Thread: A set of Foreign razors

Originally Posted by gugi

Well, if he has been on the other side of Dover for 30 years, I don't think you should be calling him 'English'

Good point. He'll love that. Especially if I tell him that he's practically the same to the English as the French are now. (He's lived in the states for probably 20+ years, but did a stint in South Africa when he first left the UK).

I doubt disdain for the French probably exists there today as he seems to remember it. Calling him non-English may get a small reaction, but calling him "practically the same as a Frenchman" will definitely trigger a lot of profanity.

Originally Posted by DaveW

Good point. He'll love that. Especially if I tell him that he's practically the same to the English as the French are now. (He's lived in the states for probably 20+ years, but did a stint in South Africa when he first left the UK).

I doubt disdain for the French probably exists there today as he seems to remember it. Calling him non-English may get a small reaction, but calling him "practically the same as a Frenchman" will definitely trigger a lot of profanity.

Fair enough! but you are probably wrong about the 'disdain' part, though. I bet your pal also used to say 'If it doesn't swim up the Thames, I don't eat it' about fish!

Practically a generation ago, chauvinism and racism were endemic over here. Some of the older ones that are still about from that time are still like it - most look on it as a charming eccentricity now, however. I remember the 1970s, for instance, as a good time, men were men, women looked like proper women and all that, but I bet it was hateful for a lot of people.

Me - well I guess I am still a chauvinist pig, but I don't care. I'm in a minority and the European Court of Human Rights should treasure me, I'm a dying species...

Regards,
Neil

Definitely odd indeed, but an excellent find for sure.

AS an aside, Trumpers has been about since 1875. The postal address or code on the box the razors came in is W1. Postcode reform in the 1840s, made into law in 1858, generated postcodes with just letter, like 'W' for the west area and 'WC' for west central. This aided sorting of mail, allowing sub post offices to sort rather than one large regional sorting office.

This lasted until 1917 - during WW1 - at which point the system was further simplified by adding a number, like the 'W1' on this razor box. The system was simplified again in 1959 by using three characters, and again in 1960.

So this razor set dates from 1917 at the earliest to 1959 at the latest. Knowing what we do about the 'Foreign' mark we can rule out all but post WW1 and the duration of and post WW2 as likely ages. My money would be on sometime after WW1.

Regards,
Neil

Once again, nice work, Neil!

I do have an english friend (who hasn't lived in england in 30 years or so now) who did say that in his youth, there was english, and everything else began at dover and wasn't english.

Yep, and there was a time (long before the "Tunnel") when a UK newspaper posted a headline "Fog in Channel - Continent Cut Off" after ferry crossings had temporarily been suspended due to fog.


The poor chappies on the Continent must have been relieved that they didn't drift away and got lost after being cut off...