Thread: Swaty provenance

Well, one thing is to own the information and different is to put the info in the right place or "translate" it for practical purposes. This is the right place for that info and that is its "translation".

I would interpret this as follows: since 1879 they were made in Wahring near Vienna and from 1888 his son took over and moved production to Maribor. At the time Maribor was part of Austria and called Marburg.

Why would Swaty senior put Wahring bei Wien on the hones if they were made in Maribor?

Marburg is where the famous Apex razor hones were made as well.

You forgot that in 1879 the first factory opened in Slovenia.

Where does it say the first factory was opened in Slovenia? All it says is the first factory was opened in 1879....

Also from my experience with German titles, correct me if I'm wrong, unless it's explicit it could mean either the lineage is from somewhere, that they live there, that they were born there, etc. For example, the Wittlesbach family (Dukes of Bayern and Rhineland Pfalz) split in three with three sons. The father ruled both territories. One son died. The son who got Bayern is titled "in Bayern" and all his family henceforth, and the other son (who got Rhineland PFalz) was titled "von Bayern". However, in this context, and considering the first does not look like a title, I'm going to agree with Kees. Franz Swaty, Wahring bei Wein is VERY similar to a tang stamping say, F.W. Engels, Solingen. Or C. Friedr. Ern Wald-Solingen (Wald is not IN Solingen, but an outlying village, but like all the other outlying villages quality work was allowed to be stamped Wald-Solingen etc). I feel the Franz Swaty, technischer Chemiker in Maribor (Jugoslavija) is clarifying the difference between the son and the father. It also seems like a title- along the lines of "Cutlers to hi/her Majesty" maybe it was a given title? Maybe something like Official Technical Chemist of Maribor?

Originally Posted by khaos

Where does it say the first factory was opened in Slovenia? All it says is the first factory was opened in 1879....

That's how I interpreted it as well. Many firms are proud of their long histories and will quote the date they started even if that was in a different locality. Factories tend to be relocated when the current premises cannot be extended.

FWIW, I have two long and one regular. All three have the Franz Swaty, Wahring bei Wien, with Austria in parenthesis. The NIB long one which appears to be the most recent has the logo in letters cut into the end of the stone while the other two are the more familiar (to me anyway) raised letters.

The one with the engraved letters is the only one I've ever with engraved letters. That and the condition leads me to believe that it is of a later time period than the raised letter examples. It is also the one that came with the instructions that mention the father's demise. Might be another indication of more recent manufacture with the (Austria) indicating country of origin.

Originally Posted by khaos

Where does it say the first factory was opened in Slovenia? All it says is the first factory was opened in 1879....

Reading the full thread you will find where it says that the first factory was opened in Slovenia in 1879.

Originally Posted by clavichord

Reading the full thread you will find where it says that the first factory was opened in Slovenia in 1879.

Reading the full thread I see you claim that the first factory was started in Slovenia. No evidence though...

The info came from a modern Swaty catalogue available online. The italian catalogue is different from the english one:

English catalogue: Grinding weels factory Swaty was established by chemist Franz Swaty in 1879 so that it is one of the oldest European producers of grinding tools. [...]

Translation from the italian catalogue: Grinding weels factory Swaty was established by chemist Franz Swaty in 1879 and is the oldest grinding weels factory in Slovenia and one of the oldest in Europe. [...]

The italian catalogue says that the first factory of 1879 is the same one being also the oldest factory in Slovenia. Now I can't say if the "right" catalog is the italian or the english one. I repeat: the only certain thing up to now is that hones marked "Vienna/Austria" were made until 1888.

Originally Posted by clavichord

I repeat: the only certain thing up to now is that hones marked "Vienna/Austria" were made until 1888.

I appreciate the clarification. I've never seen one so marked. I imagine the three I have to have been made in the 1950s or '60s ?