Thread: Help to identify this razor

Hi everyone, new guy here! I've had this razor for a long time and would like to know some history on it. It appears very old and has a heavy blade. Tang stamp says M S Young & Co., Allentown, PA. on the blade there is a picture of an anvil and what looks like T A? Bll HED 1843. On the reverse tang it's marked Germany and a maltese cross. The handle appears to be horn. Maybe Civil War Era? I know M S Young & Co. was a hardware store that started business in Allentown in 1832. Probably this was an import razor, but that stamp with the anvil and letters and 1843, I have no idea what it means! Any help will be greatly appreciated! Thanks!

Welcome to the forum bear. You can have multiple pictures in a single post. You do not have to add a new reply each time you want to add a picture.

MS Young and Co look like they were a hardware business.

There is a mention in Google books of a Reuben Peter Steckel being a retired hardware merchant in Allentown and still owning a financial interest in MS Young and Co. It also says that MS Young and Co were controlling an extensive hardware trade.

https://books.google.com.au/books?id...entown&f=false

Looks post civil war to me, I'd say more ww1 era...

Thanks for your replies! Still trying to find out what that anvil mark with the lettering and 1843 mean. Anybody got any ideas?

Since it´s made in Germany I think it can be Franz Pils & son.
According to archiving industry they had an anvil as a mark.
It says nothing about the letters in the anvil though
That is all I can contribute with. Hope it´s some help.