Info On My Cooper Brothers Razor ??

[Inked666]

Hi guys


I've just bought a new razor and I'm having a hard time dating it.


It says its made by "Cooper Brothers Sheffield" and it has "THE CELEBRATED KING WILLIAM RAZOR" written down the blade.


I found a maker "Cooper Bros" that I'm guessing is the same maker and I've found one reference to the celebrated king william razor but that was made by ford & medley.


Any ideas guys?

[sharptonn]

Lots of makers seemed to do the King William Razor on the blade's etch. I have one by John Petty which was dealt from Salford.
I suppose William was quite popular?

We like pics, Ink. Lessee!

[HaiKarate]

"THE CELEBRATED KING WILLIAM RAZOR" written down the blade." King Williams Norman Knights wore chainmail and shaved their heads.The Saxons Huscarls wearing chainmail were beating the crap outa them all day... WHILE they were growing cauliflower..But at the end of the night..King Willians Archers won the fight.. 1066 Nobody ever remembers the Saxon Huskarls who fought to the last man...strange...Maybe my history is off...Terrible day to fight.



If Charlie made a razor called a Huscarl...I'd buy it!

[Inked666]

Thanks for the replies


I'll get some pictures up as soon as I'm at my pc but it looks like your one only by a different maker.


You know its the history behind the straight razors and their makers that sparked my interest in these.



Any idea what date my razor could be?

[sharptonn]

Thanks for the replies


I'll get some pictures up as soon as I'm at my pc but it looks like your one only by a different maker.


You know its the history behind the straight razors and their makers that sparked my interest in these.



Any idea what date my razor could be?

Is there a WR on the tang? If so, could be made during William IV's reign, 1830-1837.
Usually, these things were done posthumously, I think! I dig the history as well.
Good historians here. Neil Miller comes to mind. A thread on mine here:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...n-salford.html

[sharptonn]

Here is another. I know nothing of this maker, though. Cannot possibly be that old, I think!

[Neil Miller]

Might be the firm John William Cooper and his brother Tom founded in 1866 at the High Street Works. They stayed there until around 1876 then moved to Bridge Street and then Arundel Street (the Don Plate Works) in 1885.

Originally the firm was just called Cooper Brothers or Cooper Bros, but it changed to Cooper Bros & Sons Ltd in 1895.

That would give you a date of either 1866 - 1894 or 1895 - 1950s depending on the actual wording of the makers mark.

Interestingly, they had a cooper and a barrel as their makers mark (plus other brand marks including an owl) and the John Petty razor Tom posted a pic of also had a barrel for a makers mark - but no cooper! The original thread is here.

Since then I have come across another razor which clears a little more of the T. Smith mystery up - it appears that the name was Thomas and that the razors were made for him, so he was a cutler, gents outfitter, barber or some such:



Regards,
Neil

[Neil Miller]

Here is another. I know nothing of this maker, though. Cannot possibly be that old, I think!

There was a William Landell from Glasgow (that would give the W.L.G. in the circle, possibly) a gun maker, cutler, rod and reel maker, scientific instrument maker, edged tool maker, ironmonger, etc from the 1870 volume of the Glasgow Directory. He apparently died in 1891.

He traded under his own name and that of William Gibson & Co. He traded from 106 Trongate and his works, called the Silvan Works (often mis-spelled as Sylvan) at 187 Broad Street, Mile End, Glasgow. His two sons carried on with the business after his death.

Regards,
Neil

[sharptonn]

Thank you Mr. Miller! Great and prompt info!

[Neil Miller]

Just an additional 'musing' on the 'Celebrated King William'. This could have been King William III, none other than "William of Orange". He was a strong and revered protestant leader who in 1690 defeated the catholic rival for the throne, James II, at the Battle of the Boyne.

King William's decisive victory took place a year later at Aughrim. It was one of the most celebrated wins over the catholic forces and has enormous symbolic significance for the Orange Order.

His victory became a national holiday in Ireland, celebrated on the 12th of July. The Orange Order is located in Belfast and owes its name to the fact that dutch-born William was known as William of Orange. The order fell into decline in the 1800s but was revived due to Gladstone's Irish Home Rule Bill of 1886.

The rest is a matter of unionism, division and terrible conflict.

Regards,
Neil