Thread: The old English razor

Guys who knows anything about this razor.
Very grateful!

Well it is old, and it's English. It has horn scales and appears to be about 5/8" wide, with notable hone wear. I love guessing at age, my guess is 1850-1870. Now we will wait until someone who is smart to give some real answer, and not just a smart @$$

i'm going to go with old, english, and 1870-1890 Bob.

Originally Posted by RezDog

notable hone wear.

Shaun-

Is that your definition of notable? Me thinks closer to excessive...Guessing at age is fun unless we are talking women, then its just dangerous.

Originally Posted by Splashone

Shaun-

Is that your definition of notable? Me thinks closer to excessive...Guessing at age is fun unless we are talking women, then its just dangerous.

Agreed. I was trying to use more diplomatic terms.

That tang stamp is interesting. Say! Did not most everybody make an 'Old English' back then? I had a Torrey with that across the blade, I think!

Alex, your razor was made by Stephen Martin of Sheffield.

'The Old English Razor' mark has been used by many cutlers. For example, here is an incomplete list:

1. George Packwood, the self styled 'Razor Strop King' - he did not make razors, being famous more for his paddle strops and strop dressings, but there is some evidence to support he had razors made for him and stamped 'Packwood'. Indeed, there are many Packwood TOE razors out there. He started his meteoric rise to fame around 1794.

2. Thomas Scargill, another Sheffield cutler, also used this mark. He was active from around the 1813 but died in 1825.

3. Frederick Reynolds, another Sheffield cutler also used the TOER mark. He was active from around the 1840s to the 1870s.

4. John Barber & Son acquired the mark at some time (they also acquired the Shepherd 'Wolf' mark). However, they sold the TOER mark to Stephen Martin in 1847. Martin was born in 1802 and features as a 'razor manufacturer' in the 1861 census. Interestingly, he was married to Eliza Barber in 1826 and it appears, from advertisements from the time that had 'late of John Barber' as an endorsement that he once worked for the Barbers.

Regards,
Neil

Atta boy, Neil!

Does the stub tail suggest a date as early as 1830's?

Originally Posted by UKRob

Does the stub tail suggest a date as early as 1830's?

No - definitely not with Martins mark on the tang (and allowing for the scales to be original), as he did not own the mark until 1847.

It's not really what I regard as a stub-tail either.

Regards,
Neil