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I have 2 blades with this particular shape where the toe is larger than the heel.
A Johan Engstrom and a Wade and Butcher.
Judging by the minimal amount of hone wear on each and the fact the etched arrow on the Engstrom is parallel to the edge, I would say they were designed that way.
I would like to here your theories on the shape.
Thank you
I am of the opinion that many barbers liked to "pull" the razor. This design made for a scything stroke as well as moved lather toward the heel so the toe would be easily seen. Just an opinion??????:)Quote:
Originally Posted by Grump
I'm not sure why you want a theory on the blade shape, but I would assume that the razor would have a nice point forward balance.
I know there has to be a reason behind the maker's decision on the shape.
I would say both of these would have merit.
Blades come in all types of shapes and grinds and steels and decorations and folks want to know why. Personally I think it's just a style thing most of the time. Makers want their product to stand out from the pack so they do things a little different. I'm sure they would come up with a reason they shaped the blade that way but I don't see any real advantage.
That's my theory.
And it's as good a theory as any other.
My guess is that it is related to the manner of production available at the time. Both in the forging and the grinding.
Just a hunch,:)
Looking at that blade shape to me it looks like the blade was designed so that a stroke keepin the line of the spine perpendicular to the stroke direction rather than the edge line to guide you would result in more of a slicing action rather than a chopping action.
Think of it like comparing a guilotine to an axe. An axe would chop straight down sometimes meaning the unfortunate person was struck several times to be beheaded. Whereas a guilotine with an angled blade, similar to the angle used when carving a joint of meat, meant that the weight of the blade in conjunction the directon of the blade movement and it's weight would (very) effectively put the victim out of their misery in one swift stroke using a similar amount of force to swinging a sharp axe.
I could be way off with that rather grim analogy, but the theory seems plausible to me at least!
HA !
I've got a genco that's shaped like that, I was wondering if it was accidental or not.
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn24
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.
I doubt that't the case, this blade looks like it still has the factory bevel on it.Quote:
Originally Posted by mbaglio100
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. :thinking:
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.Quote:
Originally Posted by Glenn24