Why Wedge it?

I was just curious why when straight razors were starting to become defined did they start tapering the tangs and using a wedge rather than a spacer? I was thinking it had to do with additional pressure while reducing the stresses on the pins thus reducing the chance of the pivot loosening. I know many restorers and some custom builders use straight "wedges" or make the tang parallel rather than taper. I assume this is for ease of manufacture, but why would one choose to go the traditional direction?

-G

Strength, with the modern materials it isn't quite a crucial as it once was...

The bent scales afforded more strength at a thinner level and gave a bit of clearance...
It allows the scale to flex and takes pressure form the pins keeping them from stretching and becoming loose as fast...

Using modern materials you don't have to use a wedge, but I have seen some "spacers" done by razor makers that created way more problems down the road then they thought of when the made that pretty razor...

A wedge also allows the scales to be closer together at the toe end, thus allowing the sides of the blade to contact the scales at a lower point. With a straight spacer the blade ends up sitting deeper in the scales, unless a 3rd pin is used under the tang.

My guesses as to why they started tapered tangs would be,

1) it conserved metal, it would have added up over time

2) it adds a bit of spring/set to the scales

3) it looks good

Charlie

I always thought the tapered tang and wedge were designed to work together to bow the scales and make the razor most snug while open and least snug when closed. That way if you peen for snugness with the razor closed, it will be nice and snug with the razor open. Sort of like a friction lock.

Some good points above. Could have been a ton of reasons why they originally started doing things this way. I can never find a post that I wrote a while ago (that highlighted a ton of reasons why tapered wedges are better) whenever this kind of question comes up. I always go the 'traditional' direction by tapering the wedge and tang. Why? Because it looks much better, is harder to do, and I believe it has benefits as already touched on above. Not tapering the wedge and/or tang is just a cop out if you ask me.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by HNSB

A wedge also allows the scales to be closer together at the toe end, thus allowing the sides of the blade to contact the scales at a lower point. With a straight spacer the blade ends up sitting deeper in the scales, unless a 3rd pin is used under the tang.

---

Sorry, but this isn't exactly accurate. The way the blade sits in the scales when closed has more to do with the width of the wedge/spacer at the closest point to the toe no matter what "shape" it is. I've never seen a third pin that was meant to be the only way a razor was stopped from falling through the scales. You could have a razor with a narrow but straight 'spacer' that sits the blade higher than a wider wedge. It's all in the individual razor really.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Philadelph

I've never seen a third pin that was meant to be the only way a razor was stopped from falling through the scales.

---

+1.. I haven't either.. (Unless there was a serious problem with the scales of course)