That's probably dermestid beetle bites.
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Roberts warranted. Everyone will say that the razor is old, but no one can tell you about the manufacturer. A cross between frameback and hollow ground. How could this be done in such a long time ago?Attachment 328911Attachment 328912
It's a beauty :)
As for the how, seeing the profile of the blade could give a better idea, but it's not like the smiths of old did not know how to hollow grind a razor it's just :
- They seldom did it (not the same stones or techniques used, and harder to do on the whole)
- People did not like it
Probably so. However, it is generally believed that until 1860-70 they could do nothing but near wedge. It turns out they could.
It was probably done like a rattler grind/faux frameback.
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Still....cool looking razor.!
My Rodgers is well worn It reads "Rodgers Refined Steel"
The next is Gilbert Saville and that is an early rattler..
Finally just one more "Virg Cast Steel" Not a rattler at all :)
Not sure why the pictures rotated.
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Beautiful razors! Rodgers, indeed, is similar to Roberts. I also saw a Concave razor like my Roberts, and a John Barber.
I'm thinking this my be a stub tail razor. But I don't know. M.J. Bingham Criterion - Picked it up at an antique store a while back. Good shaver!
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Looks like a stubby .nice
To do this kind of grind, they would simply grind the razor initially and then turn it perpendicular so that the stone was spinning along the length of the blade. It's why the cut continues all the way up into the tang, where it diminishes. Some pieces of cutlery from the period are quite extraordinary, it was not a matter of skill, just development of style.
I think that's it. Moreover, there are blades that are not finished: with a slot between the spine and the wedge. By then, these bands were still somehow processed. And the sock turned out as a hollow ground, and the heel as a wedge.Attachment 328935
Photo from the web, not mine.
It's just a stylistic choice, and those with the single steep hollow at the top of the blade like above are somewhat common. Even back in 1816 Smith's Key there are examples of the rattler grind and some more fancy ones:
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Here's another Roberts and a Gratian with fancy work (the Gratian has a normal grind but a horizontal extremely narrow slot right near the spine, a little less fancy than the example in Smith's Key above):
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I always wondered about this grind. I have a similar Robert’s
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I have deconstructed quite a few old straights and the skills of the craftsmen really impresses me.
Unfortunately i think some of their skills are lost to time..
And they dressed so well for filthy jobs..
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I wonder if those were their Sunday clothes for the special picture?
I missed getting the original, but this is the "costume of cutlers of Yorkshire" in 1814, about the same time period.
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As i understand it a waist coat (vest) was normal everyday wear. The tradition 18th,19th century shirt had very long tails and was worn alone as a night shirt. I guess you wouldn't just wear your pajamas to work :)
I looked up 1820's fashion and of course I got what the rich people wore.
Should be put in another thread but interesting!
A friend gifted me some period tortoise scales, and Alfredo shoe horned my Lisbon blade into them. Nice work by the good doctor!
Those scales fit the razor perfectly. Congratulations.
How’s it shave?
It shaved very well before I sent it up, I’ll just have to re-hone it after the cleanup and scales.
Part deux, a Rodgers ‘Refined Steel’, likely Joseph and Maurice from around 1805-1815 according to research here on SRP, tip of the hat to Zak. The steel in this razor is wonderful, when I initially re-formed the bevels on a 500 grit stone, the edge was straight and even.
Very nice. I love the look of tortoise shell. Those make me yearn to get back on that James Johnson, "Warranted To Shave Well," I have in the queue for restore. I have been stalled for a while until getting the W&B FBU. That has kick started me in the restore mode. Now that I have some dexterity back in my right hand I am able to do more. Hope to post it (James Johnson) here soon.
Here’s an update on the Lisbon, re-honed and ready to go. My compliments to Alfredo for the cleanup and transplant, lol.
Thank you Tom, I had a good friend gifted me those period scales with the wish that I do well with them. I think that I have done that, with Alfredo’s assistance. Working with razors this old and trying to maintain the ‘period’ is not easy. Many of them have had scale replacements because steel (in many cases) lasts longer than horn or tortoise. Many thanks to Scott for gifting me period tortoise scales.
Just received this little beauty :)
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Most likely circa 1810/1820 Pradier.
That the decorations on the blade are still, albeit scarcely, visible is a very good surprise.
Fabulous !!! this is the first time that I see a Pradier with an engraved blade
Wow. That razor is in remarkably good shape. The scales look almost new. Are they original?
Yes they are indeed the original scales.
You will find that in the circuits where such pieces are usually found, they are quite often in such a good shape. Some look brand new even being centuries old.
Most likely it spent most of its time behind a glass case
Here is a fully etched 7-day set for you :)
The blades may have been etched but who knows, they are reground now...
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There's a video on Yorkshire Film Archive of penknife makers at Geo. Ibberson in the early 1900's. JOB15 has it in a thread somewhere. The men forging out the blades are in shirts, ties and waistcoats. My grandfather was a hot brass stamper at a company called Hewitts, my father recalls he dressed the same and that was the 60's, sometimes losing the waistcoat in the summer months. Grandmother had to buy new shirts for him quite often, with the heat and hardship of the work he of course sweated a lot, this would basically eat away the thread holding them together. A generation of men we'll never see again, for better or worse.
To the people who own stubtails, how are these to shave with ergonomics wise? Some of the tangs seem quite thin on these razors.
I find the tail to have little to no importance.
But yes, some old tang shapes are pretty terrible ergonomy wise. Nothing close to a general rule though
They’re not as comfortable as a modern monkey tail, but nothing that you can’t get used to, which of course many people did.
I think that the further back you go the better the steel generally speaking and the really early stubbies have excellent grinds.. I have no problem with any grind or shape.