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Thread: Old Marsden
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08-13-2015, 12:08 AM #11
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The Following User Says Thank You to sharptonn For This Useful Post:
cheetahmeatpheonix (06-26-2019)
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08-13-2015, 12:10 AM #12
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08-13-2015, 12:14 AM #13"Don't be stubborn. You are missing out."
I rest my case.
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08-13-2015, 12:26 AM #14
Now That my friend is the Epitome of a restoration!!
Absolutely stunning job bringing back a little piece of the past. Awesome job and thanks for posting your procedures! May give me the confidence to attempt a few scale repairs myself!
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The Following User Says Thank You to NewellVW For This Useful Post:
sharptonn (08-13-2015)
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08-13-2015, 12:47 AM #15
Beautiful save there Tom
Great work retaining as much original materials as possible
I haven't tried to use Epoxy to join a complete section of horn only filling bug bites this is definitely an inspiration
thanks for sharingSaved,
to shave another day.
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The Following User Says Thank You to Substance For This Useful Post:
sharptonn (08-13-2015)
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08-13-2015, 03:00 AM #16
The problem with researching Marsdens is that there were just SO DAMN MANY of them. But I've suffered in the pits of parsimonious given names so y'all don't have to.
To cut to the chase, our man Marsden, in this case, is George Marsden of 21 Meadow Street.
Getting more precise is problematic.
Baine's Directory, published in 1823 lists G. Marsden, razor manufacturer at 21 Meadow Street. Unfortunately, I don't have my books unpacked yet so I can't compare that against the dates for James Barlow. Geoffrey Tweedale turned up a goodly amount on Barlow, and that's pertinent because A) Barlow took over the works at that street address and B), he made this (which I'd get better pictures of if I had all my razors with me at the moment):
And yep, it's etched Magnum Bonum on the top of the spine.
So. George Marsden. The apprentice registries aren't really any help, since there are six George Marsdens within a 15 year span all apprenticed in the right branches of the trade to have ended up manufacturing razors in the right timeframe (roughly 1808-1820ish).
The trade directories aren't any help because there's only a single listing dated 1823.
Unfortunately, the busy Mr. Marsden is probably going to remain an unknown other than his first name.
More fruitful are the scales, which are almost certainly original to the blade. I've seen a lot of Marsden and allied styles in pressed horn like that.
If you look very carefully all over the scales you might find the name of the scale manufacturer. These old pressed horn scales are a major fascination for me because they're traceable. This is the last lot of them I got:
Names I know:
Broadwell
Morton
Wilson
Woofindin (there's a fair bit on this clan, as they founded an important charity)
Everything I have on the figural scale pressers is pure guesswork. There's not any real record of these sorts of scales, Geoffrey Tweedale hadn't ever seen anything like them. The pressers themselves were relatively well known as a kind of OEM manufacturer (think ACDelco or Foxconn a company that manufactures the parts that other companies use to build stuff), but I've never seen a plausible explanation for where these fancy scales came from.
My best guess is that they sold by the scale manufacturers and not the blade makers. A lot of them are generic (IE: Warranted, Refined Steel, Silver Steel, etc -- no 'brand' name), but not all by any means. The scales come in a wide variety of quality too, and some were clearly knock-offs of better work.
Broadwell, Morton, and Wilson marks will be pretty easy to find, though Wilson's could be well hidden. Early Woofindin stuff is astoundingly close to invisible.
At the bottom of the design, there's a basket. On the left side, just below it you can make out a scratchy VW. That's the initials of Verdon Woofindin who most likely cut the die used to press these scales. I've seen at least one other Woofindin initial (I, if my memory's working right, which I'm not sure it is).-Zak Jarvis. Writer. Artist. Bon vivant.
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08-13-2015, 03:00 AM #17
I truly appreciate that. Horn is unique in this area, IMO.
Thanks, Mate!
I have been quite successful with it, Rules as follows.:
Wash, scrub it, at least a week to dry.
Apply epoxy, at least a week to cure. Adding another week before saturating with neetsfoot.
Not for those who rush!"Don't be stubborn. You are missing out."
I rest my case.
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The Following User Says Thank You to sharptonn For This Useful Post:
Substance (08-13-2015)
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08-13-2015, 03:07 AM #18"Don't be stubborn. You are missing out."
I rest my case.
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to sharptonn For This Useful Post:
cheetahmeatpheonix (06-26-2019), Voidmonster (08-13-2015)
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08-13-2015, 05:09 AM #19
Awesome research Zak love reading your stuff
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The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to nicknbleeding For This Useful Post:
sharptonn (08-13-2015), Voidmonster (08-13-2015)
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08-13-2015, 05:53 AM #20
WOW Sharptonn !!....This razor (and your restoration work) really speaks of some fascinating history
Will we see this in a SOTD ?http://straightrazorplace.com/workshop/18504-welcome-workshop-how-do-i-where-do-i-what-do-i-answers-here.html
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sharptonn (08-13-2015)