Thread: What is a singing razor?

I just bought a new straight razor, a Dubl Duck brand. It came shave ready and when I stropped it on the linen side it made a ringing sound with each stroke. Is that what is referred to as a singing razor? It gave a great shave.

Welcome to SRP, and congratulations on the purchase. Very nice razor.

A singing razor is a full or extreme hollow grind, cf. this chart: Straight razors - Straight Razor Place Wiki. The singing refers to the sound the blade produces when shaving.

The sound you hear when stropping may well be an indication of wrong stropping technique, cf. Tip #5 here: Lynn's Tips: - Straight Razor Place Wiki: "Normally, if you are hearing a singing or high pitched sound when stropping, it means you are turning the razor up at the end of the stroke as well as putting more pressure on the stroke than necessary."

Originally Posted by Labhoncho

when I stropped it on the linen side it made a ringing sound with each stroke. Is that what is referred to as a singing razor?

That's what singing blades do.
Singing blades usually have an extra hollow ground somestimes referred as double hollow ground or extra full hollow ground or whatever.
They are very thin and flexible which results in some ringing especially when you strop the razor

All my singing razors “sing” when stropped on leather… I always thought that’s what they were supposed to do… and I don’t think I am stropping improperly… been stropping the same way for years with excellent shaves.
However I never herd one sing while shaving… maybe it’s my technique.

My razors give a consistant smooth stropping sound on the strop when they are done. You could call it singing not ringing. The hollower the grind, the higher pitched the sound.

On the face the thinner the blade the louder the rasping sound and yes, sometimes as you lift the blade away from the face, a ringing sound.

The ring is a bit like the ping on a brandy glass. If you twang the blade it will ring like a bell. Many blades do it. But some makers made a marketing feature of it. Particularly the French bladesmiths. Le Grelot for example translates to mean the little bell, like the jingle bell tied round a teddy bears neck. for example. Their fully ground razors are singing razors.

Mind you, a wedge makes a great ringing sound if you drop it on a tiled floor.

Originally Posted by English

If you twang the blade it will ring like a bell.

You can also make a singing blade ring by rapping the the spine against something hard. Plucking the edge would probably damage it.

As long as it is only singing that is good. When it starts talking to you and telling you to do things it is time to buy a Norelco.

That sounds like a singing razor to me. They're enchanted by elves you know. Takes years. Cherish that one.

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