Thread: Wm Greaves & Sons straight razor type?

Thanks Voidmonster, that's why I signed up for this forum! I'm more interested in the forged history of the blades than the shaving. I've done some forging myself and the form is really beautiful to me. Thanks for the info!

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

Yeah. All of Greaves razors were hand forged, and that one likely dates to the mid-to-late 1830’s.

I don’t really know how long it was done this way — I’d assume since the early 1700’s — Sheffield razors were hand forged and ground, but the workmen had what they called ‘stiddy-sticks’ which were custom tools for each style of razor. It helped them be consistent, because they were CRANKING THEM OUT. Each worker would’ve made upwards of a hundred a day, especially at a major outfit like Greaves which actually controlled their full work pipeline.

The role of Sheffield manufacturers could vary from anything between buying pre-made blank blades and scales which were stamped, ground and hafted (put in scales), to Greaves at the extreme end who imported and smelted their own steel, forged the strings (bits of steel that were cut for the forger to shape), ground, pressed the scales, hafted, made the boxes and shipped finished goods.

Most were somewhere much closer to the ‘buying blanks’ side of the equation. But Greaves — they were innovators in supply control.

Holley razors were the same. They used ore from their back yard to smelt the steel and everything was handmade. Oddly enough because they chose to hand forge everything they were eventually “edged” out of the market by drop forges and more of a mass produced blade. (Pun intended)

Automation came for everybody’s lunch, eventually. Ironically, it was what saved the Solingen industry. Or at least that’s what Godfrey Isaac Howard Lloyd had to say on the subject around the beginning of the 20th century.

I need to visit more flea markets--nice snag!

I have a blade just like that with no scales. Problem is it was in a box of other unscaled razor that got misplaced when we moved. I paid a couple of bucks for mine also.

Slawman

WOW that is an awesome price. Love those razors

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I have two or three Greaves with double notches.. I've also got a pair that have three notches. Plus I have a whole bowl of nachos.

3 notches? For thumb + 2 fingers? Any pictures available @holli4pirating?