1911 Encyclopædia Britannica/Razor

RAZOR (O.F. rasor, mod. rasoir, from raser, to scrape, rase, Late Lat. rasare, frequentative of radere, to scrape), a sharp-edged cutting instrument, used for shaving the hair and beard. The typical razor consists of a blade, usually curving slightly backward, folding into a handle, to which it is fastened by a tang and rivet. The back of the blade is thick and the sides are hollowed or slope to the fine edge (see Cutlery). In modern times various forms of safety-razor have been invented, in which the blade fits into a fixed handle with a toothed or comb-like shield which protects the face from cutting.