Drawn a blank...

I often hear the term 'blank' referred to in discussions about straight razors and their manufacture. Can anyone tell me what exactly a blank is, please?

Thanks

The blank is a piece of steel in the shape of the finished razor before it is ground and tempered. User BillEllis has a thread in the straight razor section with pictures of his manufacturing process here: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php?t=53879.

Thanks! That's absolutely fascinating.

Alan