Thread: Dating razors: British Hallmarks & sovereigns

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

Thanks!
Do you have a photo example?

No, I did not see such razor . Though I read about it in many sources. But saw penknife.
Penknives are not strongly necessary to the queen too.=)

Today I read more carefully the article by Lummus (1922) and found this:

About that time [1821] arose the practices of scoring the top and bottom of the tang with file-cuts or flutings to keep the fingers from slipping, and of stamping the initial of the sovereign (GR, which became WR on the accession of William IV in 1830, and VR when the reign of Queen Victoria began in 1837).

I just finished restoring this blade. Got it as part of a 4 blade lot for $15 shipped...

Nice job! I have only had one GR razor - they are pretty rare. Many are that old but the GR wasn't put on many of them.

Originally Posted by John Crowley

Nice job! I have only had one GR razor - they are pretty rare. Many are that old but the GR wasn't put on many of them.

If i had realized what i had in my hands before i took it apart and did the needful... I probably would have been to scared ****less

Luckily brad(undream) sent me a link to this thread before I made the mistake of throwing this on ebay.

Judging by stamp G(crown)R it's 1910 - 1936 (George V).

G(crown)R were different.
1820-1830 (George IV)
1910-1936 (George V).

Thanks Manah.

Which documents are you guys looking at for stamp dates on various razors?

There are different books and documents, I already wrote about books somewhere at the forum. But in this case all is simple.
G(crown)R - king George IV or V, not earlier.
This razor hollow ground, such razors have started to let out approximately in 1870. So remains only George V - 1910-1936.

Here a Rodgers marked GR (for sure 1820-1830). I can't understand if the razor posted by Slartibartfast was made during the XX c. (..I'm quite disappointed..). The tail seems to suggest a different age and the blade could be a regrind; the razor looks handsanded and this doesn't help with datation.