Thread: Need info about a blade purchased for restoration

Originally Posted by TMJudd

I disagree. It's been a while since I had any good tang, however. The Mrs. does give me many good opportunities to duck!

You ain't been holding your mouth right.

The Hilliard was made by Edinburgh cutler, Harvey Hilliard in Scotland - it was not made in Sheffield for him.

Hilliard was 'Cutler & Surgical Instrument Maker to the Queen' and was based at 7 Nicolson Street according to the 1871- 1875 Edinburgh Post Office Directory and lived at 5, Hope Park Crescent.

He was later joined by his son to make H. Hilliard & Son, still based at 7 Nicolson Street, as is recorded in the South of Scotland Trades Directory for 1900.

As luck would have it, Harvey Hilliard was born in Sheffield in 1810. He later joined Thomas Chapman's 'Scottish Cutlery House' in Glasgow circa 1833 (Chapman was recorded as 'Cutler & Dressing Case Manufacturer to the Queen' and went into partnership with Thomas Chapman to form Hilliard & Chapman in Glasgow circa 1842.

Their is some confusion about who started the Scottish Cutlery House - Chapman has billheads proclaiming it as his venture, but when Hilliard & Chapman dissolved their partnership around 1849 Hilliard advertised his new venture as The Star and proclaimed in the press that he was the originator of the Scottish Cutlery House and that the same used to be referred to simply as 'Hilliards'.

Hilliard married Jane Wilson in Lanarkshire, Scotland in 1835. He died in 1881. He had a number of children, several of whom died tragically young. One died the same year as his father, but on the Benin River in Africa! One became a celebrated surgeon - Robert Harvey Hilliard. Discounting Robert Harvey Hilliard, and two sons who died in 1861 and Theodore who died in Africa, we are left with Frederick William Hilliard, born 1853 . In 1871 he was listed in the census as Assistant Surgical Instrument Maker and in 1881 as Cutler, so he is the 'Son' of H. Hilliard & Son.

Regards,
Neil

Nice! A real Scottish Razor!

Thank you Neil. That's quite a bit of info! I appreciate you going to the trouble to research this and post your findings. Is there any way to accurately date this blade? In addition, I'd also like to find a drawing, or a photo of what the original scales would have looked like and of what material they were made from ( thanks for the good advice, Wullie), but I am clueless where to look in further researching this razor. Any ideas?
Thanks again for this post.

Tom...

No problem - pleasure to help, especially after the recent 'derailing'...

Time period - obviously after the partnership and the 'Star' venture, so say around 1855/60 to just before the name changed to H Hiliard & Son, who was assistant (ie apprenticed) to his father in 1871 but recorded as cutler in 1881, so a ballpark figure would be like John already posted, and could be 1860 to 1881.

I have had several sets of razors by Scottish Cutlers and Instrument makers, and they have all been high class razors, befittingly scaled in ivory - even the very large blades. Although you could get away with dark horn, I would think.

You really need access to old newspaper archives and ancestry websites - there is a lot of information out there, but you get it more by 'hunch' than by logic.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by TMJudd

I just purchased this lot of 3 blades on Ebay. My main interest is in "The Master Razor",shown up top. I personally think it is quite sexy and would dress up really well sporting a set of custom Cocobolo scales. What can you folks tell me about this blade? Is it a good quality makers mark, good for shaving... or will this simply become a nice looking display piece?

Attachment 173260

Please could you let me know if you decide to sell the top one as it is (without restoration?) Hilliard and sons were my Great-Great and Great-Great-Great Grandfathers. I completely understand if you are not prepared to sell it but I would be very interested.

Originally Posted by Chilli

Please could you let me know if you decide to sell the top one as it is (without restoration?) Hilliard and sons were my Great-Great and Great-Great-Great Grandfathers. I completely understand if you are not prepared to sell it but I would be very interested.

Perhaps you may send a PM to the OP. Sales and solicitation among members is fine, I think, as long as it is kept private and to PM's. Not on the open forum. If that is from your Great 3 times, I hope you have great luck!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Perhaps you may send a PM to the OP. Sales and solicitation among members is fine, I think, as long as it is kept private and to PM's. Not on the open forum. If that is from your Great 3 times, I hope you have great luck!

Ooh thank you. Sorry- I should have read the full T&C really but in my excitement over seeing this, I didn't think. Thank you for the heads up. I shall do it later. Thanks again.