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Regarding the 5 x 2.5 x .75 inch stones, are they all "Barber's Gem" stones? Did Escher produce other models in these dimensions? I thought a Escher is only a Barber's Gem if it was a Pike/Escher stone.
The box it came in was a golden yellow and just has the Escher barbershop scene on the top and no name or model type. It has the standard Escher label on the inside top of the box. I can post pics if that would help.
If anyone has any info on it I would appreciate it.
Not saying this a definitive answer... but you can infer what you like! Someone here i'm sure has the answerQuote:
Originally Posted by Matt1222
Attachment 267720
definitely post pics though!!!
Man to think of the price now!
Enjoy the day,
Benson
Escher stones came in Barber's Gem, and Barber's Delight. I see more of the latter than the former. I've only had/seen one Barber's Gem, and it was a light green according to the end label. Basically if it is an Escher it is an Escher IME, regardless of the dimensions and the packaging.
Also Schleifmittel Aktiengesellschaft as a follow up company offered stones in these sizes, they were sold on the german market but also were sold as export products....the stones have been shipped over Hamburg where they had a storage location directly at the harbour.
Here is an extract from the old pricelist, with products sold as type "Barbierstube" or "Barber Shop"
https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2885/3...45bc88_z_d.jpg
Here is one in Dark Blue, most likely one from Schleifmittel Aktiengesellschaft (SAG) with the reference to "Barber Shop"
https://c2.staticflickr.com/6/5554/1...bbf5dd_c_d.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/4/3893/1...353ec1_c_d.jpg
Please add the Picture of the packaging here too its well appreciated!!
Here are the Barbers Delights in that sizes
https://c1.staticflickr.com/9/8703/1...b1a1b1_c_d.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7457/1...19dfda_c_d.jpg
https://c2.staticflickr.com/8/7062/1...e37567_c_d.jpg
Evidently, Escher produced a Barbers' Gem (sized 5" x 2") for Severin R. Droescher (SRD) as well, and I'm fortunate to have found one in decent condition a few months back. It's labeled "blue" and here's a pic:
Attachment 267730
Here are some pics as requested
Attachment 267731Attachment 267732Attachment 267733
Interesting the German unit of measurement is Zoll from this old diagram. Same unit as Heibert Wacker uses for his razors. Another subject in a different thread. Still, interesting.Quote:
Originally Posted by doorsch
To me, it's rather surprising to see that the Barbers' Gem was priced about double that of most of the 7-8" bench sized Eschers. Up until now, I had presumed it to be the more affordable size back "in the day." :shrug:Quote:
Originally Posted by Butzy
Nice, looks to me to be a yellow/green main stone with a dark blue slurry. Hard to tell about the main stone color from a photo though, especially against a dark blue. Here are some links to old threads that might be of interest ;Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt1222
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ing-marks.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...nd-labels.html
http://straightrazorpalace.com/hones...ck-labels.html
Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
It is a yellow/green with the dark blue slurry. It's lighter compared to my labeled lightgreen stone and definitely has that hint of yellow running all the way through.
It's a really nice stone to hone on (like all Eschers) I just wish I had a y/g slurry stone. But it's not a real big deal.
That looks very much like an Escher I had, exact same box and exact same labels, here's a pic, light green on top, blue on the bottom, I traded that one:Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt1222
Attachment 267737
IIRC - it definitely was very light coloured stone, pics don't really bring that stark contrast out. Frankly, I had used it for awhile, lent it to a superb honer, and he came away with the same impression I had, that it wasn't the best of the Eschers we had used, was a very, very slow stone, I think it's the light green Escher.
Might have just been my particular stone, but will be interesting to hear how it performs.
More pics:
Attachment 267739
Attachment 267740
Attachment 267741
Jimmy, after taking a look at your other threads do you think it could be a Barber's Choice? I feel like the barber's gen stones were Pike distribution specific, but I am just guessing
Phrank, the light colored stone looks much longer than the one I have. I think mine is more similar in shape and the boxing/labeling to the darker stone you show in the top picture.
You've jogged my memory, I guess it was a Barber's Choice that I had. No idea what is what unless it is printed on the box. If it is a good hone the label doesn't matter other than bringing a higher resale value.Quote:
Originally Posted by Matt1222
Can we go back to when these stones were around 20$?
Maybe you did not notice, but those were the prices per dozen!Quote:
Originally Posted by Christian1
this makes me want to cry...Quote:
Originally Posted by Utopian
"Zoll" is German for "inch."Quote:
Originally Posted by Longhaultanker
Zoll many very well translate to inch, but they ain't the same unit of measurement. I've been all up and down this.Quote:
Originally Posted by eKretz
Barbers Gem was only a brand name that Escher and others gave to this small sized stones. So why this name and why such small stones?
