Thread: Lecoultre framebacks

I have been checking out pictures of the Lecoultre and other French/Swiss framebacks with the replaceable blades and the first question that pops into my head is how they hell did they manage to cut the slot in the frame/tang the the appropriate internal slots to lock the blade into place, especially at the heel?? Did they cut the slot and then solder in a "plug" at each end? I read that Lecoultre was a watchmaker so you figure if anyone could figure out how to do work like that it was them. Wild looking razors!!!!

The had a "jig" for a milling machine and used a cutter similar to a saw on a stick. They started the cut away from the toe after they had drilled and tapped the hole for the screw. Then ran the cutter into the end of the slot and into the tang giving the rounded pocket that the heel of the blade locks into.
The set screw against a slanted ramp on the top of the toe end of the blade keeps it there. Simple for a machinist. Other similar razors used similar tricks.
The hard part was, as always, how to make a blade work within the idea of the razor and figuring how to do it the first time.
~Richard
Legend has it that he was unable to buy quality steel and he remelted watch and clock springs and manufactured them to make the first blades to be of good quality.

Thanks. Getting ONE blade to fit up tight side to side must have been fun, much less an entire 7 day set!!!!!

Originally Posted by JDM61

Thanks. Getting ONE blade to fit up tight side to side must have been fun, much less an entire 7 day set!!!!!

The blades were stamped from a sheet or strip and then hardened so all were the same.
The interesting thing is he did not patent the idea so I know of at least 5 different razors using the same shape and blade and one which looks the same but takes a proprietary blade and the leCoultre does not fit with out some grinding shenanigans at the top of it.
I am led to think that a tang without a stamp is the real leCoultre.
Just ruminating!
~Richard

I had a crazy idea. A Lecoultre with multiple blades and the screwdriver is kinda pricey, but there are a couple on EvilBay that have only one blade, so I am bidding on one, My hair brained scheme, aside from getting a cool toy. is to eyeball one of these up close for ideas and perhaps make some "replacement blades" from various and sundry steels to see which ones work best. I may start off with some thin 15n20 stock. Another thought that I had was that a frame back setup, especially one with replaceable blades, would be the way to try out AEB-L as a straight razor steel without having to worry about not being able to get any stock thinker than .130.

This one has the finger notches and I have 2 other blades that go with it too !!

Wow!!! I just saw some specs on one of these razors. Blade thickness of like .026 at the SPINE!!! Can't pull that off without a surface grinder!!!!!!