B
- Back
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See spine
- Ball peen hammer
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A hammer with a rounded had, used for peening and for restoring proper tension on loose scales.
- Barber's notch
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(also notch) That rounded cut-out at the point, does give the appearance of a “Demon Possessed Weapon of War”, but have no fear; the truth is a lot less complicated. Currently it is believed to have three main uses. 1) For Barbers, to “Mark” through the lather, the location of warts or other spots on the face to avoid, that would be otherwise be hidden under the lather covered face. 2) For Barbers, aid opening the razor with one hand by hooking the notch on the shirt pocket. 3) For Barbers, to easily trim Nasal and Ear hair with the point of the edge (this third use is debatable, but consider this, the notch does make the tip of the blade much narrower, so to reach into tight places).
- Bearings
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(also Thrust Bearings) A pair of thin brass disks used as bushings and placed between the scales and the blade, one each on either side of the tang. Though some simply call them “washers” it may be confused with the so called “washers” placed on the mushroomed end of the pins, however those on the ends of the pin are also named Lock Washers.
- Bevel
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Every working cutting tool has at least one, and a properly sharpened razor will have at least one closest to the edge on either side (in some cases, two on either side). Though we prefer them to be small (for quicker sharpening), they will inevitably grow with each sharpening, not so much on full hollow blades, but quickly to monstrous size on near wedge grind blades, of course, the size of the bevel on a true wedge can becomes the entire width of the blade.
F
- Frown, frowning edge
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When the edge of the razor is concaved towards the spine of the razor, making it appear like a frown. Opposite of a smile. Frowns should be removed before honing the razor.
- Full hollow
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Their fully hollowed sides leave the blade looking less wedge-like and more like a thin slice of steel. Their bevels are usually really small compared to wedge style razors. This makes them quick to hone.
H
- Hanging Hair Test (HHT)
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Used to assess the keeness of a razor's edge. It tests the razor's ability to cut a single hair at a distance when held between the thumb and index finger. See the Hanging Hair Test article in the Sharpening Academy for information more information. See the Edge Probing and Assessment article for more information regarding razor tests.
- Hone relief
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Nope, it’s not a vacation from honing; it’s a triangular taper, cut at the lower part of each side of the tang near the heel of the blade. As the name suggests, the cut narrows the tang in that area to avoid hitting the edge of the hone (most likely cause the hone to chip) at the start of the stroke.
J
- Jimps
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The serrations sometimes found on the bottom and/or the top of the tang. Their purpose is to provide a better grip on the razor, because things tend to get a little slippery when wet, and dropping a straight razor ain't a pretty sight. Their usefulness is subjective.
L
- Loose scales
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A condition where scales have lost their tight grip on the tang of the razor. Can usually be fixed with a ball peen hammer. In case the razor is assembled with screws instead of the more traditional pins, simple adjustment of the screw fixes the issue of loose scales.
P
- Peening
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Tapping the end of a pin with a ball peen hammer, in order to expand it. As a result the now mushroom shaped pin no longer slides trough the hole in the washer. This secures a tight fit and puts the connection under the required tension.
Recent years have seen a few Restorers and Manufactures using threaded micro fasteners in place of pins. - Pins
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(also Rivets) Items used to hold razor scales (handles) in place and provide a pivot for the blade. In case of a handle made of 2 separate scales, a second pin holds the rear end together. Occasionally, a third pin serves as a tang rest, near the shoulder of the razor. [needs a drawing]
Pins are traditionally made of Brass, Nickel Silver, Steel, or Stainless steel, a washers are placed over the end of the pin before they are peened. - Pivot
- Point
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see toe.
R
- Razor grind
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The grind of a razor refers to the hollowness, or concavity of it's sides. The grind can range from full hollow to a complete wedge, with grinds inbetween measured as fractions of a full hollow (e.g. 1/2 (half hollow), 1/4 (quarter) hollow, etc.).
- Rivets
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see pins.
S
- Scales
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The two slats that a razor folds into when not in use. Loose scales can be dangerous and are a real pain in the ass. Scales come in all shapes, sizes, and materials. Razor Diagram visual:
- Shoulder
- Smile, smiling edge
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when the edge of a razor razor has a curve that bulges outwards. The opposite of a frown [link to "frown"]. Requires special approach for sharpening, see under: "rolling X-stroke".
- Spine
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Runs the length of the blade from the point to the tang and gives the blade its strength with its volume. It is said to be the second most important part of the blade, in fact, there can be no edge without a spine. Spines come in many forms, the rounded (teardrop) being most common, others include the Diamond, Worked back (or fancy) and the ultra rare Flat back. Spines are mostly straight but a few are Arched or Curved when viewed from the face. The straight razor blades’ spine sets the angle of the edge, in fact it may be the only tool whose cutting edge is set by the width of its spine.Razor Diagram visual:
- Strop
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Used to maintain a razors cutting edge. Comes in two components: leather and cloth (which is usually refered to as linen even if it isn't really linen). Books can be written on the subject of stropping. It is recommended to do 60 laps on linen, and 60 laps on leather before each shave.
T
- Tail
- Tang
- Tension
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Force that pinches the tang in between both scale parts and keeps the blade from pivoting too loosely.
- Toe
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(also point) The tip of the razor, the end opposite of the heel. Toes comes in many different flavors. Round, Square, Spanish, French, or Notched. Razor Diagram visual:
X
- X-stroke
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The most fundamental of all honing strokes. Starting on the heal and (during the stroke) gradually moving the razor horizontally until the toe comes into contact with the hone; the back and forth strokes form an 'X' pattern. X-strokes should be used regardless of whether or not the hone is wide enough to accommodate the entire length of the razor. This ensures that the whole length of the edge comes into contact with the hone, compensating for the hone's unevenness. See the honing strokes article for graphical illustrations, and more information regarding honing strokes and their uses.