Round point--->French point!

So here's the dilemma:

You have a perfectly fine, NOS Le Grelot straight. But it has a round point. You hate round points and as a result, seldom use this lovely razor. You love French points, and think "if this thing had a French point, it could be my new pet razor

So. do you take a cutter/grinder/sander to a perfectly serviceable blade? To a damaged blade, sure, but a pristine blade for the sake of personal preference?

After some soul searching, I decided yes. And SOOOOOO glad I did! I've had this razor for a long time, one of my first "nice" razors but since I've developed this preference for French points, I'd used the Le Grelot maybe twice in the last year. She's a good ol' shaver, and it's good to have her back in the rotation on a more frequent basis.

Before:

Attachment 207366

After:

Attachment 207367
Attachment 207368

Not sure that I could do the same, but I do like your outcome.

nice outcome like it beter how it is now then the round point

Looks a bit "spikey" now, but if you're happy and it gets a lot more use then it was worth it :)

In a century or so someone will say "I have a le grelot 193 and it has a French point, I thought 193's were round points is this a super rare razor" :)

You have made a nice job of it regardless

Mike
It is your razor and your face.

But Ed brings up a good point about the future. Some might think it had a chip or crack.

You did do a great job.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by bongo

Looks a bit "spikey" now, but if you're happy and it gets a lot more use then it was worth it :)

---

I do prefer spikes. One of my favorite razors is a Wacker Chevalier (extraordinary shaver) and this influenced the shape.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by edhewitt

In a century or so someone will say "I have a le grelot 193 and it has a French point, I thought 193's were round points is this a super rare razor" :)

---

That's the best part! Giving to the future a little bit of what has been left to us from the past... Helping to keep a tradition alive by contributing to the confusion and disinformation that will be experienced by future generations of collectors :)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by rolodave

Mike
It is your razor and your face.

But Ed brings up a good point about the future. Some might think it had a chip or crack.

You did do a great job.

---

Dave, hopefully should that thought cross someones mind, the immediate subsequent thought would be "the fragile cutting edge is full length, its the robust spine thats short. This flies in the face of God, this must be deliberate". Regardless, I've always intended to keep this one, so I'll put the razor's details in the estate to avoid confusing my heirs ;)

I do like the look of the French points also

Wise choice. It was doing no good the way it was if you did not use it. But now you enjoy the razor. It's a win/win to me.

I have a blade with some heavy pitting on the spine at the point that I have marked with a sharpie to French also in the pile of workshop line up

Nice, one of those deals like the old intro to Wide World Of Sports, if you're old enough to remember it. "The thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat." In this case it is the thrill of victory ....... :)

Super nice job, I think it looks great...like you, I despise round points, prefer spikes, but I'm an ABRP razor guy....Anything But Round Points.....;)

And Ed....excellent, you had me....:roflmao with that one...super rare indeed! Ha! ;)

Nice job on the regrind. I have a leDandy that I may do the same to, for the same reasons. Only difference is I will be calling it an Irish Point :)
Round nose razors are my least used as well. If you have a 'stache, or ears, they are less easy to trim accurately with, to me.
And thanks for the memory on the old WWS reference Jimmy. Wonder how old that poor fella that wiped out on the ski jump is, and if he ever lived down that notoriety..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MikeB52

Only difference is I will be calling it an Irish Point :)

---

I too prefer Irish point (paying tribute to my heritage) but some folks look at you funny when you say Irish point...:chapeau :beer2:

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Nice, one of those deals like the old intro to Wide World Of Sports, if you're old enough to remember it. "The thrill of victory, or the agony of defeat." In this case it is the thrill of victory ....... :)

---

Ah, Jim McKay...I remember as a kid seeing WWS coming on Saturday afternoon and being like "Please God let it not be tennis or golf". If a kid was real lucky, Evil Knivel was jumping something...

I wished I could do that because I have a lot of round points that I would really like better to be a French or square point. Nice job!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by entropy1049

I too prefer Irish point (paying tribute to my heritage) but some folks look at you funny when you say Irish point...:chapeau :beer2:

---

I wouldn't laugh at you, my family emigrated to Canada from England and settled here just after the Battle of the Plains of Abraham, and I have mostly English but also a good helping of Irish and a smattering of Scottish in me as well, so you can imagine the inner turmoil raging inside my head! :D

RAD for me is the Irish yearning for more, more, more, the Scottish screaming, "Not one more penny for another razor", and the English aspect just shaking it's head at both of us in utter and complete disdain.:o

Phrank, my Cardinal, you do realize the virtue of having a tri-part personality? One major advantage is being able to win any argument with yourself with just a small emphasis on any of the three heritages. Another is being able to confuse anyone that is trying to tie you down to one set of culture traits. Nothing confuses the "I know better than you" types than ambiguity and the slyness involved. I would imagine that this is where the Chaos theory was first developed (please note that I have no scientific background whatsoever.)

