Thread: 200 year old shave!

I finally got this Shepherd razor cleaned, honed and shaving! It is a good shaver, but the stub tail tang took some getting used to. When dealing with any vintage razor I find myself wondering when it was last honed? Who shaved with it last? What would they think of the digital pictures I took? I wish these razors came with a written history...

It looks good. I’m glad the shave was good. Sounds like an all round winner. I often wonder those things too when using particularly old razors.

Some do. I picked up one a year ago with wood scales. Inside the scales were the name and date of the previous owner along with city and state where he lived. I was able to track his history on Google.

Originally Posted by bouschie

Some do. I picked up one a year ago with wood scales. Inside the scales were the name and date of the previous owner along with city and state where he lived. I was able to track his history on Google.

What did you learn about them?? That’s a really cool thing to be able to track.

The owner was C. H. Burris, 4245 Gratiot TN, moved to St. Louis MO
Married to Nannie N., Tenn
Had a daughter May Burris, April 1886

Wow that is really cool!

There's nothing quite like owning and using a useful tool older than telegraphs or iron steamer ships.

When it was new, people still used the long s in print. It would be almost a half century before anesthesia was even occasionally used with surgery. There was no Bessemer process for making steel. Michael Faraday was just the son of a blacksmith and a bookstore clerk, though he was just starting to strike up a friendship with Humphrey Davy. Frankenstein had not yet been written.

In short, it comes from another world entirely.

And you can use it.

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

There's nothing quite like owning and using a useful tool older than telegraphs or iron steamer ships.

When it was new, people still used the long s in print. It would be almost a half century before anesthesia was even occasionally used with surgery. There was no Bessemer process for making steel. Michael Faraday was just the son of a blacksmith and a bookstore clerk, though he was just starting to strike up a friendship with Humphrey Davy. Frankenstein had not yet been written.

In short, it comes from another world entirely.

And you can use it.

Wow that really puts it into perspective!!!!!

A little off subject sort of;

A while back I acquired a J Wiss & Sons razor who were in business from 1885 - 1969 when they were bought out by Boker. While doing some research was able to contact a descendant who is also a member here on SRP (DonWiss) of the company. Come to find out he has a web page (http://jwissandsons.com/razors/) with info on the J Wiss & Sons razors along styles they made.

It is nice to know a little history of something you own....................

Originally Posted by bouschie

The owner was C. H. Burris, 4245 Gratiot TN, moved to St. Louis MO
Married to Nannie N., Tenn
Had a daughter May Burris, April 1886

That is very cool, Leonard! I wonder if we shouldn't start inscribing some history on the insides of some of our restores and rescales too, seriously?!