Some pages from old(1917) catalog. They are not very good quality, but may be helpful and interesting for someone.
http://manah.strazors.com/hsb_catalog.pdf
Printable View
Some pages from old(1917) catalog. They are not very good quality, but may be helpful and interesting for someone.
http://manah.strazors.com/hsb_catalog.pdf
Thanks Alex. Any idea what year the catalog was published/printed?
Joe, 1917.:)Quote:
Originally Posted by manah
Thanks for the catalog pages, Alex. That #204 Wade and Butcher is one of my favorite razors, but I was never sure what era it was made in. Now I can put a date to it. Also, the #121 Wostenholm matches one of my pipe razors too. I wish there was more information like this out there.
Regards - Walt
http://i464.photobucket.com/albums/r...llowGround.jpg
I'm sorry. I made a mistake and looked at other entries.:confused:
This Hibbard,Spencer,Bartlett & Co catalog was printed in 1899.
Here two pages(in high resolution) from Hibbard,Spencer,Bartlett & Co catalog 1917.
http://manah.strazors.com/1917_catalog.pdf
I love old catalogs, if for no other reason than to see what things cost back in the old days. I was thinking, "Crikey, straights have always been expensive," until I saw they were per dozen. Wow.
I was looking at a 1920 aviation magazine on Google Books the other day, and there was a Royal typewriter advertised for $67 (and not per dozen). Can you imagine? That was a significant fraction of the price of a car.
Thanks for posting these!
Fred
At that time typewriter was something like the most expensive computer for science today. :)
Walt, your W&B pictured is a lovely razor; shoulderless, thumb notch, and the characteristic W&B tang hump give it a very graceful and rugged look.
Thanks for posting this Manah, fascinating stuff. I'm surprised at how dominant 5/8ths-sized razors were even by 1899. Also, noting the terminology used, such as "hollow point" rather than the "notch point" or "barber's notch" terminology I'm used to. On the Engstrom razors, they refer to a "file tang." Does that mean that the tang has jimps, or something else? And the use of the term "handles" rather than "scales."
It's also surprising to see how many razors I recognize that I always thought had black celluloid or plastic scales, when in fact they are rubber. I also see a number of fancy etched rubber scales in the catalog that I've never actually seen an example of in person. In fact, I think only one of my razors has rubber scales for sure, I found out the hard way when I was initially cleaning it and running it under very hot water. My fingerprints were permanently embedded in the scales, and the smell was of burned rubber. :(
Wow! When you factor in ninty-three years of inflation - razors are a much better buy today.Quote:
Originally Posted by manah
For those of you who do not know; Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett became True Value Hardware.
Yes. Approximately since 1960. But the trademark "True Value" was used by Hibbard, Spencer & Bartlett since 1930.Quote:
Originally Posted by John Crowley
And back then the ivory scales tripled the price.
to be continued ...
One more pages from old catalogs.
http://manah.strazors.com/1902_1904.pdf
manah,
Thanks for these.
I think the Boker and Genco page (page 468 in the above link) is from 1917. I haven't seen the Genco pennant stamp prior to 1916 in my google research the last few days.
see here: http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...fvi%3D1&_rdc=1
Of course you couldn't see. :)
Genco in business since 1916.
The page in the file above, most likely, from the catalog 1922.
I have one.
Alex have you seen anything to help with this thread????
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...ers-notch.html
Thanks
Thanks Manah! Just to put the razor dollar prices in perspective, in 1899 "Any man who is making 30 dollars a week is making good money!". Quote is from the novel "Penrod" by Booth Tarkington. So, a $3.00 razor then would cost $80 today, if the worker earns $800 per week.
to be continued ...
I've posted this catalog half year ago in the WIKI. But I think many people didn't see it.
Really rare pages from Soviet Russian catalog of razors made by "Trud".
http://manah.strazors.com/vacha.pdf
There is a W&B with a notch described as a "hollow point".Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
I also find it interesting that replacement scales are called handles.
Have we made up some terms that are non-traditional? Seems so.
Scales is a very traditional term. The Sheffield directory for 1857 list many manufacturers of horn scales for the cutlery industry. Incidentally, there are 106 razor manufacturers listed in the Sheffield area at that time. Since only a few are the well-known makers (Butcher, Reynolds, Rodgers, Wostenholm, etc.) the remainder must have been responsible for the many "no-name" razors that appear from that era.
Regards - Walt
Some pages from Simmons Hardware Co. catalog 1939:
http://manah.strazors.com/Keen_Kutter.pdf
And some history from catalog 1912:
http://manah.strazors.com/Keen_Kutter_history.pdf
Thanks very much for posting these two catalogues, Alex. They answered some questions I have had for a long time; first, I wondered if bamboo pattern celluloid scales were ever sold on new razors, or if they were strictly aftermarket replacements-I was surprised to see them on new razors in the catalogue, but I can't argue with facts. (I hate those scales, though!) The second question your posting answered is what happened to straight razor prices after the introduction of Gillette safety razors around 1905. It looks like they went up considerably! My opinion is that these shavers cut into the German, US and Sheffield makers market share so much that they all raised prices to try and stay profitable. Any other opinions? Thank you again for these excellent posts!
Yes, many thanks for those, Manah.
I have a page of a Hibbard, Spencer, Bartlett catalog very similar to one of those pages framed in my office right now!
Wish i had a time machine :'(
Just got myself a Keen Kutter and was looking for some history. Thanks for these!Quote:
Originally Posted by manah
Some things never change, eh? :)Quote:
Originally Posted by gugi
Marcos
I have a the Boker Damascus magnetic steel that's in the 1898 catalog. Also have some of the other pipe razors and wade & butchers, but I don't see a w&b with bamboo scales in the catalog. Could this one have been rescaled?
http://i850.photobucket.com/albums/a...r/7b37bcfd.jpg
There're some interesting razors in this Gray & Dudley Hardware Co. catalog, 1905.
Thanks yet again manah for the invaluable information you make available to us here on SRP.
Can any of you imagine how many more razors we would have if we had a selection like that today??