On Straight Razors
I wanted to make a little informational post for you all because I know terminology and details can sometimes make or break a story.
I'll put it behind a cut, because it's a little long and picture-heavy.
Razor Terms -
From the Standardized Textbook of Barbering (1939 printing):
Razor parts
(Handle AKA scales)
Blade Cross-sections
Types of Points
Razors are measured in eighths of an inch, referring to the width of the blade from edge to back or spine.
Sweeney's Razors -
Sweeney has a seven day set of razors. Obviously, those used in the film are props made by the prop department, but a real Sweeney in the 19th century would likely have had blades made in Sheffield, England, which are known for their fine steel. Sweeney's film razors have a Spanish point and appear to be at least quarter hollow. See below.
Sweeney's seven day set
Six of the razors' "chased silver" scales
... bring along your chopper...
Mrs. Lovett sings that in the film, and this refers to a specific type of razor. A chopper, or meat cleaver, is typically a wedge blade that is 7/8" or 8/8" wide. One popular brand that made many "choppers" of Sheffield steel was Wade & Butcher.
... how he smiles in the light, my friend...
There actually is such a thing as a smiling blade. This is a blade with a curved edge, as seen below.
Hear it singing, Yes!
There is also a singing blade - I believe that a full hollow ground blade sings when plucked, similar to a tuning fork.
A bit of trivia: The box that a single razor comes in is called a coffin. I think you can figure out why by looking at the pic below.
Use and Care -
Of course with time, the razor is going to get dull. Between shaves, a leather (usually horsehide) strop is used to freshen up the edge of the blade. Less frequently, a honing stone is used to put an edge back on the razor. To use a hone, you do not want to just scrape the blade across the stone haphazardly and you do not want to just toss your hone (ahem) because it will break. The hone is used on a stable surface and the blade is gently passed across it in a diagonal motion, on both sides of the blade.
To use a strop, you do not want to do as Sweeney does in the film, unless you want to render your blade unusable and reduce your strop to tiny leather shavings. He's doing it backwards; you should lead with the spine not the edge, as illustrated below.
This picture also shows the open position of the blade when shaving.
Sharp! -
Finally, I'd like to point out that a straight razor is "irresponsibly sharp" as my husband likes to say. They are *much* sharper than the Lady Schick you use. They are so sharp that they can inflict tiny cuts that do not bleed until hours after the shave. It irks me when he holds it to Mrs. Lovett's throat in the film and you can even see where it was pressing in. This is *not* possible without bloodshed with a real razor - any amount of side-to-side movement would produce a cut. An ideally sharp razor can cut a hanging hair with no force behind it other than gravity.
Because they are so sharp, the edge is very delicate. It also bothers me to see Sweeney brandishing them carelessly because accidentally hitting the edge against something hard could chip or otherwise ruin the blade.
I hope you found this educational!
I'll put it behind a cut, because it's a little long and picture-heavy.
Razor Terms -
From the Standardized Textbook of Barbering (1939 printing):
Razor parts
(Handle AKA scales)
Blade Cross-sections
Types of Points
Razors are measured in eighths of an inch, referring to the width of the blade from edge to back or spine.
Sweeney's Razors -
Sweeney has a seven day set of razors. Obviously, those used in the film are props made by the prop department, but a real Sweeney in the 19th century would likely have had blades made in Sheffield, England, which are known for their fine steel. Sweeney's film razors have a Spanish point and appear to be at least quarter hollow. See below.
Sweeney's seven day set
Six of the razors' "chased silver" scales
... bring along your chopper...
Mrs. Lovett sings that in the film, and this refers to a specific type of razor. A chopper, or meat cleaver, is typically a wedge blade that is 7/8" or 8/8" wide. One popular brand that made many "choppers" of Sheffield steel was Wade & Butcher.
... how he smiles in the light, my friend...
There actually is such a thing as a smiling blade. This is a blade with a curved edge, as seen below.
Hear it singing, Yes!
There is also a singing blade - I believe that a full hollow ground blade sings when plucked, similar to a tuning fork.
A bit of trivia: The box that a single razor comes in is called a coffin. I think you can figure out why by looking at the pic below.
Use and Care -
Of course with time, the razor is going to get dull. Between shaves, a leather (usually horsehide) strop is used to freshen up the edge of the blade. Less frequently, a honing stone is used to put an edge back on the razor. To use a hone, you do not want to just scrape the blade across the stone haphazardly and you do not want to just toss your hone (ahem) because it will break. The hone is used on a stable surface and the blade is gently passed across it in a diagonal motion, on both sides of the blade.
To use a strop, you do not want to do as Sweeney does in the film, unless you want to render your blade unusable and reduce your strop to tiny leather shavings. He's doing it backwards; you should lead with the spine not the edge, as illustrated below.
This picture also shows the open position of the blade when shaving.
Sharp! -
Finally, I'd like to point out that a straight razor is "irresponsibly sharp" as my husband likes to say. They are *much* sharper than the Lady Schick you use. They are so sharp that they can inflict tiny cuts that do not bleed until hours after the shave. It irks me when he holds it to Mrs. Lovett's throat in the film and you can even see where it was pressing in. This is *not* possible without bloodshed with a real razor - any amount of side-to-side movement would produce a cut. An ideally sharp razor can cut a hanging hair with no force behind it other than gravity.
Because they are so sharp, the edge is very delicate. It also bothers me to see Sweeney brandishing them carelessly because accidentally hitting the edge against something hard could chip or otherwise ruin the blade.
I hope you found this educational!