Thread: Approx age of this ebay razor?

I would suspect that the 1820-30 range would be correct, not quite a stubby tail and not quite a full monkey's tail either, scales look to be horn or bone, most likely horn.

I agree with Nun - probably 20's-30's. That is a very nice razor you scored!

One note of caution - I have found that razors on which the "spine wear" isn't actually up on the spine which are ALSO so heavily ground can be challenging to hone. If you end up using tape, you'll probably find that it is the very bottom of the tape that touches the hone. I know of two ways to address this - use something to "build up" the spine OR be very very very careful to always put the tape on exactly the same every time you replace it.

Originally Posted by holli4pirating

I agree with Nun - probably 20's-30's. That is a very nice razor you scored!

One note of caution - I have found that razors on which the "spine wear" isn't actually up on the spine which are ALSO so heavily ground can be challenging to hone. If you end up using tape, you'll probably find that it is the very bottom of the tape that touches the hone. I know of two ways to address this - use something to "build up" the spine OR be very very very careful to always put the tape on exactly the same every time you replace it.

I would start with 4 layers of tape and add more if needed, as Dylan said it is imperative that you get the tape the same every time you replace it and get it even on both sides of a wedge or you will throw the bevel geometry off in a real bad way!

On using tape, I would rather not if I didn't have to. In a situation where I do use tape and the bottom of the tape is where it is getting worn away I cut the tape in half length wise and will put several layers on the spine long enough to cover some of the shank. The last layer I put on will be full width. Sometimes I use two full width layers. With the full width tape I cut the tape where the blade meets the shank. Then when the tape needs to be replaced I just replace the top layer. This way the bevel never changes as the multiple pieces of half width tape are what is really setting the angle and they are not being replaced.

Good luck.

Beautiful razor. I have one very similar -- I've always believed it to be 1820-1830.


Honing -- I honed mine without tape. Yeah, it left me with a bright area along the spine, but it took me hours of stone work (use a marker!!), I was glad I didn't have to feel that tape between the blade and the hones the whole time.

Bottom line--- mine shaves just wonderful and I'm proud as heck of it -- it's a different and fun shaving experience.

Post pics when it arrives.

Originally Posted by stimpy52

Beautiful razor. I have one very similar -- I've always believed it to be 1820-1830.


Post pics when it arrives.

Now this one looks like it has a pretty stubby tail to me... the original post razor is somewhere in between, but absolutely shorter than the later tangs.

Good luck on the honing... should be a fun one though

According Robert A.Doyle, such razors with stamp "Old English" on the top of the wedge blade were made in Sheffield, about 1825-1830.

Originally Posted by stimpy52

Beautiful razor. I have one very similar -- I've always believed it to be 1820-1830.


Honing -- I honed mine without tape. Yeah, it left me with a bright area along the spine, but it took me hours of stone work (use a marker!!), I was glad I didn't have to feel that tape between the blade and the hones the whole time.

Bottom line--- mine shaves just wonderful and I'm proud as heck of it -- it's a different and fun shaving experience.

Post pics when it arrives.

I garantee yours will shave better than the one owned by the starter of this thread. Over time you not only get spine wear but the width of the blade is reduced too. This requires - as always - removal of amall amounts of metal from both the edge AND the spine to achieve a natural bevel. Of course he could always tape the edge and shave with the spine. <LOL>

Originally Posted by John Crowley

I garantee yours will shave better than the one owned by the starter of this thread. Over time you not only get spine wear but the width of the blade is reduced too. This requires - as always - removal of amall amounts of metal from both the edge AND the spine to achieve a natural bevel. Of course he could always tape the edge and shave with the spine. <LOL>

I disagree. I've gotten great shaves off wedges with huge hone wear, taped wedges, wedges with minimal hone wear etc etc etc. Then again, I can't tell the difference between my finishers, so maybe I'm not one to talk.

Originally Posted by John Crowley

I garantee yours will shave better than the one owned by the starter of this thread. Over time you not only get spine wear but the width of the blade is reduced too. This requires - as always - removal of amall amounts of metal from both the edge AND the spine to achieve a natural bevel. Of course he could always tape the edge and shave with the spine. <LOL>

When I decided to take the plunge and hone mine, I decided that when it was 40 years old, or 60 years old, or 100 years old, someone would simply have put it on the stone and gone to work honing. That happens to be what I like--- old stuff that works. Like me and my friends.