Thread: D.C Halsted 9/8 FBU

D.C Halsted seems to have been a fairly prolific maker. I've restored several of his blades this year both wedges and hollow grinds but this is the first blade of his I've seen over 1 inch. I was surprised not to find him listed in Tweedale's Directory. Does anyone have information on him?
This blade measure 1 3/16 inches and will wear some horn scales when it's finished. Not much needs to be done to the blade. It's in nice condition.

....................faint........

Goodgoogalymoogaly!

I am a fan of D.C. Halsted, with one of my favourites in my rotation being one. So this one is making me a little weak in the knee!

Nice catch!

Nice! Strange lack of info on Halsted. Perhaps someone will come along who knows? It certainly seems a ringer for a Wade and Butcher!

Very nice Blade,but that notch,what is it for

I love it ! Congrat's karlej, that is a very sweet blade. Please post the pics when it gets the new shoes.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Very nice Blade,but that notch,what is it for

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That vaping is working for you....good one...hilarious!

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Very nice Blade,but that notch,what is it for

We cannot tell you, Bill. We would have to kill you if we did!

I have summoned the Great Neil Miller. If anyone knows of Halsted, it would be him?

Thanks Tom, but I fear this has been a bit of a fruitless search.

I have searched all of the census returns for Sheffield from 1841 to 1881 with not one hit - plenty of Halsteads but nary a D. C. Halsted. All this despite a post on a saw collectors forum that there was a "...D. C. Halsted listed in Sheffield in the 1860s making razors..." with no source cited, so not helpful.

I have seen terrible mis-spellings on the census list, so I tried 'Halstead' instead - still no results.

I then tried the Hallamshire list of Freemen of the Cutlers Company - not one Halsted is recorded. The same holds true for the list of Apprentices.

On another saw collectors forum I saw a listing for a 'cast.steel' (sic) back saw made by "Swords & Hastead" speculatively dated 1850s. This company probably evolved from 'Swords, Halstead & Loomis" a US hardware importer in the 1830s - 1840s, who supplied hardware, cutlery etc.

This prompted me to look at the US census returns - hooray! Found a David C. Halsted in the 1880 census - but he turns out to have been a government official who died that same year.

The 1861 US census turned up a Dewitt C. Halsted - but he turns out to have been a farmer. So - Back to the UK where I find a reference to Halsted & Sons, but they turn out to have been ironmongers and iron and brass founders and smiths - in Chichester, established in the 1840.

More searching turned up a Halstead & Sons in Sheffield with a picture of a knife bearing their name. Further research shows the father to have been an F. L. Halsted, so back to the drawing board...



There are just two references to D. C. Halsted I have found, and both are speculative and cite no supporting evidence. I find the lack of information about him flabbergasting, particularly as there are so very many of his razors in circulation - he must have been a very prolific maker indeed.

Regards,
Neil