Thread: Why?

This is another excellent point from our resident razor point history buff Jimbo.

As far as I remember the Irish got stuck with the whachmacallit point - serves them right for preferring the publick house to joining a treaty!

Originally Posted by gugi

I think the authority, and perhaps the inventor on the Irish point is the great Bill Ellis. Unfortunately, he apparently doesn't frequent these forums anymore, so may be the Irish point will join the barber's notch in the great mysteries of straight razors.

Credit where it's due, and in this instance it isn't due to Bill Ellis.

A man called Ken Hawley met a lot of people who worked in the Sheffield razor, cutlery and tool trades over the years, including the man famed as "Sheffield's last razor grinder," a Mr. Billy Hukin who died in 1995. Tom Renshaw was Billy Hukins "setter-in" (setting the blade into the scales, forming the domed washers from a sheet of latten (a brass alloy) and hand-peening the razor together) - they worked at J & W Raggs Little London works in the 1970s.

Ken made a lot of notes, some of which are shown on the Sheffield University website, including this one:



The terminology used was handed down from cutler to cutler, and easily predates Bill Ellis!

Regards,
Neil.

My dear Neil,

Thank you for taking the time to pass on that bit of history. How interesting. I learned something I didn't know.

Imagine sitting around and having a beer with these straight razor masters. I would have liked that.

Regards,

Obie

I've seen spanish points called "Dreadnought" points. Also in that drawing it looks like its called a hollow point- or is that a barber's notch thats called hollow?

Originally Posted by khaos

I've seen spanish points called "Dreadnought" points. Also in that drawing it looks like its called a hollow point- or is that a barber's notch thats called hollow?

Yup, I believe Boker uses the term Drednought for a Spanish point. I have seen barber's notches called hollow points, but hollow point seems less commonly used these days.

Originally Posted by khaos

I've seen spanish points called "Dreadnought" points. Also in that drawing it looks like its called a hollow point- or is that a barber's notch thats called hollow?

The dreadnought point is similar to the hollow (aka barbers notch - hollow may be shallow or extreme) but without any great hollowing. It was probably called after HMS Dreadnought, which was laid-down in 1870 and launched in 1875:



In 1884 she served in the Mediterranean Sea. The profile is a bit hard to make out in the above picture, so here are some elevations:





Although not the original HMS Dreadnought, the one above (the sixth Royal Navy ship to bear the name) is probably the most famous. She was launched for trials in 1905 and then set sail the Med, and then went to Port of Spain, Trinidad. Between 1907 and 1912 she was the RNs flagship, cruising between England, Spain and the Med. She served in WW1 and was decommisioned in 1919.

Below is a version of the dreadnought razor point for comparison:



Regards,
Neil.

I make up names for the points I grind on my razors: Monrovian squarepoint, Schezuan point, etc.

I imagine some other jokers did likewise in times gone by, and some stuck.

My dear Neil,

Your "Dreadnought" comparison is fascinating, as is all the other information you have spent time to provide. Thank you for sharing your knowledge and research.

Regards,

Obie

I have seen these called "American" points.



Take from a Revisor company page.

Raritäten der Woche Galerie

My dear Payment,

That's the first I have heard of a razor point referred to as "American" point. How curious, and interesting. I wonder why the manufacturer of that razor would refer to the point as "American." Thanks for sharing the information.

Regards,

Obie