Thread: hsb antseptic

hey, everyone, I shave with a razor that says hibbart spencer bartlett and co. 1645 on one side and antiseptic on the other. black scales. the blade is gray and does not rust, possibly suggesting it is a stainless metal. does any old timers know about this razor? I researched some on here, and I think it is late 1800's to early 1900's. thanks! jay

As always, some pictures will help greatly.

If it's late 1800s or early 1900s it's probably doubtful it's stainless. I don't know when it was invented but at first it was used for highly specialized things and was very expensive. You don't commonly see stainless razors until the 1960s or late 50s. I have seen some from WWll era but they are rare, very rare.

here is the hibbard spencer bartlett 1645 antiseptic razor, tell me what you think, as all 3 men lay their names on it.

I would just guess the term antiseptic is a marketing thing. Back in those days it was buyer beware and manufacturers could claim anything they wanted about their products.

It will be helpful:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...tml#post773756
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...tml#post577905
The HSB history.
And it's a carbon steel with patina.