Thread: Take a look

Take a look http://cgi.ebay.com/White-Star-Line-...QQcmdZViewItem

Interesting

Yow, that's handsome. What do you think? Real or Fake?
I've got to say I'm a little doubtful. I think the real thing would have "My parent's nearly sunk with the Titanic and all I got was this lousy razor" inscribed on the scales.

It's this sort of history that really makes straight razor collecting interesting. Being able to place it at a certain place at a certain time - really cool.

Most of the description is speculation. I mean, he's totally guessing that these razors would have been put in first class cabins. I think the souvenir theory is a little better, though. Maybe they were produced and sold in limited quantities to the workers.

Assuming it's real, even with its history, the price seems pretty steep. There are some fanatical Titanic collectors out there, though, so the thing will definitely sell.

ok well it could go either way. They did find Truefitt and Hill products on the Titanic, that was on the discovery channel, BUT they also found razor blades on the titanic which are on display in Las Vegas. I would assume that the wealty would have used the lastest and greatest shaving methods, which probably wasnt the straight razor, but who knows. The other thing against the razor is that I would think it would say RMS Titanic on the blade, which is the ships full name (Royal Mail Ship Titanic).

However...if you notice the flag IS the white star cruise lines flag exactly, so that does say A LOT....here are some pictures as examples:

This is some china wear



Shown here is a rebate ticket:

Ok, here's why I think it has NOTHING to do with the SHIP titanic.

1) There's a man's name on the razor. it was ordered for and kept on hold for some dude who's name is partially on the bottom
2) The text layout excludes the one word from being "Ireland". The word or name the seller is trying to imply is "Ireland" would have to start grossly off centered, while the other lines of text would be perfectly centered. IF it's a genuine piece then there will have to be letters infront of the partial line that would make up what the seller is trying to say is the "I" in "Ireland" Besides this "I" on close inspection appears to be the number "1" and not the letter "I" and also in different sized font.


Why I would question the authenticity.

1) Close examination calls into question the actual printing
a. Where the "D" and what appears to be a comma would be at the end of "Ireland" appears to have had the letters removed from a tear or someone attempting to peel off the label. Yet with this the bottom of the "d" is above the tear AND the comma also, additionally the comma appears to be in perfect form. I thought this might be just coincidental partial paper removal that just looks like print but on closer inspection it's not a tear through.
b. the word "street" is running through an area that appears to have been torn and while the bottom of the last few letters should be disfigured because of this they're not.
c. the commas are not consistent with a single type writer or printing tool.
2) It could be my imagination but it appears that there are scratch marks similar to what steel wool leaves but that they run UNDER the printed text on the blade. meaning they're there but the printing isn't damaged but rather overlays it.
3) this is the absolute first I've heard about straight razors being offered in first class on the titanic.
4) The titanic was built in Belfast, in the Ulster province. The line for the city and province on the sticker has some thing that appears to be "BRIG" in it.

I would be very sceptical of it. This is only my personal opinion but at very best it appears to be only a novelty item ordered by someone else that had nothing to do with the white star shipping company.

That's just my opinion though.

Damn, Glen. Nice work. Very thoughtful.

Originally Posted by FUD

Ok, here's why I think ... just my opinion though.

Here's why it may still have something to do with the ship.

1) Perhaps it was never picked up or belonged to a sailor or one of the few men who made it away or any other number of plausible realities.
2) Inconclusive and totally speculative. We don't know the printer's intent.

Here's why we must question our assumptions.

1)a. Inconclusive
b). It is slightly torn mostly under the 't'. All tears are naturally from the edges, mostly the top indicating imperfect glueing and tearing up, mostly from replacing the coffin 'lid'.
2) Trick of the light.
3) Then we need to do research to find out what razors may have been offered to customers who may not necessarily have been passengers (poor souls).
4) The razor was made in Solingen Germany and could have been imported by a company in Brighton like many late 19th and early 20th century American razor companies.

I would applaud your scepticism, but say we need to find out more about how these razors came into being. Any good forger would have done at least this much. The easiest thing to do would be to purchase a similar White Star razor and alter it in which case all your arguments about the printing on the label are out the window.

Sure looks good enough to me.

X

To bid that much on that item is a leap of faith. Yea you could do scientific tests on the paper to date the box but you'll never validate the razor unless you have records from the company indicating they ordered so many razors for use aboard the ship or the razor manufacturer had records indicating who they supplied these razors to. Since both those things are probably beyond the realm of possibility you either believe or you don't believe.

Of course its possible some of the supply records for the ship still exist. The English keep records of everything forever so who knows.

Well, I'm not sure.

F.W. Engels was a firm owned by Emil Engels. The company ran from 1909 to
1943. They were based in New York City and imported all types of cutlery.

The razor was made in Germany.

If the razor is circa 1910 and the Titanic sank in 1912...?

I've contacted a Titanic Museum to see if they know of any razors that were gifted in this way. I'll let you know what I find out.

It's really crummy that a seller implies that this is a one of a kind item from an important time in history, based on his opinion, though he would not accept any other expert opinions that were different from his own.

Matt

Nice find Rich, anybody here have dibs?

I kind of think it's genuine, but then again I only want it to be.

Glen