Singing Razors

[Bogie]

I haven't seen much conversation in years about singing razors. Do you have one? The grinds are fine enough you hear the blade cutting whiskers. This Engels razor isn't particularly special, expensive or rare. It does however, 'sing' when you shave with it.

 

[drmoss_ca]

My take on them is that the twanging of the blade with each hair being cut represents the blade edge deforming slightly and springing back into place with a characteristic sound. I suspect the local bending of the edge allows it to irritate the skin momentarily after it cuts through the hair and the gouge-like deformation drags over the skin adjacent to the follicle before straightening itself. All of which is to say I find such razors more prone to irritation than thicker grinds. The silent shave of a quarter hollow is my ideal.
But there are many ways to shave and if you prefer these extra hollow razors, more power to you!

 

[Bogie]

Not a preference. Just an observation and a recollection of the topic being discussed a number of years ago. Most of the blades I have are 1/2 hollow or wedges. They just mow down the whiskers. I've had a few Dubl Duck razors that also 'sing'. As far as irritation, none. I'm not sure my whiskers are stiff enough to bend any edges and suspect the singing is nothing more than a fine hollow ground edge.

 

[Bogie]

From another straight shaver... Interesting.
Indeed - this is one of the most challenging parts in grinding a razor. Most important here is grinding the hollow to a maximum point. But you must keep in mind the following steps, means what we call "Pliesten" -rough polishing with wheels glued with emery and final polishing. Especially the rough polishing takes away material. So the sound after grinding is not the final sound. And if you go one step too far - its over. Means the razor than becomes a somehow tinny sound. Solingen razor grinders call this "klatschen" - clapping.To find the right thickness of the hollow during grinding takes you years in experience.

Second the the form and thickness of the belly is an important criteria for the sound. If the belly isn't rounded well to a thin, perfect convex form all the way down to the edge, the sound isn't clear.

Werner Breidenbach is absolutely perfect in making singing razors. At his time for Paul Drees he worked mostly for the italien market. And the whoelsalers in Italy often put a tuning fork to their orders. The fork was tuned in "f" and all razors had to sound in this tone....
Only a very small number of razor grinders had been able to make those razors, number for number in thousands of pieces.

Stay sharp
Peter

 

[RHensley]

My take on them is that the twanging of the blade with each hair being cut represents the blade edge deforming slightly and springing back into place with a characteristic sound. I suspect the local bending of the edge allows it to irritate the skin momentarily after it cuts through the hair and the gouge-like deformation drags over the skin adjacent to the follicle before straightening itself. All of which is to say I find such razors more prone to irritation than thicker grinds. The silent shave of a quarter hollow is my ideal.
But there are many ways to shave and if you prefer these extra hollow razors, more power to you!

Like you I prefer for a blade to remove the beard with no sound or tug and especially no color (red).

 

[RHensley]

One more thing I've noticed about these singing blades. when the angle is perfect then there is very little noise and the blade doesn't skip around. I've always said the heavy blades (wedges near wegdes 1/4 and 1/2 hollow) blades are to me easier to use especially for new guys to this sport. Now this is just my opinion and we all know about opinions

 

[neiasden]

Not a preference. Just an observation and a recollection of the topic being discussed a number of years ago. Most of the blades I have are 1/2 hollow or wedges. They just mow down the whiskers. I've had a few Dubl Duck razors that also 'sing'. As far as irritation, none. I'm not sure my whiskers are stiff enough to bend any edges and suspect the singing is nothing more than a fine hollow ground edge.

this is the first I've heard of singing razors. I have heard of singing cowboys LOL I will have to look into this. but I generally don't shave with them I just like collecting and working on them, or learning to work on them that is. but I would be interested to see what the singing is?

 

[RHensley]

The sounds they make when stropping is all guess. They are the extra hollow ground razors. For me if the angle to the face is not perfect they can skip jump and leave color to the face. Usually red

 

[Bogie]

For what it is worth.... Singing razors refer to the sound they make as you mow down the whiskers. The edge is fine enough that you hear the feedback when shaving. Nothing magic, just an indication of a thinner edge properly honed.

 

[RHensley]

For what it is worth.... Singing razors refer to the sound they make as you mow down the whiskers. The edge is fine enough that you hear the feedback when shaving. Nothing magic, just an indication of a thinner edge properly honed.

Thanks. There for a while I was thinking Elvis was in the building