Thread: B.J. Eyre & Co. Late W. Greaves & Sons. Sheffield Info Needed.

Hello Fellow Razor Enthusiasts’,

I recently picked up what I think is a classic B.J. Eyre Sheffield at an antique shop for $25.00 whole dollars. Blade is in great shape for being 155+ years old (No nicks, scratches, and very very minor rust spots on the spine), Original Horn Scales are at about 85%, and the Pins are still solid and tight.

My dilemma is after hours upon hours of research, This Forum included; I can’t figure out or find any information as to the potential worth of this Razor and whether or not I should hone it and use it or lock it away because its worth a gazillion dollars...

Here’s what I know: Or at least what I’ve gathered from the internet. (They can’t put it on the internet if it’s not true…” lol)

B.J. Eyre & Co. bought W. Greaves & Sons and continued to use their markings from 1850-1858. W. Greaves died during that time which is why my Sheffield says “Late W. Greaves & Sons”. Sheffield is the model based on the town of Sheffield. My razor has a Barbers Notch… Razors are sharp. Marshmallows don’t count as a child’s school lunch. And if you built it, they will come…


NOWHERE on the net have I been able to find MY razor (With THESE Markings) listed anywhere.

EBay - $35.00+S&H for the same era “Challenge” Razor (Wrong Razor)

Private Antique Shop - $835.42 for the NIB B.J. Eyre Sheffield (NOT Late W. Greaves & Sons model)

Rebuilt/Restored - $300.00 for original blade (Reground, New White Plastic Scales, Cheesy Display Case) (Mine is all Orig.)


So, in conclusion… HELP. Please….

Hi,

Just so you're aware, valuations are not allowed on SRP:

SRP rules of conduct - Straight Razor Place Wiki

That having been said, if it were my razor I would do three things:

1) send it to a pro to have it professionally honed
2) give it a soak in neatsfoot oil to bring those scales back to life
3) use it, enjoy it, look after it

There are no evaluations done here, it is against the rules. Personal opinion get it honed and shave with it. It is not NOS so you are not going to decrease the value. The way I see it if nobody shaves with it, it has lost it true value.

My research shows that your razor has the super power ability to give an excellent shave when properly honed in the hand of someone willing to take the time to learn to use it properly.

Though it may not be your ticket to early retirement, if it had brought you to the world of wet shaving, and you are here to stay for good, you will come to find the value of this particular razor as priceless.

If you want a dollar amount maybe just Toss it on eBay for $1 NR it see what it will go for!

As stated above, we do not give valuations on items. That being said, I will point out that the value of collectibles depends on many variables.

1) Condition: If its not NOS or Mint you are already taking a big "loss" on potential profit.
2) Market: No offense meant, but you obviously don't know the current market trends. There are a few big names at the moment that go for bigger money than what they would be valued at for a good shaving tool. No, I'm not going to tell you what I think they are.
3) Luck: Even if you clean it up to a high polish and take awe inspiring photos and put it up for auction (which IMO would probably be your best bet) you don't know how many people are going to interested (or even get a chance to look at it).

Don't get me wrong, it looks like it is a nice razor and would probably shave like a dream. You have to remember that hundreds of thousands of straight razors where pumped out over the course of hundreds of years. There is still a lot of that old steel floating around. Stick around awhile and pick up a few tidbits. It's a fascinating field.

Best of luck

Matt

Thank You All for the input.
Sorry for breaking the rules. Wasn’t trying to do that intentionally.

Mainly wanted to see if anyone had any further info or links to sites that might have some info about this razor. I couldnt find anything online about this run of razors with these markings anywhere, just basic company info.

Im 85% sure Ill keep it and use it because owning a piece of history like this razor and putting it to good use is the greatest show of respect to the craftsmen that made it, so very long ago, I could ever show. (Plus I love explaining to people that Yes, I do use a Straight Razor to shave with. And what it feels like to carry on such a forgotten tradition.)

And just to clarify, this isn’t my first Razor. I’ve owned 2 Dovo's (Stolen during a House party I wasnt even there for, that got out of control. Thank you Ex... you B****), a Henckel (Out for Honing), and now this Eyre. I’ve been using the henckel for about 3 years now. Great Shave. Close and smooth.

Thanks again everyone for the quick responses.
May your Lather be thick, Blades Sharp, and your Hands Steady.

I know a fair amount about the history of old Sheffield razors- at the fear of providing misinformation, I will keep it short and simple- someone like Neil miller, Zac or Martin usually have pretty good info on this stuff, so maybe they will inform you of all the dates of eyre history....

In short William greaves became a cutler is the late 1700's and worked for another Sheffield firm where he gained his mastery- upon doing so he started his own firm at the turn of the 19th century and started using the w.greaves (& sons) marking in around 1817. In 1822 (or so I think) greaves relocated to sheffworks which was the largest cutlery firm in Sheffield. Old man greaves died in the late 1840's early 1850's. the firm was sold to EYRE. Immediately following the sale of the company eyre continues to use the greaves name until 1858 when they defunct the name all together, and they just went by eyre...
Later on I think t. Turton took over sheffworks, the made mostly wood working tools but also continued making razors. All greaves, eyre and turton razors are regarded in high order. Greaves being the most desirable ofbthe three and T.turton being the rarest.

Welcome to SRP Sean, your razor looks to be in really good condition, and like others have posted, clean it up, have it honed and use it!
You allready found good information on your razor and Joe added more information, sometimes its really difficult to date a razor but in your case its really easy, 1850 to 1858. And perhaps even closer to 1850 to 1852 since Benjamin James Eyre changed and reorganized the company in 1852 and changed its name to Eyre Ward &Co.

Originally Posted by Martin103

Welcome to SRP Sean, your razor looks to be in really good condition, and like others have posted, clean it up, have it honed and use it!
You allready found good information on your razor and Joe added more information, sometimes its really difficult to date a razor but in your case its really easy, 1850 to 1858. And perhaps even closer to 1850 to 1852 since Benjamin James Eyre changed and reorganized the company in 1852 and changed its name to Eyre Ward &Co.

First, I want to thank everyone in this forum who helped me identify a blade marked stamped "US Navy" straight razor which I obtained which also had the maker mark stamped on the razor: B.J. Eyre & Co. Late W. Greaves & Sons. Challenge Razor, Sheffield. The original case in great condition also came with the razor and its maker marked : B.J. Eyre & Co. Late W. Greaves & Sons Sheffield . With your approval For your photographic historical records and library I am attaching some photos of the razor and the case.

Also, I obtained a second straight razor blade marked US NAVY RAZOR and a Design around the text, with a maker mark of: J.M. WALKER, U.S. NAVY RAZOR, NEW YORK. I have not been able to find any information on this maker, perhaps some of you may know of them and it would be greatly appreciated. Of particular note about this razor is that stamped text on the blade almost appears to be "holographic" and while you can clearly see the text and design when holding it at an angle it almost looks 3-D.. when you run your finger across the blade you cannot feel any impression of the stamped text or design.. it really is quite unique, at least from my uneducated straight razor perspective. I will attach some photos of that as well. Any help or insight would be appreciated. Thanks Mike