A gem is a little treasury. Some of the old barbers who did a lot of shaves over the day liked to refresh the razor with a stone from time to time or even before every shave (sometimes instead of stropping). They did this just in front of the client. Therfore they had a small hone in their trouser pocket.
From our point of view today, this might be nonsense. But keep in mind that these small refreshing of the blade might have been the only honing that the razor ever saw. There often was no general complete progression honing, staring with bevel setting, progression, finishing. Just short refreshing between the shaves - for the whole lifetime of the razor maybe. Then this would indeed have been necessary to keep the razor sharp somehow....
And it was of corse also a bit of show for the clients " ...see you get a fresh honed razor - only for you...."
So I ran a razor on the stone last night. The razor was shave ready so I just wanted to see how it would improve on the edge.
The stone is soft and a fast cutter. It auto-slurried quite a bit. It left a very keen and smooth edge. It improved on the razor's edge, which IIRC was finished on a light green Escher.
A very nice stone. The additional width is an awesome feature. I think it's the widest of all the Escher stones.
I have to do some more work with it but I think it's going to be a fantastic addition to my hone collection
BTW -- I have seen two different card boxes/ slieves in which the Barbers Gem had been sold in the past (ebay pictures):
Attachment 267813
Ahh I see. Thanks for the pictures! I used the name Barbers Gem purely based on the dimensions. I am not sure if there was a name for the stone I have or if it's just another EscherQuote:
Originally Posted by hatzicho
This seems to that it could be explained quite easy. When Escher started businesss in New York with Charles Quastenberg in the late 19th Century he was the only representative for Escher Hones, also he had the Family Connection to the Escher family as you already mentioned somewhere Peter. Quastenberg died on the 14th December 1893, then Charles Healy took over the Business in 1894 probably of a period of time....in 1897 the Cooperation with the Pike Manufcturing started, the whole business and Good will was taken over from Pike and they have been officially granted the rights to open the whole business communication.Quote:
Originally Posted by hatzicho
So in this case my guess would be that the Escher & Co. Barbers Gem would be the Earlier Version where Escher & Co had its business in 107 Duane Street, the Hone from Pike Manufacturing seems to be the one later brought to market when the business was at 151 Chambers Street in NY.
Well i actually think that the Barbers Gem is directly mentioned in one Quote:
"The branch house here have been lately begun the importation of a new form of water Hone, put up especially for fine trade. The stone is 5 X 2,5 x 1 inches in Dimensions, and with a rubber of the same stone, one inch quare and 2,5inches in lenght, it put in a handsome pastebord case similiar to those used for razors."
You've been all up and down it where and with whom? The numbers from the Zoll/inch column convert pretty much exactly to those in the mm column. "Engl zoll" would be English inch.Quote:
Originally Posted by Longhaultanker
Think the conversion is:Quote:
Originally Posted by eKretz
1 Zoll is 1.03700787402 inches, the last seven decimal points escape me right now.....;)
I think I found the issue. The old German "zoll" unit originated before the standardization of units between countries. So it could have originally been some arbitrary number "close" to an actual inch but not exactly correct. Over time it was corrected to the actual inch. At the time the ad on page 2 was created it should have been correct. See link for more info:
Zoll (Pre-metric Prussian) | Units of Measurement Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia
Every region in Europe used to have its own slightly different units. Both the Zoll and the inch are based on the width of a man's thumb. Napoleon introduced metric system in Continental Europe. The UK held on to its own units until recently.
Going along with that, I read that the "rule of thumb" was that when you beat your wife the stick couldn't be thicker than your thumb. A good rule. This is probably true because I read it on the internet.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees
Yup, famous quote from one of your past Presidents:Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
"Not everything you read on the internet is true." - Abe Lincoln
A woman, a dog, and a walnut tree, the more you beat them the better they be.Quote:
Originally Posted by JimmyHAD
This wasn't just how it was in Europe, it was like this everywhere in the world. When the units of measure originated, sophistication of measuring equipment and standards were obviously very low. Even an inch in England where the unit originated would vary quite a bit.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees
Basically even after they tried to create "standards" they would often be making copies of copies of copies etc. which led to significant errors. Before they created any realistic standards it was often based on the length of an arm, foot or thumb etc. of the presiding monarch - which often was changed with every new one.
This is why even into the 1900's, mating parts that had to have a close fit needed to be machined or hand finished with the mating part close at hand.
Even though metric came into being in the UK if I remember correctly around 1969 at the time I was 10 years old and up until then I was taught in imperial measurement, even to this day I'm still programmed think think in pounds & ounces feet & inches I can work with metric and most of the time I use both although I'm 100% pounds & ounces when it comes to weights.
http://www.metric.org.uk/uk-metric-time-line
