Thread: Early Razors and Dating them.....or not

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

My money is on Samuel. 1815-1825ish.

I suspect the Samuel in Gales & Martin went on to be S & W Kirkby.

I'm not at home at the moment, so I can't check my copy of Tweedale's directory.

I was looking for an inexpensive copy of tweedales directory earlier, any good sources for used resource works that you know of?

Of all the reference works out there, it's by far the best.

Geoffrey sent me a copy in thanks for the contributions I made, but as a result, my copy isn't the most up-to-date.

Here's the most direct source:

http://www.lulu.com/shop/http://www....-23086620.html

It's also worth noting this book is enormous. It is literally as big as the publisher can physically produce. He had to cut entries to fit everything in.

The old directories I've picked up have come through EBay or AbeBooks. Those vary in price a lot based on quality.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

My money is on Samuel. 1815-1825ish.

I suspect the Samuel in Gales & Martin went on to be S & W Kirkby.

I'm not at home at the moment, so I can't check my copy of Tweedale's directory.

Tweedale claims that Samuel Was mainly a silver fruit knife maker. Later with William as S & W Kirkby. They registered a silver trademark in 1821.

Originally Posted by Martin103

Tweedale claims that Samuel Was mainly a silver fruit knife maker. Later with William as S & W Kirkby. They registered a silver trademark in 1821.

At least in Gales & Martin, Kirkby is explicitly listed as a razor maker. So he did definitely make razors.

However he was using a distinctive mark then:

Well that's a different Samuel because the one from S & W was born in 1795.

Funny how a firm's name is bought out and new, outsourced products come to fore for a while.

I have a Rowland and Marcellus razor. Not the typical product from them!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...p-2-print.html

The link is not working properly and is incomplete.
Hopefully it is not lost?

Heh. Yes, yes that would be!

And the later Samuel Kirkby doesn't appear to be the son of the Gales & Martin one, at least from the data in the apprentice registries.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Funny how a firm's name is bought out and new, outsourced products come to fore for a while.

I have a Rowland and Marcellus razor. Not the typical product from them!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...p-2-print.html

The link is not working properly and is incomplete.
Hopefully it is not lost?

That thread just reminded me how much I miss Neil.

On a happier note, that look into the apprentice registry turned up an interesting and unrelated tidbit. There was a Samuel Kirkby in the 1760's who was apprenticed to Robert Rowland (which is why your razor reminded me, Tom).

Robert Roland is a tiny step forward in sorting out Ann, Elizabeth, and Sleigh Rowland.

Unfortunately, he mostly just adds another name to the pile without a clear indication of who or what relationship he had with the others.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Unfortunately, he mostly just adds another name to the pile without a clear indication of who or what relationship he had with the others.

We lost him too soon!