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Phrank

...RAD for me is the Irish yearning for more, more, more, the Scottish screaming, "Not one more penny for another razor", and the English aspect just shaking it's head at both of us in utter and complete disdain.:o

---

:rofl2: Brilliant! I did have an Irish grandfather married to a Scottish grandmother. To be a fly on the wall...

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by entropy1049

:rofl2: Brilliant! I did have an Irish grandfather married to a Scottish grandmother. To be a fly on the wall...

---

LOL - yup, Grandfather Urquart and Grandmother Mcguire on one side, and the pure English on the other side, or "the peasants" as they were referred to often, or, "those people". "Lock the liquor cabinet" was a frequent exclamation as well as, "Hide the dustbin, the Scotsman's coming over...!"

All good fun....:rock:

My kids are screwed
I have a Irish / Swedish mother adopted & raised by a staunch English couple
My father is French, Italian, Cornish & god knows what else as we are sure there is Egyptian in the lines also some where back
Then to add to the mix the bride has a Chinese & Irish Mother & a Swedish, Irish & Scottish Father

so my kids can claim a link to most continents, so they are definitely "Australians" then LOL

This thread is getting off topic but I like it because it only proves what I've been thinking for quite a few years. The fact, that despite all the racists and their rantings, we are one race - human. And to define it into separate parts and segments is to show an individual's non-ability to accept the world around them, let alone their insecurities as to them selves. There is no superior race. But there are superior people, made so by their personal drive and intelligence. And even there, there is no defining by any so called race or any other method of determination as to the so called differences between people.

I'm trying to understand this disdain for round points. Is it aesthetic?
Of the dozen friends that shave with straight razors, we all for the most part agree on a few things:
Sharp square points and definitely spikes are more accurate when cutting fine lines, but more likely to get cut by that sharp point. You can't get that close to the ear anyway with a spike, so I don't see much difference except that I've cut by my ear more often with sharp tips. But once one gets use to it its fine.
Most newbies I introduce to SR shaving I suggest round points to start and that seems to prevent more cuts.
We mostly agree that French points and similar are the best looking. Round tips are boring yet easier daily shavers, and square points are not that much better in the looks department.
I like this one you altered yet I'd rather it be less spiky as far as the shave goes.
So a lot of it must be personal preference, but I'm wondering all the reasons that some of you not only don't use them, but actually really "dislike" them...?
They don't bug me, I've got several in the shave line up. Easy shavers. But also like to shave with others. That's why I'm just curious.. :)

Aesthetics are tied to value, perceived or actual IMO. I love the lines of a 67 mustang, but that's also partly because the 289 is a powerful engine inside it. The AMC pacer,, not so much, and it's not so super 6 powerplant is part of that lack luster memory.
So to equate the same to razordom, I personally do not like the round point look at the razors tip partly because it does not work around the ear and 'stache. The look of an Irish, or spanish, barber, or spike are all cool, and practical.
Can't really describe it better than that. Yes they all nick the ear if I am careless, but it's not their fault for doing so.
I agree round point for new shavers, and pacers are fine for new drivers, or I guess KIA these days. But until you can handle a V8, you shouldn't drive one.
Cheers.

Well put! I can drive a V8 spike point now days, but an economy blade gets me by with low insurance and gas money. My high end V8 and V10 favorite bad ass blades I take out on special occasions. I've even got a V12 monster but don't have a beard to mow down (imagine a monster truck going over those little cars...). The curves that I navigate don't find the way around a beard so precision is not really that necessary.
There are so many really great German blades out there (round points) for really good deals, so it just seems smart to buy them up. But if everybody thought that way.... no more German blades at low prices.... :D

I enjoy all types of points myself, but I think you did good with that. It actually looks better now.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by entropy1049

Ah, Jim McKay...I remember as a kid seeing WWS coming on Saturday afternoon and being like "Please God let it not be tennis or golf". If a kid was real lucky, Evil Knivel was jumping something...

---

Remeber the skier wiping out over the jump. ;)

Great job on the new point.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by MikeT

I'm trying to understand this disdain for round points. Is it aesthetic?

---

For me, it comes down to detail work. I actually cut myself much more frequently with round points in attempting the detail work that I can do with ease with a French/Irish point. So it's a matter of survival...:p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by entropy1049

For me, it comes down to detail work. I actually cut myself much more frequently with round points in attempting the detail work that I can do with ease with a French/Irish point. So it's a matter of survival...:p

---

I suppose that makes sense...In a way! :rofl2:

Is it me or is this thread "pointless":rofl2:

I like the sweeping lines of a shoulderless French point razor as well. For the aesthetics as much for their versatility.