Thread: 2/8 Razors

How common are these?

I came across one in a shop today, but resisted buying it due to not knowing anything at all about what to look for in such a small blade!

It also had an unusual place of manufacture, Sittingbourne. That's smallish town in rural Kent, England, although it has been fairly industrial due to shipping etc in the past. I just happen to work there now, which is why it caught my interest - wish I'd written down the trade name now, but too late now

Thanks in advance for any info

Cheers
P

I've got one. I have not seen many. I don't know why anyone would bother with something so delicate. Good luck to anyone honing or stropping something that narrow!

Like a host of other things, the dealer in Sittingbourne was probably just the retailer, and the cutlers would affix anybody's name on demand.

Was there anything that might indicate the age of the razor? If it looked consistent with being post-First World War, I would guess it to be for trimming above the thin, Ronald Coleman or Errol Flynn moustache.

... or that 'chin ditch' cleaved out of those massive 'sideburns' that used to drive the ladies wild...

Originally Posted by Caledonian

Like a host of other things, the dealer in Sittingbourne was probably just the retailer, and the cutlers would affix anybody's name on demand.

Was there anything that might indicate the age of the razor? If it looked consistent with being post-First World War, I would guess it to be for trimming above the thin, Ronald Coleman or Errol Flynn moustache.

No real clue to age I'm afraid, but it was in good condition apart from medium/heavy hone wear on the spine, probably due to difficulty honing such a narrow blade. Or poor quality steel not holding an edge needing constant re-honing? Your guess as good as mine!

I have a feeling I read about narrow razors being from the period you suggest somewhere else recently, but the specifics escape me

I have one in NOS by J.Voos, Solingen. Other than that they are as rare as hen's teeth, but lately a few have been made available http://www.thiers-issard.co.uk/page47.html

Beware though - not all 2/8s that you see will have been made this way, for I have seen a few, what were presumably 9/16s or even 3/8s, worn down or reground.

I'm not to fond of them. For me the novelty of shaving with something a third the width of most of my other razors quickly wore off, and they are much harder to strop. They are also a stiffer grind and I favour hollows. Superb for detail work, which is what I assume they were intended for primarily.

I've never seen one. I wonder if they weren't made, as Caledonian mentioned, for trimming a mustache ? I had a mustache for many years and used to use a 4/8 for trimming it. I shaved it off when it turned white. I wouldn't want anyone thinking I'm old.

I have a NOS Mercur 2/8s. It's not designed for actual shaving. It's made for trim work only as they all are. I never use it because I simply can't hold on to the thing while stropping and even in shaving it can get away from you.

One way you might be able to tell if it was a true 2/8 is the spine. It should probably be very thin, but not extremely flat on the sides of the spine. I have a 3/8 J. A. Henckels #103 that has a very small thickness at the back, or spine, and doesn't show a lot of hone wear.


So a 2/8 would look similar to that with little hone wear on the spine, but a shorter overall blade length. I have shaved around my upper lip with this one, but it usually sits in the drawer, not used, and I should put it in the classified sometime for someone use to trim with.

By my mind, a 2/8 is very useful to clean your ears