Thread: Need help with an old Sheffield razor.

I got one old razor that looks like it's got a Royal stamp on it. But I can't identify the manufacturer. There is a barely discernible engraving on the blade. It looks like there's a vignette of flowers and a couple of words that look like "six bits". Maybe someone has the same razor or information about the manufacturer?

The crown over V R is for Victoria's Reign.
As for the design, can't make it out clearly.
Could be any Sheffield manufacturer before they started putting their stamp on it.

It seemed to me that during this period everyone was already putting the brand of the manufacturer.

What's on the other side of the tang, anything? I assume not due to the lack of pics of it.

There are no inscriptions.

Not the expert... but my guess is it is an apprentice razor, or otherwise made by other than the shopowner.

I've never heard of such razors for students. Why wasn't the brand put on them?

Well. Let's try to date the razor. When did they stop putting the Royal stamp? 1840s? Engravings also appeared around the 1830s and 40s. The word "Warranted" also stopped being stamped on razors sometime in the 1830s. I think correctly? But when did "fine india steel" appear? "Silver steel" in the years 1820-30. And "india steel" when?
And who of those who had the right to put the royal stamp, used fine india steel in the years?

Well let's start with the things that we know for certain. Victoria became queen in June of 1837. My guess would be that it would have been at least a few months before razors with her stamps would have gone on to market so probably the earliest it could be is late 1837 - early 1838. We also know that her reign ended upon her death in January of 1901. Of course the late dating is superseded By the existence of the McKinley tariff which had effect on stampings in 1891. So it absolutely has to be between late 1837 to early 1891 but by the look of it my guess would be somewhere in the 1840s to 1850s. I don't have a definitive answer on when the regal stampings ceased but I'm sure someone will chime in.

Wrote out everything from Goins ' list that had a V (crown) R.
V(crown)R Marshes & Shepherd Pond Works Sheffield (c1837-1850)
V(crown)R Joseph Rodgers & Sons Cutlers to their Majesties (c1837-1901), 6 Norfolk St, star and cross on back of tang
V(crown)R Rodgers Cutlers to Her Majesty Patent (c1837-1901), star and cross on back of tang
V(crown)R Joseph Rodgers & Sons Cutlers to Her Majesty Patent (c1837-1901), star and cross on back of tang
V(crown)R Rodgers Cutlers to Her Majesty Patent No. 6 Norfolk St (c1837-1901), star and cross on back of tang
V(crown)R Thomas Turner & Co Sheffield/Encore T. Turner Best Steel/Turner & Co Cutlers to Her Majesty (c1834-1901), Sheffield