Thread: The Ring, Eye Witness?

Picked this up yesterday at an Antique Flea market.



It is a hollow ground 3/4 in blade is deeply etched, “THE RING” and an eye logo and Witness. The eye logo is exactly like the more modern, Taylor, Eye Witness logo.

But the tang is stamped J. Hoyland or Moyland Hull, not Taylor.

Did a bit of research and could find nothing on Hoyland or Moyland Hull and nothing related to JohnTaylor, Needham, Veall, Tyzak or any of the families involve with the Eyewitness trademark or Taylor, with either names.

“The Ring” etch, I believe refers to the “The Hamburg Ring” which was a method of hollow grinding in Germany that was new and performed on Sheffield razors in the 18 and 1900, which is an interesting history in its own right, of the modern day hollow ground razor. The Ring, referring to the noise of a full or extra hollow ground razor while stropping and shaving.

The Hamburg Ring was/is a process of using two opposing grinding wheels, razors were either exported to Germany for hollow grinding or dual wheel grinders were used in Sheffield to produce a, Ring Grind.

There is a good history by Neal and others in this link here on the Hamburg Ring and here on John Taylor and the Eyewitness Works, pg 173.

So any ideas on the Eye Witness etch and the makers stamp of Moyland/Hoyland Hull?

Either way is a nice razor for what I paid.

Here is the razor as purchased.



And after a few minutes of WD40, 0000 steel wool, some 1k Wet & Dry and black sharpie to darken the etch and
stamps.



In the Neets Food for a couple days…