Italian Razor?

I need help identifying a razor. Things point to it being an Italian blade but not sure. Tang says: Caudano Torino. Nothing to indicate country on other side of tang.

Blade is etched: Nizza 1807 at one end and Caprera 1882. Photo shows the full etching. I hope it is clear enough but sort of in some order: Va Fuori D'Italia on one side. Va Fuori Strainier on the other side. Etching of some man in the middle and on each side of him Eroe Dei and Due Mondi. Any information would be appreciated. I've done a few searches for the various words and find nothing about this blade. She hones up nice. Hope to shave with her soon.

Attachment 164116
Attachment 164117
Attachment 164118

So I've found out a bit on my own by breaking down what is written on the etching. This apparently was a razor issued to honor Giuseppe Garibaldi, who is considered a great military and political hero in Italian history. The etching Nizza 1807 and Caprera 1882 are his birth and death dates and places. The etching Eroe Dei Due Mondi means "Hero of our Times." The etching includes the head of a man who bears a resemblance to Giuseppe Garibaldi from what I have seen on the internet and in Wikipedia. The other words seems to indicate foreign invasions, so I suspect this blade is in honor of his fights against foreign invaders of Italy.

All that said, I still have no idea about the origin of this razor. But I think it is a great find.

Can't help with the origin either but it sure is an interesting blade.

Bob

It was made in Turin ('Torino') by C. Caudano (a barber supplies company amongst other articles) or possibly G. Caudano (knife, etc, maker), the firm dates from the mid 1850s I think and is reputed to have used fine Austrian Bohler steel. They were located at Piazza Carlo Felice

Regards,
Neil

Thanks for the help. I understand where made and possibly by whom. My own research was using the words etched on the blade and getting Google translations where I could. That, however, tells me nothing about why and when this blade was made. It looks like a commemorative razor in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi. But that I figured out looking at small clues that had nothing to do with the razor. Any help? What do I have here?

I've been honing her and will do a shave soon. I don't think this is one to cast aside.

Caudano is one of the many "razor maker" existed in Italy at the beginning of the past century. They did not cast blades themselves, they simply bought blade blanks from German producers (like Puma, Ambossmann and others) and then sold them with their branding.
Buying blade blanks was pretty common in Italy and in other European countries by many barber supplies companies and Caudano was one of them, based in Turin.
By reading the inscriptions of the blade, it is very clear it was made during the fascism era. The face in the center of the blade is Giuseppe Garibaldi and surrounding it, you can read "eroe dei due mondi" (hero of two worlds, because of his military activity in Europe and South America). At the edges of the blade are etched the places and dates of his birth and death. Near them you can see the typical "fascio" (meaning "bundle" or "sheaf") the emblem of fascism and always used at those times to virtually mark everything.
On the left you can read "va fuori d'Italia" - (you stranger) get out from Italy - and "va fuori stranier" - stranger go away - typical slogans of the fascist time praising for nationalism. It certainly is a commemorative razor in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi but, more clearly, a praise for fascism and nationalism, absolutely common and encouraged at those times. Giuseppe Garibaldi is the one who united Italy in 1860 and during the fascist era he was considered a hero because of this. Giuseppe Garibaldi is still today considered one of Italy's fathers of the fatherland.

Fascists ruled Italy from 1922 to 2nd WW.
In 1932 Garibaldi was celebrated for his 50th death anniversary and that razor was probably made that year, let's say between 1931 and 1933.

Always impressed with the Global Knowledge base of our community...

That is some great information, razor guy and Sterm. I wonder how many of these blades (the commemorative) were made? But I'm sure that is something that won't be found. I will say that it is nice to hold a piece of history or of a historical time.

I will hone this blade and use it.

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Originally Posted by RustySterling

Thanks for the help. I understand where made and possibly by whom. My own research was using the words etched on the blade and getting Google translations where I could. That, however, tells me nothing about why and when this blade was made. It looks like a commemorative razor in honor of Giuseppe Garibaldi. But that I figured out looking at small clues that had nothing to do with the razor. Any help? What do I have here?

I've been honing her and will do a shave soon. I don't think this is one to cast aside.

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Why and when???

Isn't that patently obvious?

It was made for fascists by promoters of fascism during that particular fascists lifetime.
Sheesh.

Regards,
Nei,.

You sound pretty fascist Neil.

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Why and when???

Isn't that patently obvious?

It was made for fascists by promoters of fascism during that particular fascists lifetime.
Sheesh.

Regards,
Nei,.

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Originally Posted by WW243

You sound pretty fascist Neil.

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Duce! Duce! Duce!

I declare you an enemy of the state and consign you to immediate deportation to another forum... :)

I'm slinking over to B&B.....food is probably not as good over there, sniff. Trains are said to be off schedule also....

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Duce! Duce! Duce!

I declare you an enemy of the state and consign you to immediate deportation to another forum... :)

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by WW243

I'm slinking over to B&B.....food is probably not as good over there, sniff. Trains are said to be off schedule also....

