Thread: "Allen 37 Strand"--what is it?

I scored this razor at a custom knife show for $60. it's a 6/8 wedge with very thin ivory scales. Stamped into the tang is "ALLEN 37 STRAND". Took it home, polished it, honed it up. It's easily the best shaver I have. Anyone want to hazard a guess as to what it is?

hmm.. I think I'd need to take a much closer look... send it to me and I'll figure it out for you

It sounds like a good deal is it what it is....

Seems like "Allen" would be the maker and maybe 37 strand is in reference to an address? There is a strand st. in London.

Who knows ;D

Here you go: from

Victorian London - Directories - Dickens's Dictionary of London, by Charles Dickens, Jr., 1879 - "TRA-TYB"

Tradesmen.—Many visitors to London, amidst the wilderness of excellent shops for which the metropolis has so high a reputation, must often experience considerable difficulty in making a convenient and judicious selection No doubt a classified list of some of the principal firms should frequently be of great and obvious utility. The responsibility, however, of undertaking to compile such a list is, it will be readily seen, not one that the Editor of this work would safely or wisely undertake. It has, however, been thought that a list of the tradesmen of Her Majesty the Queen and of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales might in some measure answer the required purpose. Application was therefore made to the Lord Chamberlains office, and to the Controller of their Royal Highnesses households, and by the courtesy of the respective office we are enabled to append the following complete lists:
The list headed A, contains the tradesmen of Her Majesty and of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales distinguished respectively by an asterisk and a dagger. The list headed B, contains those trades-men of H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, whose names do not occur in list A.
TRUNKMAKERS - +Allen, J.W., 37, Strand. - +Bengough, F., 20, Glasshouse-st. - +George & Co., 20, Long Acre.

He was a "Trunkmaker". Hmm, sounds like he also had some nice personalized Sheffield razors for sale too. Maybe the razor was part of a travel set?

Originally Posted by Croaker

Here you go: from

Victorian London - Directories - Dickens's Dictionary of London, by Charles Dickens, Jr., 1879 - "TRA-TYB"

Tradesmen.—Many visitors to London, amidst the wilderness of excellent shops for which the metropolis has so high a reputation, must often experience considerable difficulty in making a convenient and judicious selection No doubt a classified list of some of the principal firms should frequently be of great and obvious utility. The responsibility, however, of undertaking to compile such a list is, it will be readily seen, not one that the Editor of this work would safely or wisely undertake. It has, however, been thought that a list of the tradesmen of Her Majesty the Queen and of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales might in some measure answer the required purpose. Application was therefore made to the Lord Chamberlains office, and to the Controller of their Royal Highnesses households, and by the courtesy of the respective office we are enabled to append the following complete lists:
The list headed A, contains the tradesmen of Her Majesty and of H.R.H. the Prince of Wales distinguished respectively by an asterisk and a dagger. The list headed B, contains those trades-men of H.R.H. the Princess of Wales, whose names do not occur in list A.
TRUNKMAKERS - +Allen, J.W., 37, Strand. - +Bengough, F., 20, Glasshouse-st. - +George & Co., 20, Long Acre.

He was a "Trunkmaker". Hmm, sounds like he also had some nice personalized Sheffield razors for sale too. Maybe the razor was part of a travel set?

Wow! I need to know how you found that!

Easy! Here is the url: Victorian London - Directories - Dickens's Dictionary of London, by Charles Dickens, Jr., 1879 - "TRA-TYB"

Great link !!

I just bought a 7 days set with ivory scales marked "Thornhill, 144 newbond st" and i see they are listed aas cutlers, hopefully they are good sheffield steel

thanks

The marking V (Crown) R RW Thornhill London is listed in Goins' only as "Before 1890". All I could find.

Allens were 'trunkmakers' that is, they made Gentelmen's travelling effects. The address at 37 Strand is correct - it isn't (and never has been) THE Strand or Strand STREET. I have seen razors from many London prestige addresses such as Strand, Old Bond Street - even Fleet Street (and we all knew who lurked around there, don't we?). These razors were mostly made in Sheffield for these big London retialers and often formed part of a travelling portmanteau, if not sold as a standalone item. They were of uniformly high quality (as befitted the retailer's status) and were commonly scaled in ivory.

You have a good piece there!