Thread: A completely fabricated story....

Sgt. Schuyler Murden had finished his stint in the US Army's 51st New York Division in 1866 and moved back to his home town in New York.



After returning to New York, he had received word that his young family had died of Typhoid fever during the war. After receiving his back pay, he had barely enough to get to San Francisco and to buy a new Wade & Butcher wedge before he left. By 1895, he had established himself as a haberdasher of some note and as part of upgrading his lifestyle, he traded me in for a newer model.

Later that year, my second owner, another young man of ill means purchased me. I stayed with him for a bit until he had joined the Army as a means of feeding himself. By 1898, we found ourselves on a steamer headed out of San Francisco for the small island nation of the Philippines. The Spanish-American War had begun.



It was a tough time, but we both made it through it and in 1901, we were headed back to San Francisco. John Murdock eventually moved from San Francisco to Fresno, California to avoid the higher cost of living. He died at 50 of a farming accident and his family received his estate.

I sat in his son's office desk until the 1970's, then in a box in the garage of his grandchildren. Abused, unused, and neglected for decades, I began to show the wear and tear of decades of use and neglect. I found myself in an antique store when my fifth owner found me. Despite my condition, I went home with him and was restored to the place where I find myself today. I bear with me no less than six generations of American life and although I was born in Sheffield England, I have seen more of the world than many will ever see. I have seen life, tragedy, love, birth and death and yet I live. I am hardly immortal, yet I will live longer than anyone to read this.





Coincidentally, this razor looked about like this when I picked it up: http://straightrazorpalace.com/works...ouch-rust.html A dozen hours watching TV and sanding at 220 grit did very little for it. But, hey, it's got a good history behind it even if it is completely fabricated.

I love the story!

By the way, the knife? its a great eastern right? A north field if I am not mistaken

yep...it's a Great Eastern #73 Northfield in stag

Two comments:

One: Great story. Why would anyone use a new razor rather than a vintage one!

Two: This could be a good publishable short story if fleshed out a bit.

That is a great story. All of us wonder about the story behind these venerable old blades that we are priveledged to be the current caretakers of.
I have the twin of your blade on my workbench right now. Wonder if they might have travelled together at some time.
Last but not least - can I be your literary agent when you write the next best seller?