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

Examples from the presumed 1810s-1820s era. The Greaves is the only one I dated more positively to 1816-1826, and undoubtedly many folks would look at the tail and say it dates toward the latter of that range..... well perhaps. The patent temper being the Greaves' ugly twin brother many would attempt to label with a date earlier based on the tail but who can say for certain?! Thats a lot of assumption based on a small detail and it happens with regularity anytime a razor with an unknown date range for the maker, or for a razor with an unknown maker for that matter. The Barlow Travel razor, similar enough blade shape, tail and scales to those in the same 1810s-1830s range but I don't know any of the dates of operation and which Barlow, James or John and prior to sons etc to be able to date this one. Lots of conjecture on the forums and lots of "that blade is shaped like mine here" whereas dates of operation tell a more accurate tale than blade style don't they?
My rant may be mistaken as complaining if don't clarify the reason for this post. How grateful we all are here for those who know how to dig deeper and who share it regularly! Neil before he passed, Zack, Martin, Scienceguy, just to name a few who regularly share/shared freely. Thank you All!

Those are some nice looking razors.

Originally Posted by Hirlau

Those are some nice looking razors.

thay would benefit from some lovin, been in a box for years now haha

Try this site. https://acierfondu.wordpress.com
It has archives of older razors

Originally Posted by bouschie

Try this site. https://acierfondu.wordpress.com
It has archives of older razors

Been there many times previously but looks like a lot has been added since I last checked in there! Thanks for the reminder

The 1800-1820 period is especially difficult to pin down.

The blade & scale styles present in the 1816 "Smith's Key" were no doubt around before it's publication and many stuck around long after. Style alone doesn't really get us there, and tail length & shape is not the indicator we would really hope for. Likewise, the curvature of the scales is at best a vague indicator. Razors in the "Smith's Key" exhibit a range. (It's worth browsing the other pages of razors, too -- the 'portable razors' were the travel sized models.)

The only remaining indicator is manufacturer's stamp, which means stuff with generic stamps like 'warranted' or 'refined steel', etc, can't be pinned to the 1800-1820 range.

Manufacturer's stamps are better. Robert Wade razors have roughly 50/50 chance of being pre-1820 since his mark was used from roughly 1816 to 1827.

Clark & Hall are a pretty good bet, but they did make things with that stamp after 1820.

Marsden-stamped razors are probably from somewhere in the range, and generally large razors with a squared spine with 'Magnum Bonum' etched on the top are too.

Rhodes & Champion rolled up their business early in the 1820's, so likewise with theirs.

"Styring & Co" stamps as well as "Wilson & Co" also date mostly to that period.

There are others, but it takes individual research on the companies.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

The 1800-1820 period is especially difficult to pin down.

The blade & scale styles present in the 1816 "Smith's Key" were no doubt around before it's publication and many stuck around long after. Style alone doesn't really get us there, and tail length & shape is not the indicator we would really hope for. Likewise, the curvature of the scales is at best a vague indicator. Razors in the "Smith's Key" exhibit a range. (It's worth browsing the other pages of razors, too -- the 'portable razors' were the travel sized models.)

The only remaining indicator is manufacturer's stamp, which means stuff with generic stamps like 'warranted' or 'refined steel', etc, can't be pinned to the 1800-1820 range.

Manufacturer's stamps are better. Robert Wade razors have roughly 50/50 chance of being pre-1820 since his mark was used from roughly 1816 to 1827.

Clark & Hall are a pretty good bet, but they did make things with that stamp after 1820.

Marsden-stamped razors are probably from somewhere in the range, and generally large razors with a squared spine with 'Magnum Bonum' etched on the top are too.

Rhodes & Champion rolled up their business early in the 1820's, so likewise with theirs.

"Styring & Co" stamps as well as "Wilson & Co" also date mostly to that period.

There are others, but it takes individual research on the companies.

"Smiths key" is a drool magnet for me. Along with the Magnum Bonum marking there would also be "Ne Plus Ultra" and "Ground on a 4 Inch Wheel" I believe, correct? The Barlow in this grouping is sized appropriately as a travel razor and interestingly enough has "ground on a 4 inch wheel" etched on the spine.

Top-to-bottom:

Barlow "Magnum Bonum"

George Marsden "Magnum Bonum"

Robert Wade "Ne Plus Ultra"

All with the slogans on the top of the spine, all with similar design features. The Barlow is unequivocally later, as James Barlow moved into George Marsden's workshop at 21 Meadow Street.

The Marsdens are a thorny mess and it's a minor miracle I was even able to identify the microscopic remains of a stamp.

Luckily, James Barlow is a little more straight forward. The mark "BARLOW" didn't originate with him, but rather with Obadiah Barlow around the dawn of the 18th century. James was granted it in the later 1700's. By the 1820's, his business was a lot wigglier and he and his brother? son? were selling goods with the same marks from two different addresses.

Also, there are early 1970's facsimile editions of Smiths Key that can be got for a reasonable sum. I think I spent $60-70 on mine, and the promptly managed to tear the slipcover.

Beautiful blades Zack, the massive "Magnum Bonum" blades in that style are magnificent to say the least! I have yet to bring any in. Oddly the style blade I most often bring in with any of the three etches I mentioned are beveled spine variations like the Superior Temper here. This one reads "Ground On A 4 Inch Wheel."

And then this lonely Packwood with the top of the spine etched "Ne Plus Ultra" very faint and hard to make out in the pics. Love the textured bone scales