Thread: Anyone recognize this razor?

I spotted this razor in the same shop where I found my I.S.SYDNOR. I thought about buying it, but the vendor couldn't come up with a price.

As I hope you can see (sorry about the lousy photo), the sole imprint is incomplete; it says "M??SHALL", which I guess is "MARSHALL". But the heavy spine is what really caught my eye, along with the flower petal pin washers. And I again find myself having questions:

• Is this considered a faux frameback?
• What was the original imprint?
• Who made it?

Bit of a riddle that one is...

Only listing for 'Marshall' in Goin's Encyclopedia is Marshall Wells Hdw. Co. c 1893-1963.

However, judging by the short, stubby tang... shape and width of the blade... style of spine... and style of the scales (e.g. the shape, thickness, material (looks like horn but hard to tell without a closer picture), and shallow bevel they have), I'd venture to say that razor is pre-1850... and quite possible even pre-1840.

From what I can see, it does look like 'M??SHALL' is the only word that was stamped in the tang - so Parkins & Marshall (c1849-1866) is most likely out of contention - along with any other two-named logos.

Can't really provide any other suppositions without a closer picture.

I would not consider it a faux frame back, more just a spine style of the time. The entire blade is actually VERY similar in style/design to a Packwood or a Jonathan Hunt (c 1829-1837).

Could end up being a very nice find - IF the vendor ends up coming up with a reasonable price for it...

A close up of the writing on the tang would be helpful. Someone might recognise it. It's a faux frameback and looks to be from around 1830 (give or take a few years). Nice looking razor. Well worth trying to get.

As was said, it is a bit of a riddle! If you do acquire it I'm sure that you will be able to post better pictures! That would help a lot!!

Then we can either help you directly or have others chime in!

Please keep us up to date!!

Most likely Samuel Marshall.

Geoffrey Tweedale's 2nd edition Directory has some information on him:

Samuel Marshall may have been baptized in Sheffield on 17 May, 1786, the son of Martin (a cutler) and Ann. By 1822 he was listed as a pen and pocket knife maker in Allen Street and continued to work there during the 1830's.

There's a bit more, but it's all well after the period of that razor. I'd guess 1825-1835 for a date of manufacture.

I don't want to sound too certain about the manufacturer though. While some pen and pocket knife makers also made razors, it's not a given, and there may have been others named Marshall making razors in Sheffield who weren't recorded in the trade directories. It's definitely Sheffield make, though. The flower-shaped pin collars are a dead give away.

Technically, 'Faux Frameback' is a modern designation. The style of grind long predates the popularity of the frameback (though not the existence -- Ebenezer Rhodes made the first documented model in the early 1820's) and was called a Rattler then.