Thread: Gotta Razors

I have a Gotta 120 Razor that says it is silver steel Germany. I believe I have seen them saying Sheffield and I can't remember where the Sheffield was made. which has the best reputation now I know to each there own but which do people look for most. thanks ( just used mine from Germany and it's really good)

Many times with vintage razors German, or French, razors would be branded 'Sheffield Steel', while they were ground in Germany or France. Thiers-Issard branded razors with that info (Sheffield steel) as recently as the past 10 or so years. I've also seen Sheffield razors marked "ground in Germany." The Germans were the first to perfect full hollow grinding, while the Sheffield steel had a very good reputation, and must have been considered a selling point. I've read that a lot of the Sheffield steel was sourced from Sweden but I don't know for sure.

Thanks I didn't know if they shipped the steel to Germany or vise versa. I know the one I have shaves good and hones easily. I also like the way it feels in my hand. Guess i'll start looking for another and if I can find one marked Sheffield I can compare.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I've also seen Sheffield razors marked "ground in Germany." The Germans were the first to perfect full hollow grinding, while the Sheffield steel had a very good reputation, and must have been considered a selling point.

I think you may be confusing it with 'German Grind', or 'Hamburg Grind', which indicates hollow grind like in the german razors, rather than 'ground in Germany' which think would disqualify the razor from being manufactured in England.

But if you do have a stamp 'ground in Germany' on a english razor, please post it so that we have it for the record.

BTW lots of german razors are even more specific to the steel source e.g. Kayser Ellison. It's just marketing.

Originally Posted by gugi

I think you may be confusing it with 'German Grind', or 'Hamburg Grind', which indicates hollow grind like in the german razors, rather than 'ground in Germany' which think would disqualify the razor from being manufactured in England.

But if you do have a stamp 'ground in Germany' on a english razor, please post it so that we have it for the record.

What I really marked Sheffield was it English steel sent to and ground in Germany and german steel ground in Germany. which would be more desirable .

I haven't seen 'German steel' as being advertised. Swedish and English, yes, or various processes and compositions 'cast steel', 'india steel', 'bessemer', 'silver', 'stainless'...

The country of manufacture is where the razor was made, the materials could be sourced from anywhere. At some point certain vendors went as far as to advertise as a country of manufacture the place of the final assembly, i.e for a razor where you pinned the scales, but I think that's recent.

If your razor says 'Germany' that's where it was made. If it says 'silver steel' that doesn't indicate the source of the steel.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Sheffield razors marked "ground in Germany." The Germans were the first to perfect full hollow grinding, while the Sheffield steel had a very good reputation, and must have been considered a selling point.

As Jimmy mentioned, i have seen razors made in Sheffield with "Ground in Germany" as well. I actually posted an article a while back talking about this topic.
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...de-1903-a.html

Seems like the old Sheffield cutlers didnt want to adapt to the new way of hollow grinding, perhaps they were sending razors to germany for hollow grinding because they could do it for a lot cheaper then Sheffielders.

Originally Posted by gugi

But if you do have a stamp 'ground in Germany' on a english razor, please post it so that we have it for the record.

Here a nice example of a Sheffield maker with German hollow ground, John Heiffor Sheffield.

Martin is it on the back side? I don't see the 'ground in germany', just "german" hollow ground on the blade.

Originally Posted by gugi

Martin is it on the back side? I don't see the 'ground in germany', just "german" hollow ground on the blade.

Nothing on the back side, are you thinking that "German hollow ground" is more a style?