Thread: Total newbie looking for history my first razor

Super excited to come home to a package from Larry at whipped dog today! Now that I have my first straight razor I want to know everything about it. It is stamped

MAHER & GROSH
TOLEDO. O.

The blade is etched with

The Famous Toledo Blade
Radium steel Extra Hard

Barbers notch 11/16 with ivory colored celluloid scales.

Anybody know anything about these?
Really wishing I hadn't shaved this morning :/

P.s.
Larry if you read this ... amazing service!

All you need to know is, go slow and try to follow the advise given and learn how to strop and shave, figuring out where it came from and how old it is, won't make it shave better.

But if you must know our library has plenty of info on most well known razors, alittle research on your end will let you discover a bunch of history, Good luck. Tc

I know how you feel. One of the first things I do is research the history. Just another fun aspect of the hobby.

I found this at strazors.com- "This wholesale company was founded in Toledo, Ohio in 1875. In 1877, Maher & Grosh advertised in the American Agriculturist magazine, and began their mail order business.
Within a few years, they began sending out an illustrated price list of their goods. maher & Grosh contracted with established firms to manufacture their knives and razors. They moved to Clyde, Ohio about 1963, and they are still in business."

Great lead! From there I was able to find that they sold the company in june 1970. The factory burned down in july same year. Shortly after that they closed up shop.

.....and in 1938 the federal government prohibited the misleading advertisement of radium products... so older than that I guess. and radium was discovered in 1898... so older that that.