Thread: More info. please joseph Elliot

Hoping for some more information on this razor. I think I ebayed it for abotu 55 bucks, it looks in great shape to me and blade style was a bit different. ivory in fantastic condition. one side starting to turn buttery yellow. no cracks I can find, one teensy tiny pin prick or something by one pin, you can see in pic before I cleaned it out. not sure how to sterilize ivory by the way. I had the pin tightened so now it is super snug. not sure if I should sell after getting honed and trying it out, I guess the shave quality will determine that. information? thoughts?

Very well respected Sheffield manufacturer. You have a very nice blade there. Have to admit, I thought the first shot of the scales was plastic but since my experience of ivory is extremely limited, I'll leave it to other more knowledgeable posters to comment.

any more info? I'm curious as to age, I' figuring pre-1890 as somebody said after that they had to have the country stamped?

Red

I'm no expert, but I'll try to offer suggestions for further resources.

Uniclectica is a great resource for establishing rough ages of manufacture for various makers.

According to this resource, your razor is stamped "Joseph Elliot" with the C and reversed C, with a cross in between. It says this trademark was in effect between 1821 - 1854. I wouldn't have guessed that looking at the razor, it looks more modern. Most razors this age that I've seen are wedge grind, yours is a light hollow grind.

"The Standard Guide To Razors" by Ritchie and Stewart can be purchased for about $13 online, and has lots of good information, including a chart that establishes approximate timelines for various features.

From that chart, I see two more pieces of info:
Your razor is marked "Best Silver Steel". This marking was used between 1820 - 1880.
Your razor has a light hollow grind, placing it between 1830 - 1880.

The Import Act was passed in 1892, requiring a country of origin to be stamped on the blade because of counterfeiting by foreign razor makers. Your blade has no country stamp, so it's pre-1892.

Your razor has a lead spacer in the scales. In my own limited experience so far, I haven't seen this in razors made after the early 1900s.

The scales of your razor have very little curve, which is indicative of earlier razors, 1820 - 1860.

I wouldn't know real ivory if you poked me in the eye with it. But I think your razor is from the 1850s. I'd guess it's easily pre-1890.

The downloads section of SRP has a lot of good resources on identifying age and real ivory, check that link. Hope this helps.

It's a lovely piece! I'd be very tempted to keep it.

Definitely looks like ivory to me. It bleaches in sunlight, perhaps that is why one side is a different colour. The moisture content of the ivory can be critical - dehydration can lead to cracks, over-hydration can lead to swelling and distortion plus more cracks when it dries. Some cleaning fluids have too much water in them and are over aggressive - they will take that nice surface patina off. Rubbing with a tiny amount of light mineral oil or glycerin on a dry cloth is a gentle way to clean ivory. Not all oils are good though - the oils in your skin, for example, will promote discolouration. Some people use a white rubber (eraser) to remove small marks. Don't remove the patina (surface coat or sheen) as this has built-up naturally over the years and is, in fact, protecting the ivory.

Sterilizing could be a bit of a problem - you don't want to soak the scales really. Maybe a 50/50 or 75/25 mix of alcohol and water would be better, as it will evaporate quickly. Try to apply it with cotton buds rather than soaking, though.

Tim - some great info - I think you have the age about right. Re: lead spacers - I've seen them in 1920s and 1930s german razors.

Regards,
Neil

that's exactly what I was looking for! thanks a lot guys. I think I may hold onto it if it turns out to be a good shaver for me. I do like the way the blade is shaped, I don't know what you'd call that tip but it is pretty cool looking overall.

I knew they were real ivory because of my antique piano and its keys, I could tell they were the same, then I had sent it to have the pins tightened and that guy confirmed it too.

Red