Thread: USA made CMON. A Burrell/Case connection?

John, forgive my last question about things way before your time!
....Let's call it being excited. History does that!

Certainly, since you said you were born in '45, you were quite young as Burrell Cutlery was first in business. Since you spent time there, I was always curious as to what types of products they made during wartime production. Certainly knives, scissors and razors, but I understood medical instruments and such for the war effort.
I read in your introduction that men and women worked there.
Curious as to your recollections on what the place was like back then?

John, thank you for sharing your family history. My mom's family was from the Ellicottville/Ashford area (she is a couple years older than you), I grew up in Salamanca and currently live in Bradford Pa, so when I got interested in straight razors my focus naturally gravitated to the "local" stuff. Like many here I find the history very interesting.

Thanks again for your input.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

John, forgive my last question about things way before your time!
....Let's call it being excited. History does that!

LOL, I got exited too sharptonn and if you are ever in this part of the country i would volunteer to chauffeur you around to the various towns that are being discussed.

Now THAT would be cool!

Sorry to be slow and with bad pics, but this will be my shave tomorrow in honor of the great folks who made the razors long ago with which we still shave. BTW, it is one sharp razor with history!

I was in Little Valley, NY Saturday for their Bicentennial. Lots of Razors. Case Brothers, Kinfolk's, Korn, Seneca (which I had newer seen before), Burrell and several others. It was an exciting day for me.

I was in Little Valley, NY Saturday for their Bicentennial. Lots of razors. Case Brothers, Kinfolk's, Korn, Burrell, Seneca (which I had never seen) and several others. It was an exciting day for me.

I bet that was a slice of American apple-pie, John!

Dug around and found a CMon hone which has Ellicotteville on it as well as a Blackie CMon blade from there.
Interestingly, the box the hone is in says Giles Razor Hone Co, Moravia Iowa (American Hone Co?) and the sticker on the side of the hone says distributed by Peter J. Michaels of New York!

A quote from Geezer....

"American Hone Company was a major maker of most of the Barber Hones in this country and some that we think are from other countries. The company was started by folks from the old country in Olean NY. and moved to Moravia, IA. and was active into the late 80's.
The hones were from ~6K grit to about a usable 15K."




Peter J Michaels seems to be an enigma.......

Wow John. That’s cool!

That's very cool. Obviously, at one time, those were both at 24 Rockwell.