Thread: The Stub-Tailed Shavers

Think of the stories that it could tell!


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Originally Posted by rideon66

Yeah I figure 1790 to 1810 but just a guess. Usually I find more info on these and loose the auction. Now I can't find info and win it. Seem like an interesting razor and an easy clean up, but have to wait and see.

Yeah, I think there was a thread about one a good while back & those dates did come up. I believe they came up with around the early 1800's but I could be wrong.

Originally Posted by maxpamjohn1

Think of the stories that it could tell!

I've always said, "if only some of these things could talk".......................


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ran into a new issue with the Roberts warranted. The scales appear to have been treated painted or stained with some black substance. I think they are the original scales very thin yet still in good condition other than they touch on the back side. Because of this a few hundred years of nasty got stuck in them. So I did a simple green soak before neats foot oil. Well the simple green released whatever that black stuff on the scales was and stained the blade. It will come off with some light hand sanding just never seen this before. Any idea what they used back then and why it was on the scales to begin with?

A lot of old scales were dyed to make them either a solid color or to make them look more like tortoise. I have no idea what they used but it did not go very deep.

Some info on some processes from back then:

https://books.google.com/books?id=5i...q=horn&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=xV...20dyed&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=le...20dyed&f=false

A basic recipe seems to be combinations of calcium oxide, lead (II) oxide, and sometimes potassium carbonate. Dragon's Blood (a plant-derived red pigment) was used sometimes also. Other later recipes involve aniline (aminobenzene) treatments.

Originally Posted by ScienceGuy

Some info on some processes from back then:

https://books.google.com/books?id=5i...q=horn&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=xV...20dyed&f=false

https://books.google.com/books?id=le...20dyed&f=false

A basic recipe seems to be combinations of calcium oxide, lead (II) oxide, and sometimes potassium carbonate. Dragon's Blood (a plant-derived red pigment) was used sometimes also. Other later recipes involve aniline (aminobenzene) treatments.

Any guess which process this may have been. I figured lead was involved.

My only stub tail, acquired 2 weeks ago. lovely shaver I now see what all the fuss is about beauty and functionality, cant argue with that.

Originally Posted by alpla444

My only stub tail, acquired 2 weeks ago. lovely shaver I now see what all the fuss is about beauty and functionality, cant argue with that.

Nice blade but I rather this kind of blades with original type of scales.

New acquisition. Clark cast steel. Steel seems in much better nick than it appears. Doesn't really have any serious craters.

Here's an old Wosty I got..........