Thread: CLUE... "It was Hilliard, in the workshop, with a razor!"

Originally Posted by TMJudd

I see nothing posted that actually dates this razor. A very good history of Hilliard, but that's not what I currently seek. I'm not into the history of the Hilliard name, not for now. I'm simply trying to pin down the actual date of a single razor made by Hilliard. Sorry for the confusion.

Twisting what Neil tells ya will get you farther from the actual production date, IMO. There is no way to pinpoint an actual production date of any old razor that I know of. Be happy to know what is avaliable and commit to understanding THAT in full. Should be quite enough to know. Always is for me, anyway! YMMV

Okay, I get it. I obviously stepped out of the beginners box a bit too soon. That's okay. I don't mind learning the hard way. Things typically stick with me better after being beaten into me!

Originally Posted by TMJudd

Okay, I get it. I obviously stepped out of the beginners box a bit too soon. That's okay. I don't mind learning the hard way. Things typically stick with me better after being beaten into me!

The production of most razors is a guessing game. The only clues are design factors and most importantly, maker's marks. The history of the people/familys is most important as things such as 'son', 'sons', location of sale or manufacture, partners, etc. often tell a ton about the timeline of a blade. These things were tools. Most are not commemorative editions(though some plainly are) and were not date-stamped. Even those with famous people's name and monarch stamps can be questionable as to close dating.
What is important is to do reserch, but also opposing research to find the best and most reliable tale of a particular maker and his family. Then apply it to the razor. Moving a razor to a date is futile. Moving a razor to a timeframe in a proper manner is something Neil excels at. He is faster and more thorough in his research than you or I can comprehend.
I always come up with my best, post it first, and let Neil graciously set me straight. Then, I begin to understand I am woefully ill equipped to do same, much less correct him. He is not always right, he corrects himself all the time as things move forward.
I always appreciate the added historical tidbits he finds and shares. Such as the other day when he shared that my razor's maker's grandfather watched the battle of Bunker Hill from a church steeple at the age of 14.
First thing I tell people about that particular razor!
Grumpy, sometimes. Stubborn, yep! Brilliant, always! Neil is a great asset to this forum and indeed, to myself!

I have no doubts as to Neil's brilliance and competency. I just need to pay more attention to what he says and take the time to figure out what it all means. He's very clear in his writing, I'm just a bit green and always a bit hasty in wanting to know most everything about anything, right now. I constantly subject myself to information overload and only when I'm up to my eyeballs in alligators does it dawn on me that my initial intent was to simply drain a pond! If you're reading this, Neil... feel free to correct me, when I err, as I will... but please don't abandon me! You're an obvious wealth of knowledge and I can learn volumes from you, really I can, I promise!