Thread: Swaty provenance

Just a short note. I was trying to understand something more about Swaty provenance, starting from what you can read on the hone: sometime Austria, sometime Yugoslavia. I think that this doesn't reflect different origins for different hones, but just different names for the same place in different periods (decades). In 1879 Franz Swaty opened his factory in Slovenia, at that time part of the Empire of Austria (1870 map) and later part of Yugoslavia (from 1918).

So that would mean any hone marked Austria would be earlier than 1918?

Maybe. But the term Yugoslavia (Kraljevina Jugoslavija) officially started to be used only in 1928, so things are a bit more complicated than expected.

I'm glad we've got you around doing so much research!

Well now that I'm close to done completing my 7 day rotation I'm doing less bargain hunting and more of the culture part of razor. I actually am liking the history thing. I'll start looking too.

Swaty still exists and has a factory in Maribor, Slovenia. Maribor is called Marburg in German.

On the 2nd page of their catalogue there's some history: http://www.swaty.si/fileadmin/Katalog/pdf/ANGLESKI.pdf

However, some Swaty hones mention provenance from Wahring bei Wien (Wahring near Vienna).

My guess is Swaty had a factory there as well or moved from Wahring to Maribor.

Also difference could be made between where the company was "registered" (maybe at one time near Wien) and were hones were produced. I expect that mentioning Wien in time of Austrian domination or to register the company near Wien could have been a good idea to increase sells or protect the company.

I found a swaty with this inscription: Franz Swaty, Maribour Jugoslavia, Fruher, Marburg Austria. Translated from german to english this reads FR Maribour Jugoslavia, earlier/formerly Marburg Austria.

Zino Davidoff, member of the italian forum, put to my attention some instructions originally coming with a Swaty hone and available online. I read as follow:

[...] Since the decease of the inventor Francis Swaty, Wahring-Vienna, who died on the 18th of Dec. 1888, his son Francis Swaty / chemist / Maribor (Jugoslavija) is the sole manufacturer of the alumine hone. These hone have a wide-world reputation since 1879 [...]

This document seems to say that the hone had been manufactured since 1879: I guess that an earlier starting point would have been mentioned, since this has always been a point to be proud of. 1879 is the same year when the factory in Slovenia was opened.

Maybe this document can exclude the hypotesis of an early production in Austria. What is confirms is that hones marked "Vienna/Austria" come from the first period of production dated 1879-1888 (and not later).

Originally Posted by clavichord

Zino Davidoff, member of the italian forum, put to my attention some instructions originally coming with a Swaty hone and available online. I read as follow:

[...] Since the decease of the inventor Francis Swaty, Wahring-Vienna, who died on the 18th of Dec. 1888, his son Francis Swaty / chemist / Maribor (Jugoslavija) is the sole manufacturer of the alumine hone. These hone have a wide-world reputation since 1879 [...]

This document seems to say that the hone had been manufactured since 1879: I guess that an earlier starting point would have been mentioned, since this has always been a point to be proud of. 1879 is the same year when the factory in Slovenia was opened.

Maybe this document can exclude the hypotesis of an early production in Austria. What is confirms is that hones marked "Vienna/Austria" come from the first period of production dated 1879-1888 (and not later).

Take a look at the photo of the instructions and the inscriptions on the hones (both long Swatys) here and you'll see the info quoted above.