Thread: Help with razor origins.....

Hi! I picked this up on eBay the other day. Does anyone know anything about this brand? I believe it is Japanese but that is based solely on the 'writing' on the tang (For Barbers Use/First Quality). Any informed opinions?? thanks in advance!!









Chris

addendum: I still think it may be Japanese, but it has a pretty heavy grind compared to my other Japanese razors...





Any help is appreciated

Chris

From what I can remember, the M&G razors are from a Sheffield maker.

I read something about them a while ago, but can't seem to remember much else.
Once the history buffs on here sees this thread, I am sure they will yet again prove me wrong, and provide us both with some details surrounding this brand.

Your razor does not look like a japanese western-style razor at all to me, I'm afraid. It looks more German/American, Swedish or English

The makers logo looks almost like a copy of another swedish razor maker of great repute - c. v. Heljestrand's MK series:





Whether that is with the intent to confuse I don't know. Three Crowns is the emblem of Sweden used in the royal mark and by the government, so it could simply be another swedish maker. I would not have expected the 'For Barbers Use' and 'Real Hollow Ground' on the back though, and I would have expected at lest the mname of the city where it was made, eg Eskilstuna.

The writing looks a little like something intended for import, most likely from Germany, in which case one would imagine it's either a little known German maker or an american import/export agency set up in Germany.

There was a maker of a razor called the "Thee Crowns" in England, but the mark consisted simply of three (larger) crowns side-by-side and no initials.

I keep thinking of the similarity of the mark to CVH... Heljestrand produced razors for others, notably Magnus Kindal (MK), so MG might well be one produced by them in a similar fashion. As far as I recall, there were other Heljestrands, some with no initials at all, and I think there are others with either 'BK' or 'RK' on them...

Not that helpful, I'm afraid!

Regards,
Neil

Well, here is another one:



So it is definitely Swedish

Regards,
Neil

Fun attachment 166852
Every click brought up another page of text.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Well, here is another one:

Attachment 166852

So it is definitely Swedish

Regards,
Neil

Chris maybe zethlent will chime in or PM him. He sold one on the classifieds here and I seem to remember he had some info on them from speaking local barbers. Just a thought.