has been discontinued, though fossil ivory, such as mammoth, is still sometimes used, and antique razors with ivory scales are occasionally found (it is illegal to kill elephants for their ivory, but it is legal to buy an ivory-handled razor made before 1989). Blade geometry and characteristics The geometry of the blade can be categorised according to three factors: the blade width and weight, the shape of the profile of the point of the razor, and the type of grinding method used for the blade (as grinding method determines the degree of and therefore hollowness, or of the sides of the cross section of the blade). Point types Straight razors are, at first, categorised according to their blade profiles, from the head of the spine to the blade toe, based on their point, or nose, type. The following are the main types of blade profiles called points, or nose shapes: Square, spike or sharp point, so-called because the blade profile is straight and terminates at a very sharp point at the toe, perpendicular to the cutting edge of the razor. This type of blade is used for precise shaving in small areas but, at the risk of pinching the skin, it requires some experience in handling. Spike point differs from square point as the angle at the edge of the blade is less than 90 degrees. resulting in a blade profile which appears slanted backwards at the toe. The spike end point of the profile at the toe may be ground by the user to make it rounder, but that may indicate a lack of skill in handling the razor. Barber's notch. The Barber's notch point features a large rounded tip at the toe of the blade followed by a short concave and rounded arch, while its upper edge at the head of the spine is rounded and smaller in size than the curve at the toe. The upper, rounded, edge of Barber's notch was designed to aid in pulling the blade from the scales. Barber's notch is essentially a round-nose blade profile with a concave arch (notch) on its upper part to aid in lifting the blade from the scales. Round point (or Dutch). As the name implies the point profile is symmetrically curved from head to toe in a circular arc shape and therefore it lacks any sharp end points. As such it is a more forgiving blade