Thread: A new razor to investigate

Could you help me with it, date, maker, (WM Marsh SHEFFIELD, V R with crown). You can see my restauration, Well..... Help me clasificating this razor, thanks and regards

Can be William Marsh? regards

Ack! Sorry it's taken a while to respond to this one, Roberto! I've been poking at it off and on for the last couple days since you posted the pictures.

Are you sure that's a V R under the crown? Could it be W R?

There were ... a number of men named William Marsh in some branch of the cutlery trade mid1800's in Sheffield. One of the brothers who made of Marshes & Shepherd, then later Marsh Brothers Limited was named William. But I don't think it was him, because the Marshes & Shepherd brand, and then later the Marsh Brothers were valuable properties of their own, and that William seems to have been pretty firmly lodged in the family business.

I'm guessing that your razor was made by William Marsh, brother of Thomas Marsh, and for a while co-partner in W&T Marsh, known primarily for table and pocket knives. Unfortunately, their history is very murky. There was maybe a split between the brothers in late 1820? Thomas died in 1832.

Either way, if it's a V and an R, that places the manufacture after 1837. If it's a W R, it's from 1830 to 1837. That style of inlaid scale looks far more 1830's to me than much later, and the William Marsh whose listed as a solo manufacturer doesn't come into the directories until the 1860's.

So, short version: I think it was made by William Marsh, brother of Thomas Marsh, formerly of W&T Marsh, and was made between 1830 and 1837.

Many thanks Arad. I`ll post another inscription photo, a bit better, one idea could be the eagle a patriotic USA eagle in one of the civil wars they had?, Many tahnks, Regards

Originally Posted by Robertoreigosmendez

Many thanks Arad. I`ll post another inscription photo, a bit better, one idea could be the eagle a patriotic USA eagle in one of the civil wars they had?, Many tahnks, Regards

Okay, there's no doubt about that, it's a V R, which means it was made after 1837.

I think that means it was likely the son of William Marsh, helpfully also named William Marsh. Parish records turn up several of them, all cutlers of some sort.

As for the eagle, I don't know. Sheffield manufacturers turned out a lot of patriotic goods for America. That eagle is certainly similar to iconic American eagles, but it's also somewhat generic. It could be from a family crest or it could be a random brass inlay that was in the scale fitter's box of decorations. It's very, very hard to know. If you could get a closeup of the eagle, it might make it clearer.

Do you think the razor came from America?

I'm also really curious about the point of the scales, here:



I don't see how it's assembled there. Is there a pewter cap?

I`ll post a new photo of the eagle, not too clear but .... the rest is easi. the razor scale`s arrive to me in a awfull condition, one of them broken and another with parts cuted, I prefer restaure than sustitue for another recent scales, I have no time to put a new pin neither make the hole for it in the resin I use, ever diferent than the scales to me a razor is like an archaeological relic ¿my work in fact? and is quite important than the parts aded could be diferenced than the original. Its all. thanks You got me very important information, hanks again

Ah, I see. That's why the end of the scales looked a little odd!

I'm guessing it's the moisture that draws dermestid beetles to that area around the wedge. Or maybe they just like trace quantities of tin. Whatever the reason, that area of scales is one that I often see eaten up by beetle larvae.

As for the eagle, I don't think it's American. It looks like a printers ornament to me, or maybe borrowed from heraldry. But it might have been intended to look American.

It's always fascinating to see what you turn up, Roberto!

Not to dig up an old thread (not that old) but I just received several SR's in the post, one of them I have been trying to identify. The seller said it was a Zwillingswerks but he was just going off what the box said but the price was low enough it doesn't matter. The razor in question tho is proving hard to identify. All that I can ID is the word Marsh with what I can make out as an A M preceding it, all within an oval field similar to what has been presented here by Captain ARAD. The blade is in excellent condition with only a little rust on the tang between the scales. The scales appear to be plain horn with no ornamentation, worm holes or cracks in them but I have yet to confirm that they are horn with a hot needle but I am fairly certain due to the wear on them. I have been trying to get some pictures posted up but I am having an on going argument with all of my electronics and getting no where fast, no wonder I like the simpler things like SR.

Without pictures I can only be %80 certain it's a Marshes & Shepherd.

There's a chance it's not, as the Marsh clan got around a bit, but statistics are very much on the side of Marshes & Shepherd.

They made fantastic razors

Roberto, you might find more info here, especially about Marshes & shepherd, post number 10.

Another Marsh named William, this time born in Debyshire in 1835 came to Sheffield (Brightside Bierlow) in 1861 and was a 'furnace man' and 'steel melter' by trade. His father was Samuel marsh, Mother was Sarah Marsh (nee Wood) and among his children was a young son - another William.

There was another Marsh, of W Clarke and J Marsh who were razor makers in Sheffield and dissolved their partnership in 1810. J Marsh was probably James Marsh, Assistant to the Cutlers Company, who then traded using his own name, James Marsh & Co. James was a founding partner of Marsh & Shepherd (the original name, it became Marshes & Shepherd at a later date) and he also had sons, one of whom was William marsh, who did work for his fathers firm of James Marsh & Co.

NB: James Marsh also traded as Marsh Brothers & Co., assisted by mother Hannah and later his sons. They made razors but later changed to making crucible steel, steel alloys, springs, high speed steel tools etc. Originally they were situated at the Pond Works.

Another marsh, this time a William Marsh, was a penknife cutler in Sheffield according to Robinsons 1797 Directory.

Queen Victoria had a very long reign, of course - from 1837 to 1901. This razor looks to date from the beginning of her reign. Which makes William Marsh, son of James Marsh, a contender, although there are plenty of other Wm. Marshes I haven't touched on...

Regards,
Neil