The making of Razors. 1908, The Geneva Cutlery Co.

The making of Razors, article from the Hardware magazine 1908.

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Cool read! Have a few NY blades and they are quality built. Take quite the edge too!

Thanks for posting! Love to know how things were done " back in the day "!

Thank you for sharing!

Good reading there, Martin! The relationship of American blademakers with Sheffield steel cannot be denied.
Perhaps why Sanderson Brothers of England began steel making in America quite early on.
This old Gold Seal will testify!

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Originally Posted by sharptonn

Good reading there, Martin! The relationship of American blademakers with Sheffield steel cannot be denied.
Perhaps why Sanderson Brothers of England began steel making in America quite early on.
This old Gold Seal will testify!

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Absolutely! Around 1875, In Syracuse New York! By the turn of the century the demand was so high that the Sanderson Bros with 13 others firm join together to form the Crucible Steel Company of America. Zak has a booklet on pdf on his site about their products! check it out! http://theshiveringbeggar.com/docume...eelCompany.pdf

That is a neat article, thanks for sharing!

Martin, this is truly very interesting.
My latest book is "The Knife Makers Who Won the West" by Harvey Platts. It starts out when America offered better positions for cutlers so some started coming from Sheffield. One of them was Charlie W Platts who came from a long line of knife makers there. In 1852 at the age of 14 years old he began his cutlers apprenticeship & worked for some of the finest firms including Joseph Rodgers & Sons in Sheffield until he mastered all the different skills in knife making so at 26 years old he moved his family in 1864 to America where he first took a position at the American Knife Co in Reynolds Bridge, Connecticut & history goes from there. So far I have found this book very informative of the American cutlery industry. Another cool book I got awhile back was called "From Mesters To Masters" by Clyde Binfield & David Hey plus it also has a chapter in it by Geoffrey Tweedale.

I am interested in that bit about different kinds of wheels used for polishing, including wheels 'turned from walrus hides.'
Reading historical information about razors is more fun than going into zombie mode perusing razors on Ebay. Better for my rapidly deteriorating mind.

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Originally Posted by WW243

I am interested in that bit about different kinds of wheels used for polishing, including wheels 'turned from walrus hides.'
Reading historical information about razors is more fun than going into zombie mode perusing razors on Ebay. Better for my rapidly deteriorating mind.

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And my rapidly deteriorating bank account.

yes, thanks for the article. Genevas are some of my favorites also.

I found the reference to using Belgium blue hones interesting.

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Originally Posted by Leatherstockiings

I found the reference to using Belgium blue hones interesting.

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Well actually they say Belgium blue and white, or old rock stone, so basically a Coticule.

I got a Genco the other day that I haven't seen hardly at all. On the opposite side of the tang it says made by W.R. Case, Bradford, PA which I knew there was a connection between the two. The tip has a small chip in it but I can grind it out.

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Originally Posted by engine46

I got a Genco the other day that I haven't seen hardly at all. On the opposite side of the tang it says made by W.R. Case, Bradford, PA which I knew there was a connection between the two. The tip has a small chip in it but I can grind it out.

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Indeed W. R. Case bought out the razor division of The Geneva Cutlery in 1936, manufactured in Bradford, Pa, till 1955.

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This shaves good as any I have,better actually.Hope it's ok to add this to this thread.They took the time to make a razor for someones request.It is nearly 7/8.

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Originally Posted by engine46

Martin, this is truly very interesting.
My latest book is "The Knife Makers Who Won the West" by Harvey Platts. It starts out when America offered better positions for cutlers so some started coming from Sheffield. One of them was Charlie W Platts who came from a long line of knife makers there. In 1852 at the age of 14 years old he began his cutlers apprenticeship & worked for some of the finest firms including Joseph Rodgers & Sons in Sheffield until he mastered all the different skills in knife making so at 26 years old he moved his family in 1864 to America where he first took a position at the American Knife Co in Reynolds Bridge, Connecticut & history goes from there. So far I have found this book very informative of the American cutlery industry. Another cool book I got awhile back was called "From Mesters To Masters" by Clyde Binfield & David Hey plus it also has a chapter in it by Geoffrey Tweedale.

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Interesting Steve, another good book is Geoffrey Tweedale. Sheffield Steel and America: A Century of Commercial and Technological Interdependence, 1830-1930. It is partially available on google books.

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Originally Posted by Martin103

Interesting Steve, another good book is Geoffrey Tweedale. Sheffield Steel and America: A Century of Commercial and Technological Interdependence, 1830-1930. It is partially available on google books.

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Thanks Martin, may have to check that book out. I think it is one of my "Knives & Razors" by Jim Sargent which tells all about Case being associated with Geneva & several other razor makers back in the day. That's one thing good about his books, they give a lot of information about Case.