Thread: The "Patent" razor .......

Good morning!,

Todays razor is stamped "Patent" ( I think, )

The scales are handmade, one-piece, very thick, almost 1/4", and the nail as a pivot pin is probably not factory stuff.

The blade had a lot more black stuff on it yesterday before I did some quick work on it.
The spine is rounded.
Does anyone have an idea as to the date range?

1750-1800
1800-1850
1850-1900

Thanks guys,

Just by shape I would guess 18oo’s second quarter. 1825-1850

This razor has a rounded spine.
No dip at the toe.
Single stamp on the tang.
No shoulder.
Fat, wide, tang.
Heavy weight to it.
The spine is rounded.

I am with rez on that one. 1820-1850 should be the right period.

Originally Posted by randydance062449

This razor has a rounded spine.

No shoulder.

When we speak of "shoulders" on real old razors - it is something different than what we think of a shoulder on a razor today.
So we are talking about the transition between the bottom side of the tang and the blade edge. At razors prior to 1800 there was no "heel" between tang and edge it was a straight line. You can see that clearly in the following picture on the Brittain - France razor at the top.



According to Lummus around 1800 a small heel = "shoulder" appears to prevent that your thumb glides from the tang on the edge while shaving. On the picture you can see a very small shoulder at the Greaves in the middle and the Pitchford beneath. So these razors were made shortly after 1800. The more pronounced the shoulder is, the later in the early 19th century the razor was produced.
We need to be careful sometimes, because some of the pre-1800 razors which had no shoulder originally have been reground later on the bottom of the tang to specificly form a shoulder for a safer useage of the razor.

So your Patent razor clearly has a shoulder and it doesn't seem to be that large reground on the tang.

Regards Peter

Thanks a bunch, now I understand the term "shoulder" as applied to old razors.
I am learning.

I just managed to catch a better light and the transition from the blade to the tang is not smooth. There is a grind between them, approx where the tang meets the top part of the heel/shoulder.

Tomorrow I will post my only remaining "oldie" where the tang stamp is iffy.
The rest of the oldies are clearly stamped (thankfully).