Bit unusual York razor

[mycarver]

Got this years ago.
May be a bit unusual as the face has no shoulders and is very gently hollow ground. Nearly flat , almost wedge like. The back is ground with a spine, hollow and has a stabilizer/ shoulder.
Most seem to think it’s a microtome. A razor used for slicing medical samples.
I really don’t know.
But since it has that kamisori vibe I decided to carve scales to reflect a samurai sword handle. Granted , the black areas ( done for depth)
Should be white as rayskin would be but the black looked better. For “bolsters” I covered the ends ( single pin ) with 23k gold. And carved what would be the cord wrapping with the traditional twist.
You can see the end shot how much the blade is skewed.
A bit kitchy but I had fun making it.
Shaves wonderfully!

 

[cotedupy]

Well the handle is fantastic work obviously, especially the carving of the 'wrapping'. Some of the stuff you can do is just staggering!

But the razor is certainly interesting too isn't it. Perhaps it was a microtome, but one that was at some point modded or reground slightly for use as a shaving razor(?). It doesn't seem to now quite have quite the level of exclusively 'single bevel' geometry of old microtomes. Though I think it is also possible it was intended for shaving originally...

I assume this is York as in the UK, i.e. the city reasonably close to Sheffield but about half the size?

Even apart from microtomes, it still shouldn't be assumed that Japan was the only country that historically knew about the advantages of asymmetric but double bevel blade grinds. Old Sheffield, Thiers, and Solingen chef's knives often have slight RH bias to the grinds in exactly the same way that fancy gyuto do nowadays. I don't see any reason why the same cutlers wouldn't have thought to extend that to their razor production. Especially in a society where at the time many people would have been shaved by someone else, who would only have been using their right hand to do it...

(That's just a hunch I have anyway!)

 

[mycarver]

Thanks for the kind words!
I’m basically going on the consensus from when I first got it.
I’m still up in the air as to what it is supposed to be.
Some research states microtomes could be anywhere from nearly flat to quite hollow ground.
So I really don’t know. What I do know is it’s just cool. I like it. That’s about all I need to know.

 

[cotedupy]

it’s just cool. I like it. That’s about all I need to know.

Even if this this isn’t an intentional Keats reference I’m still going to doff my cap!

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

 

[mycarver]

Even if this this isn’t an intentional Keats reference I’m still going to doff my cap!

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

Ahhhh. Yes!
Thank you for that.
I love answers but sometimes not knowing leads to a greater sense of wonder. I’m good with that.

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Very nice, I was looking at it then had to look again after being reminded its carved, not wrapped, well done.

now .... have you given any consideration to it just being a plain old corn razor? I have this fantastic 3/8 curved blade that i said was a 'moustache' razor, must be rarer than unicorn snot, worth a mint, never seen another, etc. but in reality it is 99% corn razor! The one side lends itself to right had use, always cutting from one side?

I've seen a boxed Wilkinson Sword medical meat slicer, it was a blade only no scales no tang in a fitted timber box with sharpening dates all written on it, I imagine the pathology department would not be able to sharpen they own wit, let alone a medical meat slicer. Again this item did not follow me home, my arms could not reach that deep in my pockets.

 

[mycarver]

Even if this this isn’t an intentional Keats reference I’m still going to doff my cap!

“Beauty is truth, truth beauty” - that is all
Ye know on earth, and all ye need to know.

Ahhhh. Yes!
Thank you for that.

Very nice, I was looking at it then had to look again after being reminded its carved, not wrapped, well done.

now .... have you given any consideration to it just being a plain old corn razor? I have this fantastic 3/8 curved blade that i said was a 'moustache' razor, must be rarer than unicorn snot, worth a mint, never seen another, etc. but in reality it is 99% corn razor! The one side lends itself to right had use, always cutting from one side?

