Thread: W&B age?

I have a W&B wedge with a steam boat etched on the blade.
The scales are horn.
On the tang of the blade is(MANUFACTURED BY WADE &BUTCHER SHEFFIELD) The other side of tang is blank.
There is no arrow like I've seen on other W&B razors.
Any ideas on when this razor was made?
Thanks for any info


Willy

Ships and railroad trains started to be etched on blades during the late forties and the '50s of XIX c. The shape of the blade, the scales material/shape and pinning/washers are of big help if you want to understand something more about that razor.

EDIT: The lack of the arrow is common also between "for Barbers' use" W&Bs (and we are again around 1840s when this kind of razor started to be manufactured).

Thanks clavichord ! I had no idea it was that old.
There are no washers on the pins unless they are smaller than the head of the pin 1/8" and can't be seen?
Is there anywhere on the net that I could research these razors?

1840's is just a no-earlier-than point. Here you can find some info about the manufacturer. You could also explore The Butcher Shop and try to find a razor similar to yours.

With no "Made In England" stamped on the tang it would have to be earlier then 1880 or thereabouts. That was when the country of origin being stamped on goods law became effective if I'm not badly mistaken.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

With no "Made In England" stamped on the tang it would have to be earlier then 1880 or thereabouts. That was when the country of origin being stamped on goods law became effective if I'm not badly mistaken.

interesting, I have a couple of razors with no 'made in England' the things you learn.

Well, the official year is 1891 (Madrid Trade Accords), but you can read somewhere that the country of origin probably started to be sometimes included in the trademark some (short) time before that year.

Mark Avery AKA member JMS seems to have some concise knowledge of these razors. You might shot him a quick PM. Pics would help. Looks like you're getting some good info anyhow.

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