Originally made in 1978, this 18k gold razor blade pendant was infamously worn by Johnny Rotten of the Sex Pistols. Designed by Dinh Van, the razor blade pendant became a classic punk icon, while also referencing Van’s memory of watching his father shave, and the simple imagery of everyday life. The rectangular pendant is nearly identical to an actual blade, with a stylized central cutout that feels totemic when worn horizontally—a nice balance to the industrial and minimalist nature of the razor’s form.
Dinh Van was a French-Vietnamese designer who began his career at Cartier in the 1950’s, working alongside the creative director Jeanne Toussaint. Van opened his own jewelry house in 1976. His work has been iconic in French jewelry and gained popularity globally in recent years. Cartier partnered with Dinh Van on some versions of the Lame de Rasoir; some contain the Cartier signature, while others, like this one, are marked with the signature of Dinh Van.
The pendant hangs from a narrow bail suspended through the razor’s cutout. The pendant is marked with Dinh Van’s maker’s mark and signature, along with the French eagle head mark for 18k gold. This style of bail, along with the capitalized letters in the signature, indicate that this pendant is the same model that is seen in the Dinh Van book by Bérénice Geoffroy-Schneiter, published in 2015, dating this piece to 2015 or earlier.
The pendant measures 1.75” x 7/8”, not including the bail. It weighs 5.4 grams.
Pictured here on our Vintage 14K Gold Wire Choker.
