Thread: Champion

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

I think I see some turtleshell handles in that photo

I think they are as well, although I've been fooled on occasion. I understand that turtle shell (like celluloid) will melt or warp under heat. Is there another way to distinguish?

Still looking for any insights into the Champion mark.

Thanks,

Brian

Originally Posted by defoeb

I understand that turtle shell (like celluloid) will melt or warp under heat.

I'm not sure - I've heard the opposite but have not tried it myself

Here's an interesting bit from Straight Razors - Do You Know What That Handle Is Made From?

Tortoise Shell. This product is mis-named, as almost all this material come from the shell of the hawksbill turtle. It is polished to semitransparency, when its mottling becomes evident. With age it may well change to a dark red-brown colour. This has always been a rare scale material, and even before turtles became protected it was imitated with cow horn, then later still with celluloid. Again, the hot pin test will reveal the celluloid imitation, but cow horn can be almost impossible to distinguish without extensive testing.

Is Champion stamped into the blade or the tang?

I have Champion FBU I cannot remember the maker. The Champion name dates the razor to 1880 something. After the company merged with another they dropped the Champion moniker.

Champion is on the tang. All capital letters, with no ornamentation. I can't find another mark on the blade, tang, etc.

To the extent it might make a difference - a few additional facts: There are no jimps. Also, the tang and spine seem to me to be wider than the tang/spine on many (most) of my other razors. It is hollow ground.

Is it heavier than your other razors?

If so that tends to date things as being older. Pre1900.

I have a 4/8 that is just stamped IMPORT in lazy oval. Nothing else. Shave great so I don't care.

Heavier . . . Hard to say. I think it is heavier than some of my other similarly sized blades (e.g., a Red Imp).

There is some "grain" to the steel on the tang, almost like marks I've seen from sandcasting. It could be pitting that was previously removed, but I don't think it is as it is more consistent in distribution than most examples of pitting I've seen (and with my ebay habit, I've seen quite a lot of pitting).

Congratulations on that lucky grab! I have only had a couple of shave ready razors off e-Bay myself, but several that were pretty close.
The scales on your far left razor are dyed buffalo horn; a common old Sheffield practice where the maker started with yellow/green horn and dyed it to resemble tortoise shell. I have two genuine tortoise shell scaled razors, and they are very dark due to age. The lighter spots in old shell are very small compared to the dark areas, and most of the original translucence disappears with age. They have an unmistakeable glowing sheen when hand rubbed with wax or oil.