Thread: The Johnson family from Sheffield

Thanks for sharing these great razors Rez. Very nice

Really like the shape of that cast steel.

Thanks. It is actually a very recent addition and has not been honed and shaved with yet. It is likely the oldest of them and yet is in pretty remarkable condition.

Lovely old razors Shaun Did you find them in the wild or eBay?

Great restoring you did! And what a nice stand you have, is it some kind of stone or wood?

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Wow. Very nice. I love me a shiny razor unless they have some age. This is a perfect example of where patina looks excellent. Beautiful IMO.

Originally Posted by DNM

Lovely old razors Shaun Did you find them in the wild or eBay?

Two are in the wild and the latest is from EBay. There is not really anywhere here to find stuff as I am quite isolated and the population is very small. I do get out once a year for a road trip though.

Originally Posted by yaguarete79

Great restoring you did! And what a nice stand you have, is it some kind of stone or wood?

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That is made from musk ox horn and it was made by the late Bill Barber.

Never been envious of another mans Johnson. Till now that is.
Really fine examples of classic razors Shaun. Terrific condition as well.
Congratulations on some beautiful acquisitions.

Well, that's a fun challenge!

I don't have time to do a bunch of digging (which is what that 'G' Johnson is going to take), but here's my off-the-top of my head guesses.

"Johnson / Cast Steel" -- 1815-1820, George Johnson
"Johnson" -- 1820ish, also George Johnson

George was born in the 1780's and has directory listings dating back to 1815. He wasn't granted the familiar stars mark until 1835, and he bought the pipe & dart well after that.

James Johnson was also around, but wasn't born until 1805, and thus was too young. Plus, I'm pretty certain all his goods were stamped with his full name because George Johnson was sufficiently established by the time he came along that disambiguation was important. As near as I can tell, they were not related.

The Gothic 'G' Johnson razor is a bigger mystery. I would guess 1870-1880, and possibly not even English-make. To my eye it looks like an early machine-produced German razor, but that's so subjective an assessment I don't trust it much myself.

I have a nagging feeling that I've seen that stamp before and Neil Miller was able to sort it out (as he so often did).