Thread: I like the HEAVIES!!!!!

Picked up a third razor today. The heaviest of my three. It's a "TRENTON RAZOR CO." with a very thick spine and it's a 7/8" that's hardly been honed if ever. I'ts not a wedge and I do believe it's still a full hollow but that fat spine and extra height is a big difference.

I've read that (TRENTON) was trademark from Boker??? One of my other's is a Boker's RED INJUN...it was my favorite and still may be after the 'new toy syndrome'...even though it was a pain in the rump to get in shaving order the first couple times. My other is a "Van-Camp Hardware "BLUE RIBBON"" 5/8"...it hones up real easy but the "feel" aint there.


So, are there any 'secrets' out there as to what to look for in the future? I know the obvious would be a B&W Wedge or just wedges in general...but they seem to command a high price and all three of my razors so far have totalled up to $43.00. I've honed all three up myself using things are convententially used for knives...AND have managed to get comfortable shaves finally!!! Point is I'm trying to do this on the cheap.

Anyways, thought I declare my undieing love for them heavies!!! lol

I'd go for the Wade and Butcher (W&B vice B&W?) wedge. When they're honed properly you can just barely hear them cutting the whiskers as that big spine drives them down your face. The only drawback is they're holy hell to hone properly. I finally sent my first one off to GSSixgun for the finest hone I ever saw. Now that I know what a really good hone is I did the second one myself, starting at 1000X and going to 8000x and I seem to have gotten the picture.

You can get them fairly cheap. I got one for $20.00 at a gun show and the second in a local antique store for $17.00 (with box.)

Those big Sheffield blades do tend to draw high prices; you've just gotta bid low and bid often. Also, looking at blades other than W&B's will help. Frederick Reynolds, Joseph Rodgers, Joseph Elliot, George Wostenholm, William Greaves, Thomas Turner... there are lots of other makers out there, and that's just a few.

I think sticking to antique stores may help you find the true "bargains" out there. Ebay W&Bs tend to go for $40 and up, depending on what kind of shape they're in.

Yeah, I meant W&B. The antique stores I originally "discovered" I think may be exhausted of razors I want....as most are 4/8 or really beat up OR +$40 bucks. At this stage in the game I want something to be of shave-ready for anything over $40 and most of the expensive one in the stores are actually nicked up a little.

h4p, I appreciate you listing some of those names. "the list" on the wiki site is good...but I know there are others. I almost bought a double arrow off ebay, then found about the 50/50 quality control. I suppose I took the same chances with the antique store though. Heck, after my experience with the 'no-name' I may forget about the name and just make sure it doesn't have pakistan stamped on it anywhere

Here's a huge question that probably deserves its own thread.

Wiki doesn't have photos of a full hollow vs half hollow vs 1/4 hollow vs wedge. Does anyone have a source for this or is it an arbitrary title left up to the manufacturer?



Like always, thanks for helping a guy out

Originally Posted by Soilarch

Here's a huge question that probably deserves its own thread.

Wiki doesn't have photos of a full hollow vs half hollow vs 1/4 hollow vs wedge. Does anyone have a source for this or is it an arbitrary title left up to the manufacturer?



Like always, thanks for helping a guy out

This Henckels chart illustrates the grinds, but the half hollow, quarter hollow terms seem to be used quite loosely. If there is a good vintage photo definition out there I would like to see it in the wiki as well!

In that chart, "I" is a wedge, and personally I would call II or III a quarter hollow.

[Edit: There are many blades etched with the inscription: Medium Hollow Ground. Maybe that is a starting point]

Thanks! That's a big eye opener!!!

The new 7/8 Trenton and my Blue Ribbon are close to being IVs and the Red Injun is probably a VII.

Think I'd really like a II or III in 6/8" or 7/8" with a slight smile and....crap....I'm dreaming again

According to Razor Central at Nassur.com if a blade has a single concave grind extending from the spine to the edge it is called a 1/4 hollow. Here at SRP we refer to that as a wedge.

The other razors have 2 concave grinds which can vary a lot.
Generally speaking a full hollow has more steel removed, i.e. it is the thinnest of all the grinds. A 1/2 hollow usually has less steel removed on the upper,major portion of the blade. A 1/4 hollow has even less steel removed on the upper portion of the blade.

The size of the concave grind along the edge also varies a lot. The higher up it extends from the edge, given the same width of blade, the thinner the blade will be along the edge and the more flex there will be in the blade.


Just some trivia,

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

[Edit: There are many blades etched with the inscription: Medium Hollow Ground. Maybe that is a starting point]

"Medium" is probably an indication of blade size rather than degree of hollow grinding. I just realized that