Thread: Why No Brand Name?

I bought this razor along with a near perfect Joseph Eliott's Silver Steel. At first I thought it was a Paki or Chinese fake. I processessed it as usual and it turned out to be a very good shaver. Why is there no brand name on the tang instead of simply "England"? I s this some kind of embargo thing, or what? Could it be some well-known Sheffield maker's wholesale blank maybe? Anyone else have something like this? Thanks, Robert

I don't know the answer to that. In pocket knife collecting years ago the rule of thumb was that if the maker didn't think enough of his skill to put his name on the blade it probably wasn't worth having. Good that it is shaving well for you.

One possible explanation for it is that a workman at one of the razor mfgs made his own personal razor without the maker's name stamped on it. In pocket knife collecting they call those "lunchbox knives". IOW, he made it and sneaked it out in his lunchbox.

I've seen a few older razors that don't have any real identification on them. Perhaps some have names that have been worn away, maybe others were never really stamped. Some examples? "Cast steel" "Warranted" etc.

Your's seems to have a short tail, which is usually a sign of an older blade. Then again, yours is hollow ground, but that very well could have been reground. Is the tip of your razor stylized, like a W&B Bow? I have a Revitt that I'm quite sure was reground, and it also has a pointed tip. Maybe that was popular at some point?

No stylizing on the tip. This is just a plain-jane semi-finished blade. The scales are horn. I patched the hinge end with some super glue. Overall this razor has good weight and is in better condition that the photos show. It is funny that its companion (Joseph Eliott's) was in such fine shape. They must have been stored well after all those years. From what I read of Joseph Eliott's-they go back many years, especially those with an apostrophy in the name and Maltese cross between reversed C's. I almost believed that the No-Name could have been an Elliott, not sure though. The No-Name has a lead wedge between the scales and the grind does not seem that extreme hollow.

I try to identify blades from posted photos from Members. I hope mine helps others. robert

I have several razors with no (or minimal) markings or maker's names. Perhaps they were produced by a maker working on a small scale in an area where everyone knew his name and his products and he didn't feel a need to advertise by stamping his name on the tang. Collectors of early "Kentucky" rifles find many guns with no maker's name name stamped on the barrel or elsewhere. It wasn't because the gunsmith wasn't proud of his work, he was just living in the moment and didn't know that folks a hundred years in the future would be scratching their heads and wondering who made such a beautiful firearm.

One of my razors appears to be mid-1800s and is only marked with APPROVED stamped on the tang. It has
a very short tail, horn scales (with worm bites) and has a nice heft to it. I was going to rescale it, but decided to leave it in its present condition to honor its survival to this point in time.



Regards - Walt

Walt, What a post! IF only that old fellow could tell of the preparation, starts, cuts, and victories over it's life! Do you use it as a regular shaver? It is bound to impart a feeling of revolutions, achievements, and departures. Please keep it in its form as you show it. Nice piece of history! Thanks, Robert (I think I hear a Stephen Foster tune coming on...)

Razors were probably lined up as they were finished and then one guy just stamped the names and models and countries. Who knows maybe he forgot to do a few and that's the one you have. Or maybe he hit it so lightly it didn't make much of an impression and it has since faded. There are many scenarios here. I wouldn't worry about it. Its a quality razor.

Maybe it was just a trade thing - we used to be able to buy lots of things in the UK with just "Foreign" or "Foreign Made" stamped on them. They were probably sold en-masse to overseas companies whose brand-name was on the packaging.

Regards,
Neil.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Maybe it was just a trade thing - we used to be able to buy lots of things in the UK with just "Foreign" or "Foreign Made" stamped on them. They were probably sold en-masse to overseas companies whose brand-name was on the packaging.

Regards,
Neil.

This is what I was thinking, but all the suggestions made make sense. Hey, if it shaves well...

Jordan