Thread: The Barber's Notch

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?

Originally Posted by tintin

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.

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.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

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

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 .......