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Looking for information on when W & B started putting jimps on their razors. I've acquired a nice old one with jimps on the bottom and haven't seen one like it. Any ideas anybody?
Thanks,
Fred
OK Doc, here's the pictures. Not through with it yet, but getting close.
do you have any pictures?
I'll try and post some tomorrow,
Thanks Doc,
Fred
Added pictures 4/8/08
Fred
hmmm.... newer model... after 1890.... the jimps are they rounded at the bottom or sharp little triangles?
They seem to be sharp and a little irregular. Razor hasn't been honed too many times, very little wear.
Fred
I'll guess.. so that somebody can correct me... since it says "England the blade is newer than 1890, those may not be the original scales.. the staining around the pivot makes me think that. it was probably made to spec for a retailer called "McAvity", and since it does not have the rounded bottom jimps, before 1930... that is when i find that manufactures started doing them... but not everybody switched... my guess is that rounded ones are easier to machine then the triangle ones.
i have found rounded top jimps on razors from before that time though.
I hope somebody else can give you a better date... Yorkshireman might be able to tell you when they WB so sold and or merged into other companies.
in any case it is a fine looking razor with minimal hone wear.
Wade & Butcher cutlery was made by W.& S.Butcher of Sheffield. William & Samuel Butcher went into partnership in 1819. From probably the 1830s, Robert Wade was the Butcher Bros. New York agent. From that time, U.S. export goods and many home market goods were marked "Wade & Butcher". During the Great War Kastor Bros., a New York merchants, made a bid for the W. & B. mark. It is not known whether the deal went through. In 1921 the American firm, Durham Duplex, bought W.& S.Butcher Ltd. in order to manufacture safety razors. Butcher's continued to manufacture cutlery until 1959.
Given the "ENGLAND" stamping and the use of Grained Xylonite scales (which I believe to be original) my guess would be a date of around 1920.
Your jimping is sharp and irregular because it is hand filed. Coarser, rounded jimping is cut using a grooved grinding wheel. Jimping cannot be used as a dating feature as throughout the period of production some razors would be jimped and others not. Nor, indeed, does hand or wheel jimping reflect date - hand filing is used for fine jimps and a wheel for coarse jimps. It is common for razors to have fine, hand jimps to the bottom of the tang and coarse, wheel jimps to the top.
Excellent information! That was most interesting about the sale and subsequent production of them.
Thanks greatly,
Fred