Thread: Info about this new acquisition? Tula?

Hi all, I recently picked up this straight from eBay because I liked the look of the blade and it looked like a nice vintage user. I haven't been able to find anything about Tula. There is German writing on the blade and it came in an H. Boker box, but that doesn't really mean anything. Anybody know anything about this name/brand? I had to re-hone the blade and got it done and had a nice first shave with it, it takes a great edge. The Tula side has the number 600, and the opposite side has GES. GESCH. which is basically either "patented" or "patent pending" in German. The box it came in also has the year 1865 on it, but I'm pretty positive this razor isn't anywhere near that old. I was thinking maybe it might be from the 60's or thereabouts? 1960's that is.









Thanks for any info!

I searched thru google and found a razor marked TULA - W. L. Buck Co., Kansas City, MO - Made in Germany. could not fing anything else. good luck

Welcome to the forum ekretz. I do not know anything about your aquisition but I love the profile of that blade.

I've had e few Tulas, good shavers!

Try clean it up a little, but be careful and go slow.

Hi guys, thanks for the welcome. I really liked the way the profile of this blade fades out smoothly at the end of the cut instead of having the abrupt shoulder as many do. I have already cleaned the razor and scales up nicely, got rid of all the corrosion on the brass liners and removed most of the rust from the steel without going deep. I'm a machinist by trade, so cleaning/resurfacing steel is nothing new for me. It cleaned up really nicely with some 20 micron diamond lapping compound and a felt wheel with my 60,000 rpm die grinder. Then I finished it out with some 4-6 micron. It is looking gorgeous. Wish there was more info out there, it seems like there is a mention here or there about Tulas for sale, but no real background info.

The 'Ges. Gesch.' on the back of the tang means 'patent applied for' - no doubr patent was granted as there are a lot of Tula razors about, some quite decorative with checkered tangs and acid etched checkering on the blade - this type of Tula in its earlier form had 'Solingen' marked on the tang, so patent was granted but the maker chose not to add his name.

An import-export company called K. C. Seelbach Co, who at various times stamped the blade with 'Germany' or 'New York' brought over a lot of Tulas and sold them alongside other brands like 'Buddy', 'Niagara', 'Selbrand' etc. The name changed to K. C. Seelbach Inc when the firm was incorporated in 1921, although they probably still used the older appellations. The company director and the registered address was C. B. Santee, 120 Broadway NY, New York. Later, c1925 they were at 260 West Broadway.

The earlier, original company was started by Karl C. Seelbach in Germany in 1890, hence just 'Germany' on the tangs of the earlier razors (pre-1921).







No doubt these razors were marked-up with the names of other concerns, hardware stores, etc.

Regards,
Neil

Thanks for the further background info Neil. Any idea chronologically where mine might fit in there?

Originally Posted by eKretz

Thanks for the further background info Neil. Any idea chronologically where mine might fit in there?

Karl C Seelbach left Germany for the US, arriving circa 1911. The patent was not registered for the name Tula on your razor, so it has to be between 1890 and 1911. There is a very slight possibility that it was between 1911 and pre the Incorporation in 1921, but that is doubtful.

However, if the scales are original than it must have been between 1911 and 1921 - maybe old Karl bought a lot of old blanks with him to scale up!

Regards,
Neil

Probably just me with regards to this crowd, but the first thing I thought of when I saw TULA was a Model 1891 Mosin-Nagant rifle that was made in Tula, Russia.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tula,_Russia

During the Great Patriotic War (World War II) of 1941–1945, the city was important in the production of armaments. Tula became the target of a German offensive to break Soviet resistance in the Moscow area between October 24 and December 5, 1941. The heavily fortified city held out, however, and Guderian's Second Panzer Army was stopped near Tula. The city secured the southern flank during the Battle of Moscow and the subsequent counter-offensive. Tula was awarded the title Hero City in 1976. It is home to the Klokovo air base and the Tula Arms Plant.