Thread: Beardsley and Alvord History

Dude! That is some sweet research!

I had definitely assumed the Beardsley was a Sheffield blade, it has all the earmarks of one.

I still have to get around to shining mine up....

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Dude! That is some sweet research!

I had definitely assumed the Beardsley was a Sheffield blade, it has all the earmarks of one.

I still have to get around to shining mine up....

Thanks, it was fun. And it really made the razor seem more...real somehow.

I figured it was a Sheffield, too. Of course, there is no real PROOF that it's an American Razor here, but I think the assumption is pretty sound...Name of the company, the connection to "Empire", and so on.

Originally Posted by JimR

Thanks, it was fun. And it really made the razor seem more...real somehow.

I figured it was a Sheffield, too. Of course, there is no real PROOF that it's an American Razor here, but I think the assumption is pretty sound...Name of the company, the connection to "Empire", and so on.

Just finding a reference to a company called "Empire" would be a rather shaky assumption, as that could be rather common...but a company called "Empire" run by two guys called Beardsly&Alvord pretty much seals the deal!

I've sen some other very nice razors from time to time that were also from Connecticut.

I really like your rare Alvord razor; the style, for lack of a better phrase, of "grooved wedge" is unusual and interesting. I suppose it reduced the weight of the blade. Hope it wasn't designed as a blood groove for shaving catastrophes! Anyway, I looked in Goin's and got a little additional information: thank you for your research and a most interesting read!

Beardsley & Alvord c1853-1856 Founded by two Englishmen, and called Thompson & Gascoigne in West Winstead, Connecticut. They rented space in the Eagle Company table cutlery factory. The Eagle company closed in 1853, and Thompson and Gascoigne were left without a place to manufacture. They lacked sufficient capital to move to another location, and the firm was sold to Elliott Beardsley and James R. Alvord. These two men gradually expanded manufacturing, and made the firm a profitable (?)
In 1856, they built a new factory at the Lake outlet, and they also changed the name to the Empire Knife Company. The "B & A" was not used after 1856. They coducted business at this location until 1876 when Mr. Beardsley died. In 1878, the firm purchased the old table cutlery factory from Lathrop and Barton. Empire Knife Company manufacturing was moved back to West Winstead. In 1890 the firm was incorporated as the Empire Knife Company, and the Beardsley and Alvord name was dropped.

Okay, so I bettter post up a pic of mine, for the sake of posterity:

Very nice! I like the big tang on it. Probably helps to control the swing of that halberd. The blade looks like some Greaves I have seen, but not the tang. The horn looks in great shape too. Thank you for sharing it.

Thanks, Croaker! That's some cool info...a bit more detail. Where'd you source that?

The concensus seems to be that the grind is called a "Double Concave". I've seen a couple of other examples; I think Lee/Hoglahoo has one, as well, but from a different maker.

Seraphim, that's a nice looking chopper! 7/8? Your scales seem to be in better shape, too.

Very nice, that one....

Originally Posted by Seraphim

Okay, so I bettter post up a pic of mine, for the sake of posterity:

This is exactly like the one I just picked up.