Thread: What makes a razor a "rattler"?

Originally Posted by ChrisL

I would love to see one of the razor makers grind a true rattler grind razor. That would be very cool.

By Robert Williams. Not sure if it is thick enough below the heavy spine to qualify but it is a cool razor and a great shave.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

By Robert Williams. Not sure if it is thick enough below the heavy spine to qualify but it is a cool razor and a great shave.

Nice! Is that mammoth ivory for the scales?

Originally Posted by mrbhagwan

Nice! Is that mammoth ivory for the scales?

Yes it is. You've got a good eye.

Jimmy OMG thats a beautiful razor

Another thought re: the origin of the word rattler:

There was an HMS Rattler launched in 1843. It was the first screw-propelled steamship, others being paddle steamers up to that time. It was pitted against a similar paddlesteamer, HMS Alecto, both were 880 tons, both had the same horsepower steam engines. The Rattler beat the Alecto over an 80 mile course and managed to tow it backwards in a naval tug-of-war. It caused a lot of excitement at the time and was news all over the world, signalling the change from paddle-power to propellors.

It wouldn't be the first time that a razor was named after something fast and famous - does anyone remember the Ebay auction for the "Nancy Hanks 2.08" razor? It was named after the famous horse of the time and even had its fastest trotting record speed - 2.08 mins - stamped on the shank.

In keeping with the naval theme, this idea could be easily "scuppered" by a rattler razor pre-dating 1843!

Regards,
Neil

That also opens up questions of other "Named Razors", Some being easy like the worlds fair and such. I'm still drawing a blank on my Case "Gates & Hillier".

Alas that would be another thread...

That very well might be the origin of the application to razors Neil. What really gets me is the 'Nancy Hanks' being a race horse. Nancy Hanks was the name of American president Abraham Lincoln's step mother as well. When I saw that razor on ebay I thought it named after the step mother and found that very curious.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

That very well might be the origin of the application to razors Neil. What really gets me is the 'Nancy Hanks' being a race horse. Nancy Hanks was the name of American president Abraham Lincoln's step mother as well. When I saw that razor on ebay I thought it named after the step mother and found that very curious.

I think we all thought that at first Jimmy! It was the "2.08" that gave the game away. Again, I think the emphasis came to be on speed thereby completely removing the meaning of "Nancy Hanks" - a train was named "Nancy Hanks" in her (Lincoln's stepmum) honour, then a faster train was given the same name, then a horse was named after the train, if I recall correctly.

Whatever the sequence was, it was enough to totally confuse the issue - if there had been no documentary evidence of the horse, it would be another mystery open to as many interpretations as we could come up with!

Regards,
Neil

i have an old wad and butcher razor that says "celebrated rattler"

Rattler, possibly unravelled - here

Regards,
Neil