Straight Razor Anatomy

Many people people think that a straight razor is a single piece of metal that men use to shave off or trim their facial hair. Many times when I mention a straight razor to clients, they think I'm going to pull a shank out and start slicing away with a crude piece of equipment, or at most, a two piece tool, but that simply couldn't be further from the truth. A straight razor actually consists of many different parts, which will be important for you if you want to learn how to shave.

Point: This is the very frontal tip of the straight razor and what you will use to guide your shaving. This should be dull so that you do not cut yourself.

Toe: Directly underneath the point, this is the part of the razor which first will contact your skin, it is very important to keep this sharp.

Spine: The spine is the elongated, back end of your straight razor. It is dull to the touch and blunt.

Edge: This is the part of the blade which you want to keep sharp, and what will do the actual cutting. Its the front of the blade which leads all of your cutting.

Heel: This is the bottom of the frontal side of the blade. The toe is the front, the edge is the long frontal side, and the heel is the bottom.

Shank: Not like what you think it is, the shank is where the blade connects to the handle.

Tang: Part of the blade will slip out past the handle, this is called the tang.

Scales: This is the "handle". and where you will hold onto the straight razor.