The Talking Machine Forum — For All Antique Phonographs & Recordings

Hi forum-

Thomas Edison National Historical Park has a refurbished Edison wax cylinder shaver that we use to prepare cylinders for phonograph recording demonstrations. Its shaving knife has become worn, so I'm looking to find a good-condition replacement knife. The machine is a circa 1941 "Edison Utility Shaver", serial # nq S40487, patent 1721913.

Any suggestions?

Thanks,
Jerry Fabris, Museum Curator
Thomas Edison National Historical Park
National Park Service
United States Department of the Interior
211 Main Street
West Orange, New Jersey 07052
tel: (973) 736-0550, ext. 48
fax: (973) 243-7172

Is it a sapphire blade? I managed to get a replacement shaver blade for my Home (at a very reasonable price), by going to a local gem shop with the holder & some specifications....

Bill

Lucius1958 wrote:Is it a sapphire blade? I managed to get a replacement shaver blade for my Home (at a very reasonable price), by going to a local gem shop with the holder & some specifications....
Bill

Yes, I believe it's sapphire. What specifications did you have?

Thanks,
Jerry

the thing i would reccomend would be to either buy a shaver for parts or buy another shaver, i imagine it would be the cheaper option, to get a new piece of saphire cut to the exact dimensions and specs of the original would (i imagine) not be cheap and a entire shaver should be cheaper, i got mine for £35($55)!

Jerry Fabris wrote:

Lucius1958 wrote:Is it a sapphire blade? I managed to get a replacement shaver blade for my Home (at a very reasonable price), by going to a local gem shop with the holder & some specifications....
Bill

Yes, I believe it's sapphire. What specifications did you have?

Thanks,
Jerry

Basically, I gave them the holder, and asked them to cut a sapphire to fit it, with maybe 1/16" protruding, and about a 60 degree bevel to the blade....

If you have the original sapphire, you can us that as a reference.

Bill

Hi

If you still have the original blade it can be sharpened, I sharpened mine by making a jig to hold it at the correct angle and used a Ultra fine ceramic sharpening stone, it now shaves perfectly.

Regards Marcel

Marcel, that is good news, I will have to get one, and try it, though my shaving knife is good for now. There is a place that can have these things made new too, and maybe someday soon is a good time to have new shaving knives made. My shaver is from 1907 and I have used it thousands of times, over the last 8 years, it is used on a daily basis, and the new blank cylinders require a lot more shaving than my old ones, to get to standard Edison size, as they are Ediphone size when they come out of the mold, and what you get in the end is a very quiet blank. I had a local jeweler sharpen a recording point and it worked.