Thread: The "other" Rodgers - JAMES Rodgers, Sheffield

So, I picked up this razor at an antique shop for $8.50 a couple weeks ago. It is pretty simple -- horn scales, wedge blade, etc. Seems pretty old.

The Tang is marked:

JAMES RODGERS & CO.
ESTABLISHED 1825
SHEFFIELD ENGLAND

So, the whole time I was cleaning this blade up (there was some bad rust and pitting) I kept thinking to myself.. who in the heck is this JAMES Rodgers anyway? Is he related to Joey? Maybe he is his daddy or son? His retarded half brother?

First, here are the pics:





So, in my quest for information about James, I found a few buried pictures out there. Here is a folding knife:



Then, after finding a few pages with evidence that James Rodgers made Bowie knives, etc... I started running in to these mid-19th century "Knife-Pistols".

I'll continue this with a reply since I'm hitting the picture limit.

So, as I kept trying to find information on the Internets about James Rodgers, I started finding more and more that he was always mentioned along with another man -- Philip Unwin.

Apparently, they were partners in Sheffield. They basically came up with these vicious little knife-pistols. They also held patents for pen knives of some variety.

Here is another knife-pistol made by the partners UNWIN & RODGERS:





SOO.. after all this, I couldn't find any evidence indicating that these two guys ever produced straight razors.... UNTIL I did a google book search for Unwin & Rodgers... I quickly ran across this Advertisement from 1845:




if you look closely -- you will see a STRAIGHT RAZOR included in their products that they manufactured! SOOO..

I'm pretty sure I have a JAMES RODGERS from UNWIN & RODGERS, Sheffield, England Straight razor.

I'm not sure how long this pair was producing blades & guns, but, it looks like my razor may be 1850 - 1880 range.

Pretty neat!

-Brad

Very cool find...enjoy it , it seems like a good looking razor.

First, you did a VERY nice cleanup on your new James Rodgers. You will have to tell us how it shaves.
I looked the company up in Goins' Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings. Hope the following information is of some help:

W (CrownR JAMES RODGERS SUPERIOR CUTLERY c1830-1837
JAMES RODGERS SHEFFIELD V crown Rc1837-1850
JAMES RODGERS CELEBRATED MAKE SHEFFIELD c1837-1850
JAMES RODGERS ROYAL CUTLERY SHEFFIELD c1837-1850. This company manufactured "Bowie" type knives, among other types of cutlery.

Originally Posted by Croaker

First, you did a VERY nice cleanup on your new James Rodgers. You will have to tell us how it shaves.
I looked the company up in Goins' Encyclopedia of Cutlery Markings. Hope the following information is of some help:

W (CrownR JAMES RODGERS SUPERIOR CUTLERY c1830-1837
JAMES RODGERS SHEFFIELD V crown Rc1837-1850
JAMES RODGERS CELEBRATED MAKE SHEFFIELD c1837-1850
JAMES RODGERS ROYAL CUTLERY SHEFFIELD c1837-1850. This company manufactured "Bowie" type knives, among other types of cutlery.

Do you think these "JAMES RODGERS" were the same James Rodgers of Unwin & Rodgers? The dates certainly coincide with the time he was alive.

That, sir is the kind of question that may never be answered! Unfortunately there were no early books about razors that I know of, except the turn of the century articles by Henry T. Lummus "Old Sheffield Razors" . He lamented this fact as well. There is a dearth of information about many of the old Sheffield cutlers. The information may be lost forever. Sorry I can't be of more help.

The tang is marked: "England", that's mean the razor was made after 1891 (Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks).

Originally Posted by manah

The tang is marked: "England", that's mean the razor was made after 1891 (Madrid System for the International Registration of Marks).

no it doesn't

That's like saying if the car has seat belts, it must be 1990 or later

You've helped solve a mystery for me. I have had two stub tailed late 1700's razors (going by the style of blade and scales) I still have one of them. Both are marked Roger's Cast Steel. I always figured they were Joseph Rodgers until I came upon the James Rogers marque. So your dating the James company to a starting date of 1825 means that my stub tail Rogers is more than likely a Joe Rogers.