Thread: Obisidian straight?

This looks so Bad a$$ i want one, but how do they shave?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Black-Ribbon-Obsidian-Straight-Razor-Blade_W0QQitemZ170312059300QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLH_D efaultDomain_0?hash=item170312059300&_trksid=p3911 .c0.m14&_trkparms=72%3A1729|66%3A4|65%3A12|39%3A1| 240%3A1318|301%3A1|293%3A1|294%3A200

any ideas? Thanks! (And by knapping obsidian, you can get the edge to about 1 molocule thick!!)

-CS

That's look quite unique! I'm not sure how smooth the shave would be though....

If indeed you could get the edge to 1 molecule thick, then I don't think I'd want to shave with something that sharp. Sure it would be a really close shave, but I don't know if I'd have any skin left!

I can't see the edge clearly in those photos.
To get a perfectly straight edge, or even a perfect smile, would be nearly impossible with any knapping technique. Unless it is a total fluke, that edge would tear your face up.

As for being one molecule thick, that would be so fragile that it would break with the slightest temperature change, contact with a gnat, a stiff breeze, not to mention whiskers and skin.

Steel, being flexible, still gets chipped, and ragged from shaving with it, can you imagine something that thin with ZERO flex?

Hmm...a rebirth of Aztec shaving technique, it would seem. Except that the Aztecs had no beards! Shaving with a chipped out obsidian glass edge would be like shaving with a broken beer bottle, IMO. Not even suitable as a knife, due to extreme fragility. Nice display case item, though.

Hey Jace! If I had any money I would pick that up myself, but then you know I am a sucker for sharp objects! As to how it would work, I have no idea.
By the way, hows your shaving coming along?

I hope I spelled your name right.

Hell, I'd try it. I'm not going to spend the cash on it, but if I found myslef in possession of such an object, after testing on arm hair, and not casueing TOO much bleeding, I'd give it a whirl.

"Josh, honey, what happened to your face...you haven't cut yourself shaving in a while."
"Well, dear, you see, these guys on the internet sent me what is, I guess, a really, really sharp piece of natural glass, and i tried shaving with it."

The eye-rolls THAT would bring about would be record breaking.

If it said who the artist was, I would consider it.

I have thought about doing this or if it was even possible.

It would be a one pass shave wonder though as the edge would be too ragged for a second pass.

Its glass. As a display piece its fine but for shaving forget it. The edge is too brittle to ever hone. Unless the edge was maybe bonded to something else I wouldn't use it. I've seen obsidian knives and they are usually marked for display use only.

I have an obsidian blade I bought at a knapping show . IRRC it was called the "neolithic straight razor" . It is a little bit more than 1/2 the size of the one shown . I can tell you , that mine doesn't shave worth a darn , and I'm sure the one pictured won't , either . BTW I paid less than $10 for mine