Thread: A conundrum

This one has been a head scratcher. My wife got this one for me for Christmas. It is a 13/16" full hollow ground with Najeeb Malluk & Co on the tang but no country or city of origin. The etching says "The Dewey Razor" and a picture of American flags and a bust head which appears to be Admiral George Dewey the most highly decorated Naval officer in US history. He is best known for his victory at the Battle of Manilla Bay in 1898 during the Spanish American War.




To be full hollow it must have been at least late 1880s. That's a given. Based on the etching it leads me to believe it was 1898 or later although the heavy etching was more popular on wedge blades and 10-20 years earlier. The inscription seems to be a piggy back attempt of the name of the Dewey Razor Company which was a contemporary of this razor. Najeeb Malluk was an importer of Turkish citizenship in 1895-1896. I have found some ads where he was selling rugs, furs, shawls, "Turkish embroyderies" etc doing business at 31-33 Broadway in New York. Also I found an application for naturalization in 1897.
So why was there no country of origin if it was made in the year it seems to be made in? It seems to be an import to the US. Why would he try to piggy back another company? A funny side note: while searching one thing I found was a post on a gun forum where the guy says he found one that he described exactly the same but comments that "it says made by the Dewey Razor Company" which it does not. He certainly thought it did which seems was certainly their intention.
All this would make you believe it was a cheap paki or other orientatal knock off and probably junk... except that it is NOT. At least it doesn't perform like one. Skeptically I sterilized, honed and stropped it in the usual manner. It takes and HOLDS an edge better than any of my Wade and Butchers (which I love), better than my Shumate, my Robeson Shuredge. In short it is a fabulous, fine shaving razor and I mean "fine" in the classical sense of the word.
As you can see I didn't even clean it much, just ran it briefly over the buffing wheel so I could read the inscription better. I was so ready to be disappointed that the surprise is even sweeter. I guess that goes to show: don't be too quick to draw conclusions.

Indeed, they were New York importers seemingly serving their constituents back in the day. Big business.
I think the razors to be German in origin. Always look nice, although I have never had one. Very old!
Hone it up!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Indeed, they were New York importers seemingly serving their constituents back in the day. Big business.
I think the razors to be German in origin. Always look nice, although I have never had one. Very old!
Hone it up!

I saw one listed on worthpoint that said made in Germany but if I recall they saw that on the box which was not original but that is not to say they are not German. There is very little information available on this as one of their products.