I've seen a boxed Wilkinson Sword medical meat slicer, it was a blade only no scales no tang in a fitted timber box with sharpening dates all written on it, I imagine the pathology department would not be able to sharpen they own wit, let alone a medical meat slicer. Again this item did not follow me home, my arms could not reach that deep in my pockets.

oh ! Please post a pick if you can. I have corn razors, 3/4 scale razors and silly razors called corn razors. I’d really like to see what you have .
This I believe is too large to be a “corn” razor.
I could be totally wrong.
Please post. I would love to see whatever you have.

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Too large? I have a personal opinion <?? you say too large, I say if it is 1850, or near enough, blades were big, rough and tough, no one can make a blade that thin, hold an edge and not break cutting dead hard skin, until someone did do it?

I have a HUGE collection of three, after determining the first one is just that, 25 years later i've acquired two more

just for novelty value size wise.

 

[mycarver]

You want to see my entire collection ? Or corn type razors? Or a corn razor I think is too large?

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Hell no !!

well ..... maybe?
but as i collected everything right down to false teeth and artificial limbs up until about 7 years ago ... nothing shocks me

 

[thp001]

Well the handle is fantastic work obviously, especially the carving of the 'wrapping'. Some of the stuff you can do is just staggering!

But the razor is certainly interesting too isn't it. Perhaps it was a microtome, but one that was at some point modded or reground slightly for use as a shaving razor(?). It doesn't seem to now quite have quite the level of exclusively 'single bevel' geometry of old microtomes. Though I think it is also possible it was intended for shaving originally...

I assume this is York as in the UK, i.e. the city reasonably close to Sheffield but about half the size?

Even apart from microtomes, it still shouldn't be assumed that Japan was the only country that historically knew about the advantages of asymmetric but double bevel blade grinds. Old Sheffield, Thiers, and Solingen chef's knives often have slight RH bias to the grinds in exactly the same way that fancy gyuto do nowadays. I don't see any reason why the same cutlers wouldn't have thought to extend that to their razor production. Especially in a society where at the time many people would have been shaved by someone else, who would only have been using their right hand to do it...

(That's just a hunch I have anyway!)

I don’t think asymmetric grinds were ever a purposeful thing on Western cutlery, just simply the fact that if you’re grinding freehand you’re always stronger and more controlled on one side of the blade than the other. Asymmetric grinds can work for certain use cases but are not ideal for any general purpose cutting, especially offhand but also in industry and have some constraints due to the physics of cutting, one example being higher force required to cut compared to an equivalent symmetrical grind blade when stock thickness, bevel angle, etc. are held constant.

 

[mycarver]

Yeah, this happened by accident. Because someone can grind the face better than the back side.The same way Kami’s were made.
They were stronger cutting one side of the blade and weak cutting the other ……those orientals were so inept.
Hence, according to you, they were not the same on each side.

Sure. OK.
Guys that make custom razors , knives , swords never can make both sides look the same.
Throughout history all blades of any sort were not the same. Face vs. back. Ahhh.
Yup. If you say so.
Really, is there anyone else that believes this? Just wow!

 

[cotedupy]

I don’t think asymmetric grinds were ever a purposeful thing on Western cutlery, just simply the fact that if you’re grinding freehand you’re always stronger and more controlled on one side of the blade than the other. Asymmetric grinds can work for certain use cases but are not ideal for any general purpose cutting, especially offhand but also in industry and have some constraints due to the physics of cutting, one example being higher force required to cut compared to an equivalent symmetrical grind blade when stock thickness, bevel angle, etc. are held constant.

Look at old Sabs in particular. They often have intentional asymmetry.

 

[Legion]

I have one antique razor that is a bit accidentally asymmetrical and wonky. I actually think it might have been an attempt to correct a quenching warp, where it should have just been discarded into the monday morning mistake pile.

I reckon the OP razor is a microtome.

 

[mycarver]

I have one antique razor that is a bit accidentally asymmetrical and wonky. I actually think it might have been an attempt to correct a quenching warp, where it should have just been discarded into the monday morning mistake pile.

I reckon the OP razor is a microtome.

Thank you. Always a voice of reason. Refreshing and sensible.