Thread: That 1700's Show

Originally Posted by JP5

Of course. Meant to do that yesterday.

Attachment 291281

Attachment 291282
Seen better days.

Neat, huh?

I've done a little cursory poking around and haven't turned up anything.

And when I say "haven't turned up anything" I mean, there are zero Sheffield directory listings for ANYONE named Neat. Nor listings in the apprentice registry. So I think it's safe to say whoever that Neat was, they were not neat in Sheffield.

I did turn up one hit for a Charles Neat in Wales, but he was listed in 1841 as a Forgeman rather than a cutler, so it's very unlikely.

The name is kind of a challenge to search on for probably obvious reasons.

Zak, are you still thinking it is English despite not being from Sheffield?

Could be Irish, but I doubt anyone else would stamp Georgian Reign on it.
I think may be NEAT is a trademark and not a name - like those in use in the late 18th-beginning of 19th centuries. I went through the 1787's directory and hadn't found it, but it could have been granted later.
Does anyone have access to early 1800 trademarks?

I've done some search combinations like Zac can't find anything to connect to this razor.
I looked under EATON and NEATBY nothing to suggest a letter or two was mis struck on the tang
There was a Samuel Eaton & Son, razor maker in Sheffield 1825. also a T W Eaton razor maker.

@782sirbrian
That was a good suggestion but the only thing about Eaton would be that if the "on" were mistamped, it wouldn't be centered under the crown w/GR unless the "TW" before it were mistamped also but I doubt it. Good job & keep up the good work though.

Is it possible that "neat cast steel" was an industry term? I pull up a lot of hits of "neat cast iron" from the mid 19th century. If so that could make this one of those pieces without a maker's mark.

It is definitely "Neat Cast Steel"
https://straightrazorpalace.com/razo...rn-scales.html

This is for me also the most plausible explanation, but I did not dare to answer because I do not speak English well and I did not want to make an error of deduction

Thanks for the research and information guys. Here is a clearer shot of the stamp.

Originally Posted by JP5

Zak, are you still thinking it is English despite not being from Sheffield?

I'm 98% certain it's English, and probably made in Sheffield for someone elsewhere. As many were.

For the moment it's going to have to get filed away along with other oddities like MAUDE (from the same time frame).

I might eventually get lucky, like I did with W. Taylor / X.Q. Site (that would be William Taylor of Stannington, listed as a master in Bradfield's list of indentures in 1815), but it's going to take sheer luck.