Thread: Early 1800's Dearden Sheffield couple

Wow, very nice set considering the age. I'm glad things like that get saved for future generations, I just wish they were mine!

Beautiful set!
I wouldn't waste much time. Clean them, hone them and start using them!
Congratulations and enjoy!

Pete <:-}

Originally Posted by Srdjan

Meanwhile, we know more about the maker and the razors.

First, the scales are dyed horn. I guess the regulars around here didn't need to be told. For me, I had to inform myself online.. Even before the acquisition, it was clear to me, no ancient turtles were harmed in making these... anyway, moving on.

One friend contacted another, finally recommending Mr. Zak Jarvis (The Shivering Beggar blog) and this is what Zak had to say:

"Oh, what a beautiful pair of razors!

I think those are most likely from 1810-1820, but the style overlapped some. The 'Ne Plus Ultra' etching on the spine was being advertised from 1806 onward.

If you hold up the scales to a very bright light, razors from near the beginning of the 1800's have three holes in the pewter wedge. The holes are arranged around the pin & washer.

I have no idea why the holes were there, but they seem to have stopped making them that way around 1810.

The name is definitely a Sheffield name. There were a wide variety of Deardens making a wide variety of steel goods. Mostly scissors and butchers knives in the 1820's. Most likely, it was someone from that family in a less successful business that didn't make it into a commercial directory, or possibly just selling razors before going into a main line of business."

Later on, he added:

"On the other hand, a quick look at the apprentice registry cleared things up immediately.

Jonathan Dearden, who was trained by Jonathan France and made a freedman right about the right time -- 1797. He seems to have still been in business by the 1820's, so he clearly kept working, and he was trained as a general cutler, so razors wouldn't have been an unusual thing for him to make.

Oh, the scales are definitely dyed horn.

...

I'm very glad to help out!"



... and I am very grateful to all the gents involved in the acquisition. [emoji1317]

Zak - yes, our very own Voidmonster, very knowledgeable among many here about the provenance of razors and their makers.

Beautiful set, my soul burns with RAD at the sight of them....if the scales had of been tortoise, I may have actually blacked out with the RAD, stunning set, congratulations on a great find.

Very nice !

Do they have a kamisori like grind? Or are they microtome razors?

@Phrank that made me laugh hard, maybe I should have started the thread with a "CAUTION: Not for the fainthearted". I totally get the feeling, I too experience the same RAD attacks, when I see some of yours.. but of course, this wasn't the purpose of the thread.

I felt they deserve a place here and needed to be documented. Yes, I will clean them up and hone at least one for @RASSO, but I am not yet sure whether I will regularly be using my piece, or it will just sit, well preserved. Maybe I decide to rejoin them at some point, because they simply belong together. They WILL part soon, one going to Montenegro, one staying with me, but I feel they should never be too far apart. Well, as long Rasho and I each keep our own piece, it will be fine.

Originally Posted by Kees

Do they have a kamisori like grind? Or are they microtome razors?

The grind is symmetrical on these:

Nothing beats the feeling of using an old razor like that, in such beautiful condition!

A very beautiful set for sure.