropping with a sideways motion (x) and not straight up and down it will be fine.

i use more of a windshield washer motion when stropping a smiler , not sure if it's really necessary though.

Attachment 312945

Took me a while to figure how to strop this little smiler :D

Windshield washer stroke works best for this one. For most smilers a heel forward or toe forward x stroke is fine.

As mentioned with smilers a sything motion come more natural and they are great for getting into the contours of your face.

It depends on how much smile the edge has, most the smile is about an 1/8th of an inch or so and stropping in an x pattern will polish the whole blade.

If the edge is curved more like the SK1, just strop it in three passes, the toe, the middle and heel, then X strokes to blend the polish, just like you would hone it.

Some ink on the bevel then strop you will quickly see if your technique is missing any spots. WD40 or any oil, (Neetsfoot) on a paper towel, will remove the ink on the razor and strop, or practice on a piece of clean cardboard.

I like to use my Roo strop from Gabe for the smilers.
It is very thin and pliable and easily conforms to a smiling edge.

Pete <:-}

+1 to that, Pete.

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Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

Attachment 312945

Took me a while to figure how to strop this little smiler :D

Windshield washer stroke works best for this one. For most smilers a heel forward or toe forward x stroke is fine.

As mentioned with smilers a sything motion come more natural and they are great for getting into the contours of your face.

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How's the balance in hand with that one?
I imagine the scales angling away when shaving....
Very nice BTW.

You don’t need a dramatic smiler either to get a great shaving effect. Get yourself the Tanifuji Command No. 68 (or, its more sought after cousin the MaxFli Gold 100/40), and you will have a great instrument for getting your scything strokes mastered without going so far as the SK1 does.

Even better, the Tanifuji MaxFli razor felt like I had used it for years after about the 5th shave. Both the Command and MaxFli are amazing vintage blades you won’t regret purchasing if you feel up for a smiler.

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Originally Posted by JOB15

How's the balance in hand with that one?
I imagine the scales angling away when shaving....
Very nice BTW.

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Cheers Joe

To be honest I've never thought about the scales position and the balance is spot on. It looks like it should be awkward to use but it's actually very nimble and easy to use.

By the way, if you forge a razor or a knife by hand, then the smile turns out by itself. This happens when you pull the blade wide. It is necessary to straighten the blade all the time, otherwise by the end of forging it can take the form of a circle.
I do not mean to say that all razors with a smile, it is necessarily forged by hand with a hammer, but it is more difficult to make an absolutely straight razor into a straight one than a razor with a smile.

Start with a frown and forging will turn it upside down.