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Watch it or we'll force bottles of castor oil down your throat ........ :rofl2:

(See Cinema Paradiso for reference)

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Originally Posted by Sterm

Fascists ruled Italy from 1922 to 2nd WW.
In 1932 Garibaldi was celebrated for his 50th death anniversary and that razor was probably made that year, let's say between 1931 and 1933.

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Yes, that seems quite likely.

A little more research into Caudano shows that the company was founded in 1894, and also explains the confusion on the various web posts regarding a 'G. Caudano' and a 'C. Caudano'. At its inception, the company was called 'G. Caudano & Company' and this was included into various alphabetical listings as 'Caudano, G & C' which I believe - I may be wrong! - has been taken to mean G. Caudano and C. Caudano by various other researchers, one of which I mistakenly quoted from B&B, whereas in all likelihood 'G & C' merely means 'G & Company'.

However, the original listings describe G. Caudano & C as 'manufacturing cutlers' - note the word 'manufacturing' which means they actually made cutlery. True, the term cutler covers many forms of edged instruments, such as knives, daggers, table cutlery, hollow ware and razors' but it could have been used to denote just table cutlery. That they won awards for and were mentioned for their premier displays of table cutlery is known, as well as 'scissors of all kinds' so 'manufacturing' must have meant just that in these two instances.

That it is just as difficult to make some forms of table cutlery, namely forks, and significantly more difficult and more involved to make scissors than razors is beyond dispute, so I see no reason that, at some point at least, they did make razors. After scissors, it would have been easy work.

However, they soon branched out. By 1915 they had a warehouse on the corner of Via LaGrange and Via Cavour, for household objects of all kinds, which was sold to Niccolini Damosso, Caudano moving to various addresses at different times in Via Piazza Carlo Felice, numbers 10, 28 and another in the 30s being significant.

They had become issuers of prolific catalogues, many of which still survive, and which covered household items, barber supplies, ironware, farm implements, plates and cutlery, coffee grinders and makers, etc - and were the subject of one researchers project on the 'first re-sellers' in Italy (ie a mail-order catalogue warehouse operation).

By this time they were selling mostly re-branded goods including german razors - not stamped by them as blanks, as these would have been too brittle to stamp and would have broken, but made especially for them by german razor companies such as Lauterjung & Sohn, makers of the excellent german PUMA razors. These were supplied to Caudano not in the usual wood-effect boxes, but card boxes, and with a white handle with Caudanos name stamped on the tang by Lauterjung & Sohn.

Regards,
Neil

What's that, Jimmy? WW243 falls in love with Alberto the cinema projectionist? Where's that castor oil....?!

Regards,
Neil

A Terrific Film!

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Watch it or we'll force bottles of castor oil down your throat ........ :rofl2:

(See Cinema Paradiso for reference)

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You crazy Limey, I fell in love with celluloid!

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

What's that, Jimmy? WW243 falls in love with Alberto the cinema projectionist? Where's that castor oil....?!

Regards,
Neil

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Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

What's that, Jimmy? WW243 falls in love with Alberto the cinema projectionist? Where's that castor oil....?!

Regards,
Neil

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Neil, I may be thinking of Fellini's autobiographical flick ? Forget the name right now (senior moment) but there was one Italian film depicting the faciast government era and in one scene they forced a guy into a chair and poured castor oil down his throat. Quite a laxative effect apparently.

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Originally Posted by WW243

You crazy Limey, I fell in love with celluloid!

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Sir Lou Lloyd? And you call me crazy? You talkin' to me? You talkin to me? Well, I'm the only one here....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

Neil, I may be thinking of Fellini's autobiographical flick ? Forget the name right now (senior moment) but there was one Italian film depicting the faciast government era and in one scene they forced a guy into a chair and poured castor oil down his throat. Quite a laxative effect apparently.

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Amarcord, 1973

Regards,
Neil

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Why and when???

Isn't that patently obvious?

It was made for fascists by promoters of fascism during that particular fascists lifetime.
Sheesh.

Regards,
Nei,.

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With all due respect, Neil, I got my answer about the fascists after I posted that. I truly appreciate all the additional research you did and the information you found.

Wow, talk about a memory jog! I used to live on Isola Di LaMaddalena which is connected by a small bridge to Isola Caprera. This beings back some pretty good memories of beautiful beaches, great food, and a lot of snorkeling :) I didn't do much research while I was there, but Garibaldi is (as it was described to me) the George Washington of Italy. Great find!!

Chris

More and more I'm believing it is a unique and probably rare blade. I may not like the history it came from but certainly the history it evokes. And I agree that Garibaldi is likely the George Washington of Italy.

I'm very sorry but you're all wrong! The razor was used as a prop in The Soprano's!

Now that's funny. :D

Congratulations!!!! you have a razor with good steel and very hard to find....good :D

Thanks kratos86. I think I got lucky. Picked it up on eBay for $25. Go figure.