Thread: Wooden tail?

I found this razor at the flea market and didn't recognize the brand C. W. Hackett Hardware, but bought it because the tail appeared to be made of wood and the spine had been ground down. Is this common, and I have just been missing them? Also, does anyone know anything about this brand name?

Covered tangs are not that uncommon. I have two Japanese razors with them. Some very nice vintage and moderns with them as well with ivory or MOP covered tangs. Probably made it easier to "brand" a razor as the cover can be applied after the blade is finished and stockpiled. Then when a hardware or any other company ordered they could stamp the covers and rivet them on and install them in the scales. Just a guess on my part.
Ken.

First wooden covered tang I've seen, but it doesn't surprise me.

As for the brand, it's a generic blade, probably from a major producer, that was branded for that hardware store.

As for the hardware store:
C.W. Hackett Hardware Company, 1889 - 1902, was founded in 1858 in St. Paul, Minnesota, as the C.D.Strong Hardware Company. In 1885, they became the Strong, Hackett Hardware Company. In 1889 - C.W. Hackett Hardware Company. In 1902, after two new members came into the firm, became - Hackett Walther Gates Hardware Company. The firm again changed names in 1912 to Hackett, Gates & Hurty.
According to: https://www.nationalgunforum.com/sho...l-shotgun.html

Is the tail actually wooden? Or is it covered in wood like folks are sugesting? If covered you would see the sreel inbetween the wood pieces. Sandwiching the steel. It would be tough to make the wood cutout perfect enough to slip the tail inside, but i guess its possible if split in two pieces and shaped perfectly.

Still, as has been said, its normally done with special materials like ivory or MOP or plastic, not wood. How about a good pic of the spine. You say its ground differently?

Originally Posted by Gasman

Is the tail actually wooden? Or is it covered in wood like folks are sugesting? If covered you would see the sreel inbetween the wood pieces. Sandwiching the steel. It would be tough to make the wood cutout perfect enough to slip the tail inside, but i guess its possible if split in two pieces and shaped perfectly.

Still, as has been said, its normally done with special materials like ivory or MOP or plastic, not wood. How about a good pic of the spine. You say its ground differently?

the material, metal part goes up to right before the pivot pin. Clearly it had been dipped in something to get rid of the corrosion. The tail itself is not metal, there is no split where it could be two pieces

it may be ivory but I can not tell

That is interesting for sure.

Celluloid, I expect.

While it can be done aftermarket (taking the time to cut the tail off and hollow out a wooden piece/from a production view it's doubtful that the material at the tail is wooden since they wrap completely around the shank and tail.

I'm taking a guess at this but it's amazing at how back in the day they were able to get celluloid to look so many different things/ivory, tortoise shell etc.

I handled a razor that you would have sworn had some kind of wooden scales with a nice polish on them. However they were indeed celluloid.

Again just a guess.

That's nothing unusual for a covered tang. I'd bet it's celluloid, and there is metal inside that cannot be seen from the outside.

Also, ivory and wood really don't look nor feel alike, at least not in my experience.