Thread: A John Barber mystery...

Originally Posted by onimaru55

It may have been reground to the "rattler" shape ?

What characterizes the rattler shape? And would/could that mean that it was originally made cirka 1830's but renovated some time during the late part of the century?

Originally Posted by jakfur

What characterizes the rattler shape? And would/could that mean that it was originally made cirka 1830's but renovated some time during the late part of the century?

The rattler shape is similar to what you called frameback but does not have an external metal tube on the spine. Rather it is ground into the shape.
Certainly it could have been reground later in it's life.

Nice old blade! Guess you have done your homework.
The light remnants of the blade etch seem to speak of original profile.
A good thing!

Originally Posted by onimaru55

The rattler shape is similar to what you called frameback but does not have an external metal tube on the spine. Rather it is ground into the shape.
Certainly it could have been reground later in it's life.

Ah, I see. I'd misunderstood what a frameback was. Thanks for correcting That might very well be the case. Does the inward toe speak to something special when it comes to the manufacturing date? When did that design come into use?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Nice old blade! Guess you have done your homework.
The light remnants of the blade etch seem to speak of original profile.
A good thing!

Well I've tried Thanks. I thought so too. One has to wonder how many of the old blades originally had etchings that have been lost to posterity due to heavy honing and renovation.

Originally Posted by jakfur

Ah, I see. I'd misunderstood what a frameback was. Thanks for correcting That might very well be the case. Does the inward toe speak to something special when it comes to the manufacturing date? When did that design come into use?

Sorry can't advise re the toe

Thoughts anyone? Any help or guess is appreciated.

I don't see a mystery. Most all English makers produced a 'rattler' grind razor. After all, it was everyone's early version of hollow-ground.
I could place this phenomenon in mid+ half of 1800's.

This grind was replaced by the advent of hollow-grinding as we know it today in short order. Thank the Germans for that.
The English had to catch-up quickly. In fact I don't ever recall seeing a rattler grind from a German maker?
So there seems to have been a short window of production and few examples from some makers are seen.
In fact, the style is not really common to see period.
Early American makers were also doing it.


The box does not seem to match the razor? Very common.