Thread: Henry Harrington Razor, America's first cutlery manufacturer

Considering , the majority of razors before 1890 came from England , that razor is pretty rare . IMHO , it's a keeper . Try some Flitz or Maas metal polish with a 0000 abrasive pad , to clean it up . I would try to aviod using sand paper because I would not want scratches on the blade . It's what they call a "frame back" razor , and it looks to be pre-1850 . Maybe 1830's . The scales look like they're made of bone . Nice find !

That one will take some work but it's worth doing it right. The rust is probably too deep for a paste cleaner. maybe cape cod cloths if you're willing to spend a lot of time rubbing. Otherwise sanding might be the only way to go. Start conservative and see what happens.

Thanks. I have tried the MAAS for about 3-4 hours and most of the rust has come off. Starting to look good and glad I waited on the sandpaper. May still have to use a very fine grit to so the final clean up. Agree with you estimate on age as pre 1850 closer to 1830 but even that is hard to say with an American blade. It is a very thin razor, has a short tail, and seems to be stainless steel. Believe as you suggest that scales are bone rather than ivory. Probably cow bone with its yellow vice white hue of camel. Believe I try to duplicate the damaged scale and fabricate the missing washer. Believe I could do it. Anybody have a similar replacement washer?

Originally Posted by ajkenne

Believe I try to duplicate the damaged scale and fabricate the missing washer. Believe I could do it. