Thread: Theory of blade shape

When the evil corporations took over razor making they decided to save money by not having that extra steel at the toe end. Even though it was just a cost saving measure, they put out ads telling shavers that the parallel blade design was better.
This was all covered up by the government, which is why you can't find documented evidence of it anymore.

Another possibility...

For those of you who have never seen a razor that has been ridden hard (and put away wet), I would like to point out that most of the old collections of shot out, barber-used razors I've seen show clear evidence of having been honed to worthlessness before (ultimately) being retired from service.

Occasionally that wear is in the middle (maybe due to over-zealous application of pasted strops), but the great majority of what I have seen in relation to wear is usually in evidence at the toe of the razor and to such a degree that the the blade has been worn away from the middle of the blade, sweeping up towards the point so that its shape is closer to that of a cavalry sabre rather than a shaving implement.

A razor which started out life forged and ground with a wider toe would actually offer extended service life in the hands of someone who was constantly sharpening it. The blade would begin by being wider at the point, but after long service would be worn done to the point where it would have (more or less) the same width from heel to toe and only after continued hard use would wear to the form described above.

Originally Posted by mbaglio100

Possibly a re-grind to get rid of a heel chip? I've seen a lot of old Genco ads from the 'teens and twenties and those have all been even in width across the blade.

I doubt that't the case, this blade looks like it still has the factory bevel on it.

There are LOADS of older razors that are wider at the toe than the heal, similar to the image the OP provided. This is particularly common on Swedish framebacks and Sheffield near wedges. I don't know why that shape was popular, and I couldn't begin to guess. Personally, I don't like it; I find it less comfortable to shave with than a uniform blade width or a slight smile that is widest in the center of the razor. I especially don't like it on 5/8-6/8 razors, because I find there is not enough thumb clearance for me to use the heal of the razor on certain strokes.

Could this wider toe be to account for the typical heavy toe wear that we see on older worn razors ?

I'm just brainstorming here.

Originally Posted by Glenn24

Could this wider toe be to account for the typical heavy toe wear that we see on older worn razors ?

I'm just brainstorming here.

I think that's just down to honing a kinder (easier) point,more often than not. Post dates the ones the OP is referring to IMHO.