Thread: Identification help needed

Hallo everybody, yesterday I received this Ebay find and since then I'm going crazy trying to identify it... I know I have already seen it somewhere, but I can't recall where... I searched through books and websites, but I couldn't find anything... can somebody please help?
The mark on the tang (quite scratched and half deleted, unfortunately) has a hammer followed by three or four stars/asterisks. above them, it seems to me that there could be four Hs, but it could also be a scratch (this tang has many). I would like to identify the razor and it's age (seems to be from the second half of the XIX century)... Here's the mark:

Thank you!

Your razor was made by G. Johnson & Co. of Sheffield, England. They were in business from about 1810 to 1855. I hope this helps.

Regards - Walt

Some history:
George Johnson & Co. was listed in Furnival St. in 1815 as a maker of desk and pen knives.
By 1822, it was manufacturing pen and table knives, razors, and lancets.
During the late 1820’s and early 1830’s, the enterprise was based in Tudor St.
By 1837, George Johnson & Co. had relocated to Porter Street, from where it continued to sell table knives, razors and lancets over the next four decades.
George Johnson died on 5 March 1867, aged 81. His son, George Johnson died on 10 April 1880, aged 61.
Another son, Sidney Johnson died 9 January 1887, aged 69.
By 1888, the name and mark appear to have been owned by Arthur Lambert, a razor manufacturer.
The Johnson marks were seven stars (granted 1835) and a clay pipe with dart device (granted 1698).
By 1895, George Johnson & Co. was listed as a razor and cutlery manufacturer in Union Lane and Porter Street; then in 1898 in Norfolk Lane.
It disappeared in about 1904.

Thank you Sirs! The historians/antiquarians on this forum are always the best! With the data you gave me, I could find a piece almost exactly like mine on the web, and get a lot of info about it!
SRP is a real cool service for who is truly interested!

Walt and Alex, you two are the CSI of Str8's!!! I could not even make out any info off that razor!

It's not CSI at all. If you saw a fuzzy photograph of one of your kids, you would probably recognize them immediately, where a person not familiar with your family would have no clue as to who was in the picture. It just so happens that I have a couple of "kids" named G. Johnson who have a hammer stamped on their tangs and it was an easy connection. Just keeping it in the family. . . .

Regards - Walt

Originally Posted by manah

Some history:
George Johnson & Co. was listed in Furnival St. in 1815 as a maker of desk and pen knives.
By 1822, it was manufacturing pen and table knives, razors, and lancets.
During the late 1820’s and early 1830’s, the enterprise was based in Tudor St.
By 1837, George Johnson & Co. had relocated to Porter Street, from where it continued to sell table knives, razors and lancets over the next four decades.
George Johnson died on 5 March 1867, aged 81. His son, George Johnson died on 10 April 1880, aged 61.
Another son, Sidney Johnson died 9 January 1887, aged 69.
By 1888, the name and mark appear to have been owned by Arthur Lambert, a razor manufacturer.
The Johnson marks were seven stars (granted 1835) and a clay pipe with dart device (granted 1698).
By 1895, George Johnson & Co. was listed as a razor and cutlery manufacturer in Union Lane and Porter Street; then in 1898 in Norfolk Lane.
It disappeared in about 1904.

that kind of resembles the wosty pipe logo..

Originally Posted by Walt

It's not CSI at all. If you saw a fuzzy photograph of one of your kids, you would probably recognize them immediately, where a person not familiar with your family would have no clue as to who was in the picture. It just so happens that I have a couple of "kids" named G. Johnson who have a hammer stamped on their tangs and it was an easy connection. Just keeping it in the family. . . .

Regards - Walt

Hi Walt, Looks like your "kids" have spread, just so happens that I also will have one with the hammer and 7 stars soon, paid for it today and will probably get it in a couple of weeks, so would like to know if possible, what that hammer symbol signifies as compared to the other symbols and it's time frame of production, seller said circ. 1810-1850, so would that be correct? It isn't you selling off your kids is it?

I will also be adding a George Saba as well soon, do you have any clues on its past, it's a 6/8 with the name scrolled on the side of the blade and also the name with Sheffield England on the tang.

Cheers

Ed.

A fellow at work brought in a G. Johnson straight to show me. It has 7 stars and a hammer, looking in my guide to straight razors it dates the manufacture fro 1810 - 1855, but as Manah posted the 7 stars were granted in 1835? My question is when was the hammer introduced?

His razor is a 6/8 (eyeballing it) wedge or near wedge with black horn scales. cool piece as I don't see very many wedges around this area

I wanted to add .....in my book it said it was made in Germany, incorrect or another G. Johnson?

My question is when was the hammer introduced?

I can't say for sure when, why and who(!) added the blacksmith hammer to the stamp.

the 7 stars were granted in 1835?

Yes.

a clay pipe with dart device (granted 1698).

But not to George Johnson.
The mark was sold by Thomas Linley to George Johnson on the 17th Jan. 1842.
Here is an interesting document about "a clay pipe with dart device" trademark:
Lambert's Trade Mark.

in my book it said it was made in Germany, incorrect or another G. Johnson?

Incorrect or another G. Johnson.
What book?