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This has probably been posted here before, but I heard an interesting tidbit from a fellow enthusiast about the purpose of the barbers notch.
He mentioned that the notch was to allow better shaving of the nostril area!! The notch would allow the blade edge better access to the area right below (an inside) the nostrils in order to get those delicate whiskers more easily and with less chance of also slicing something else off.
Interesting....;)
It's been up for discussion a few times ;)
There are almost as many theories to the purpose of the notch as there are razors with notches :)
it would seem if that's the case than the notch would always be close the edge instead of the spine. on a larger blade wouldn't your nostril have to be large to accommodate the notch?
Hey - I don't claim to have the answer...just thought I'd throw it out there for discussion. :)Quote:
Originally Posted by tintin
Been brought up a hundred times.I still believe the notch was created to position the blade against a mandril when using power hammers during the forging process.
That's what I said...makes sense to me:shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by pixelfixed
Ease of opening is the most commonly held belief.
Just an opinion and you know what that is worth!
From looking a a lot of old razors, it seems the notches are all ground at about the same angle with a narrow wheel and as a separate operation. The angled monkey tail was a separate operation also and I believe they were ground by hand by the grinder, and that; at the edge of a wider flat stone at the time when the spine was ground.
The notch is seen on razors all over the continent and UK. Some of the later Swede's may have been stamped.
Very early razors (16-1700's) it further into the scales than more modern one ( 1800's.) And, I think we see a lot of horn that has shrunken and so the blades we see are at a higher position that was the case when they were new. So the notch makes some sense to me. as an aid to opening.
Just my suppositions.
~Richard
My theory is that is mostly decoration.
In practicality, a person shaving another, as in a barber, would be able to see, within the notch, how close he is shaving to ears, noses, etc. The notch is a window to tell how close one is shaving to facial features without going too close.
Imagine shaving someone else and seeing a line of the work within the cutout. Pretty safe and handy! I would think this is why it is dubbed the 'Barber's notch'! Could be wrong! ! ;)
Just from personally finding the notch point easier to work between the top of a trimmed mustache and the nose I have always felt that was the motivation. OTOH, Tom raises an interesting point (no pun) and there may be something to that. I could never get with the notch being there for ease of opening. The spine is thick and heavy enough to get hold of, epecially the old wedges from Sheffield. I could be wrong but we all know how rare that would be ....... :p
It seems logical that it would have given the grinder a second grip point and ease in the grinding, and they look cool, and you can stick them up your nose.
I think they look good and use them around the nostrilliums, whether i'm supposed to or not. :shrug:
Also comes in handy when honing.
edit +++great minds+++ a copost with #11
In the 30 year anniversary video, Chimensch holds a razor how I think it would be used at about 8:08 or so. His blade doesn't have the notch, but again I think this is how it would be used if it did. Every time I watch him shave his lip toward his nose it gives me chills...way more advanced than me.
And here we go again :p
First I have a pic of a "Notch" that I believe would fit Pixel's theory of an index, totally different style and size and I believe the razor was ground lengthwise first, which would lend credence to his theory at least on this razor.. This razor however is much newer then the older Sheffields..
BTW you ain't sticking this one in yer nose hehehehe in fact many of them just won't work that way...
Attachment 153462
Attachment 153463
Second they have never been found to be called a "Barber's" Notch at least not that anyone has posted YET..
All the old ads I have seen they are simply listed along with every other "Point" style with the name Hollow Point / Notch
I have yet to see an old ad with anything special written about the point style or really any other point style...
Looking at the very old razors, "The Stub Tails" you tend to find a Clipped point on those, it looks almost like a very shallow C
Anyway I keep looking and reading and to this date I haven't found any proof of anything, my latest discovery was the pics I posted above as that one made no sense other then Pixel's theory...
All I got :(
I don't care what it's for...all I know is that on certain razors it looks darn cool :) If it serves a purpose then great, otherwise it just falls into another design like a Spanish Point, French Point etc. :)
I'm goin with that theory too cause....well.....it is pretty damn slick lookin any ol way.;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Catrentshaving
I dunno about using a mandrel to forge a blade. For the thin cross section out at the point (similar to along the rest of the blade) it seems more logical that the smith would beat the crap out of the mandrel (and ruin that and his hammer) before hitting the blade. Forging a hollow would be more or less a waste of time keeping it all straight in those thin sections too. Better to forge to a wedge then grind on a large wheel then small wheel grind in the notch.
Just the old smith talking...
I enjoy these discussions.
For me the barber's notch is an aesthetic (sp) thing.
I love the look!
Hearing all the other 'theories' is really neat.
Thanks to all who have contributed to this discussion...and the others on this topic.
