Thread: Symbols etched in Heiffor blades?

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Yeah, I was thinking like the key to the pyramids or something! Looks Arabic or Indian??? Hell, I am from Texas! No Idea!!

Definitely not Arabic, and I thought maybe Hindi at first too, but Hindi is written with the letters "hanging" from the baseline, not above it, and are much more curly que-ish in appearance, so it's not that either.

I think they are Celtic.

It's very possible.

Originally Posted by manah

It's very possible.

Wow! You are saying that it is John Heiffor in Celtic? Man! that is good to know! Thanks, Manah!!!

John Heiffor lived in Sheffield at 51 Scotland Street, and was listed as a razor manufacturer. Source; 1822 Sheffield directory. See many other famous razor manufacturers listed too...No idea what the symbols mean. Checked various runic alphabets but came up empty.
Here is the link:
History, directory & gazeteer, of ... - Google Books

Thanks Croaker. I already knew about the different premises the company worked from (including Belfield Street, Scotland Street and Paradise Square) and Thomas Heiffor and the James Hill / John Hill debate that says that one or the other was the same person as John Heiffor, although James Hill is listed in Baines directory as a penknife-maker in 1822 at 2 Old Street and John Hill is listed for the same year at 3 Old Street. They were in all likelihood related to each other. James Hill is recorded as having moved to Broad Street in 1834 according to Pigots directory.

Heiffor's first listing in Scotland Street comes from 1815 and 1820: he is recorded as making razors and working as a perfumer and hairdresser. In the late 1830s he is concentrating on razors and has moved to Workhouse Croft, now known as Paradise Street. Although John Heiffor died in June 1849, the business moved to Paradise Square with Thomas Heiffor (John Heiffor's son) leading the business. The business now produces cutlery and sells its famous "Army" razors for one shilling each in the 1850s. Thomas Heiffor died in 1866 - and the confusion about John Heiffor and James Hill is now cleared-up: James Hill becomes the senior partner in the business. Conveniently, one of John Heiffor's corporate marks was "*J.H.*" - same initials, so no change necessary!

Perhaps the gaelic idea is wrongly attributed to Scotland Street? It was so far out of the town that locals used to say that if you went any further north you may as well be in Scotland! In fact, 'Scotland' in earlier times was used to denote the whole area around Scotland Street.

This photo is of a sample roll of Heiffor's razors, probably used by a travelling salesman for the firm, taken from the University of Sheffield website:



Regards,
Neil

John Heiffor



James Hill

Man! This is a cool thread. Thanks for all that info, Neil! I am blessed with 6 Heiffors. 2 are Army razors. One is at home in my rotation. I call it "the Brick". very heavy near wedge with an unusual blade shape. Here are 2 nice Ivories.