Schwing

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I've watched "Inglourious Basterds" [sic] and was rather unimpressed with the scene where that guy is allegedly sharpening/honing his knife against some kind of strop - he seems to be doing his best to blunt it rather than sharpen it. (It's a minor criticism - I thought it was a great film, and a much deserved Oscar for Christoph Waltz.)

The sound the blade makes is a rather theatrical schwing with each stroke. It got me thinking. The sound I get from a straight when I'm stropping it is like a lighter, quieter version of that schwing. Paranoia set it. Am I doing it wrong? Should I get no sound at all?

Tell me tell me.
 
I think that there is always a sound of some sort, depending on the type of strop and how vigourously you strop the razor. Soft leathers make a sort of quiet, muffled noise to my ears, harder ones a more sibilant 'whish' noise. The cotton side of the strop really makes a noise!

Regards,
Neil.
 
I'd only used shallow ground wedgy type razors till very recently, but then I got that Dovo full hollow. It makes much more noise on the strop and when shaving. Presumably the "prima klang" and singing types would be louder still: Neil?
 
Arrowhead said:
I'd only used shallow ground wedgy type razors till very recently, but then I got that Dovo full hollow. It makes much more noise on the strop and when shaving. Presumably the "prima klang" and singing types would be louder still: Neil?

Thats an interesting point - the increase in noise is probably the result of the thinner blade generating more resonance than a solid, rigid wedge. Hollow ground blades are noted for the noise they make while shaving and stropping, as you remarked.

Why blades are called "singing" is debatable, but most people tend to agree that it comes from the fact that the blade "sings" while stropping. Some say it can be 'plucked' due to its extreme thinness to produce a ringing note - but I wouldn't recommend trying this. My Prima Klang does make a bit more noise than my ordinary hollow ground blade, especially while shaving. Sometimes they can produce a slight ringing note as they slice through a bristle.

Blades like the Prima Klang and other singing blades aren't just hollow ground - they are extra-hollow or "double-hollow" ground, so the blade is extremely thin at the bevel end. They are more difficult to grind than usual, so only very experienced craftsmen are chosen to make them. The metal deflects very easily and can follow the contours of the face to a degree. This also makes them a bit more difficult to hone, as any undue pressure will deflect the metal and the bevel will not be in contact with the surface of the hone.

Regards,
Neil
 
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