Thread: Wade and Butcher markings

Without seeing the rest of the blade it's a bit hard to be sure, but the stamp is pretty indicative of late 1870's through 1880's.

William & Samuel Butcher's use of marks is enough to drive a detail-oriented researcher crazy. Those arrows have incredible variation, most likely because they weren't all produced in the same factory and some random worker had to make up a new stamp for a batch of orders.

The Cross/Arrow/(B) logo itself is an incredibly late addition to their goods, coming in no earlier than 1860 -- they'd been in business for 42 years prior to that!

There are many, many stamps and etchings used, and some get used on things besides razors (planes, files, saws, etc -- the Butcher Brothers produced a lot of different things). Some are only seen on razors. Same goes for slogans (Universally Approved, Set & Ready for Use, Fine India Steel, Fine India Steel Combined With Silver, etc).