Thread: ogdens&madeleys razor. any info

Hi all,

I just bought this razor because I liked the art on it and I want to learn how to hone a razor on an old one first.
On the shaft it says: 'Made in Germany, Ogdens & Madeleys Zanzibar Mombasa'.

After googling O&D I could only find 5 links, and it seems O&D was involved in the cotton industry around 1910 in manchester UK. Apperently a warehouse of some sorts, I found two stories of people that worked there (only a brief mention) before WWI.

Zanzibar - mombasa could be a trade route maybe? a commemorative thing?

Is O&D the brand of the razor, or was it a custom to make 'specials' for certain people or businesses.

Any info on the engraving? Maybe a woman from the regions around tanzania and kenya?


I can see how lots of people are getting into old razor collecting This one is not even in yet and I'm doing research already.

thanks for any info guys

here's a shot of the blade

Hi,

Congrats for your nice razor. Sorry i have no info about your razor but the blade engraving looks really nice. If you are about to restore this razor be very careful with the engraving. Personally i would leave the blade 'as is' or cleaned it just with hands.
Get it honed and tell us how it shaves.

Pretty. Should make a interesting project, hard to go wrong.

Most likely the company had outlets in Zanzibar and Mombasa and the razor was made for them to retail. My big Kropp has 'Whiteaway Laidlaw & Co Rangoon' on the spine - they were a trading company with English roots (still going in fact) and would have the razor made for them by Kropp. Not unusual but yours is certainly a nice piece!

Beautiful etching on that blade. I've got a very old Wilkinson with Weeks Co. Ltd. over Shanghai & Hankow etched on the blade. So as previous posters said yours was probably made especially for that Ogdens & Madeleys outfit.