Thread: C.V. Heljestrand-looking for some advice

I've come across an interesting looking Swedish razor that I have not yet purchased. I've seen most of the posts and wiki's here about other C.V. Heljestrand's but have not found this exact one. Here's some specific questions.

1. Is that a lot of hone wear or the shape of the razor? Looks like hone wear to me but I am unsure.
2. Do these scales look original?
3. Any sense of how old it is?
4. Any other thoughts/comments are welcome.

Here's what the writing says: C. V. Heljestrand, Eskilstuna, Prisbelont, ??M 1866, London 1851

Thank you!

The blade looks useable and the scales seem to be intact. Polish it as best you can and hone the blade. See how it saves.

Jerry
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I can't say anything about how old it is but the scales looks like it is the original ones, I have a couple of ones with scales identical to your razor. Just out of curiosity - does it have any writing one the other side?

The word prisbelönt just means that the comapny won awards - in London in 1851 and somewhere else (Stockholm?) in 1866. So that is not an indicator of how old the razor is, though it could be taken to mean that it is no older than 1866. The style looks a lot more recent than that - nearer 1900 in my opinion.

Scales could be original, though the older swedish razors tended to have gently rounded edges than tapers - comparint the wedge and pivot pin might tell you whether they have been rescaled. The shape of the blade is as it should be for an earlier razor and is not due to hone wear - hone wear is evident by the flattened areas on the spine just above the shoulder, not the curve of the spine. In you razor it looks pretty minimal.

It looks to be in fairly decent condition and should be a first rate shaver.

Regards,
Neil

Yes. The Carl Viktor Heljestrand company won awards at The Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, London, 1851 and at Intercolonial Exhibition March 1866, Melbourne.
In addition, Sweden was represented by Heljestrand knives in the Paris Universal Exhibition of 1855, Stockholm 1866, Bogotá 1875, Philadelphia 1876, Chicago 1883, Paris 1900 and 1937.
The company was founded in 1808 by Olof Heljestrand.
Carl Viktor Heljestrand opened his own workshop in 1845. The company was in business till 1980.
And I agree with Neil. The blade was made about 1900.IMO.

The belly of the razor just doesn't look right, at least to my eyes, looking at the sway-back spine and the curve of the heel, along with the odd meeting at the toe... I am going to venture a guess that a chip was worked out of this razor, and the edge was flattened when it was done...
Now keep in mind I could be wrong on this, but that is my guess