patch knife

[Rifleman1776]

I hear their hard to find now, and the real old ones are the best. Better steel.

Beaver T

Antique shops and flea markets are full of straight razors. No shortage at all.

 

[Grumpa]

I always heard that, for the closest shave, the Solingen steel was the best razor; use the Birmingham made for the patch knife. :grin:

 

[pfemackie]

Funny to see this post. I've been using an old straight razor as a patch knife for years! I didn't do anything to it - it's just an old razor that holds an edge and works well. I have trimmed my finger tips with it a few times using it this way though...

 

[Rick Boylan]

One thing to note about straight razors though, they have a very fragile blade. They can easily be dulled and/or damaged by using them like a knife. If you use it as a knife it will not stay razor sharp, but it will be sharp enough to keep using it as a knife, just don't try to shave with it. The edge of the blade is so thin that it will fold over and become dull. Sometimes the blade is so thin that it can develop cracks by using them as a knife.

 

[Crewdawg445]

On the topic of patch knives I have and use a very nice small trade knife that I've gotten sharp enough to split hairs, also sometimes use my opinel knife depending upon my mood of the day.