Thread: can anybody I.D. this stub tail

i have spent a few hour and cant find anything.

i think it says rolbea or holbea

this is it

The name is Holben, and who it refers to is anyone's guess.

There's a single Sheffield directory listing for John Holben, Ironmonger from 1791. Based on the shape of the blade and scales (I saw the auction this came from), I'd say that's about when the razor was made.

But it's unlikely John Holben made the razor.

There are no Holbens listed in the apprentices registry. Before 1814, it was unlikely for someone who had not completed an apprenticeship to stamp his name on a razor in Sheffield.

Must be the same ironmonger, John Holben, from Volume 4 of the Universal British Directory of Trade & Commerce.

Volume 4 covered the years 1794 to 1798 then volume 5 was printed. In the US 'hardware' shops are the equivalent of ironmongers, whose goods, originally of iron and for domestic use, expanded to mean other materials like steel, so we would find an ironmongers shop offering all sorts of things for home, for domestic use. You could find knives, cutlery, nails, screws, fenders, flatware etc, etc in the typical ironmongers premises.

The Industrial Revolution saw ironmongers acting like factors in the late 1700s, letting out work to other smiths, etc, and selling the other makers wares under a warehouse sort of arrangement. Before the Industrial Revolution the local blacksmith was the primary source of local ironmongery. So we find that in the early 1700s the local market or village square was the source of wares made by local blacksmiths. All this was set to change in the late 1800s when there was a flood of goods and warehouses, and many middlemen arose to peddle the wares of others.

Regards,
Neil

Thank you for your time. thats very interesting. I said i would stop accumulating razors once I got a stub tail I could refurbish. Is there any chance of that being possible? (I refer to the accumulating of razors) B

It may be possible to outright quit but more than likely just put into remission. I don't buy often anymore but eventually I find a razor that interests me and I wind up at least attempting to buy it.

Originally Posted by babbott

Thank you for your time. thats very interesting. I said i would stop accumulating razors once I got a stub tail I could refurbish. Is there any chance of that being possible? (I refer to the accumulating of razors) B

No. There is absolutely no chance of ending the accumulation of razors.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

No. There is absolutely no chance of ending the accumulation of razors.

I beg to differ ........

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I beg to differ ........

Counterpoint: