Thread: Razor width mesurements/sizes

I was wondering about the imperial sizing used for razor blades today and my question about this is multiple.


1. I'm I right when I think that the 1/16 "system" or 13/16 inch is used instead of 6,5/8 inch, like in the quick scheme I made...?

2. How come that even European razors are marketed in imperial sizing instead of metric sizing? Has this always been this way?

I think the reason is that it is such a long established custom the eighths system is used ... they probably get around the metric system buy not saying the inch bit

sometimes the 16th is used as well due to where the measurement is taken and the inevitable wear away of the blade though honing.

some people measure form the edge to the part of the spine that first rests on the hone, others measure from the edge to the back of the spine.

For the most part it seems that the edge to the back of the spine is the most common measurement any more especially here on the forum.

Most razors and equipment to make them predate the common use of the metric system. I don't think it has really been that long that Europe has been on the metric system historically, only about two or three generations. Right? My youngest razor is older than that.

I measure from the back of the spine to the edge. Since the vintage blades were handmade I assume some tolerance in the measurement, so if the blade measures 11/16 instead of 6/8, I still call it a 6/8. If that is incorrect, then I need to be corrected.

Originally Posted by cannonfodder

I measure from the back of the spine to the edge. Since the vintage blades were handmade I assume some tolerance in the measurement, so if the blade measures 11/16 instead of 6/8, I still call it a 6/8. If that is incorrect, then I need to be corrected.

Spot on - the system of using eighths originates in Sheffield and is, as you say, the most suitable tolerance for the job in hand, just as one would refer to the length of a journey in miles, the height of a horse in hands or the diameter of a bearing in thousandths of an inch. Use a micrometer on a blade and you would never know what to call it - it varies all along its length.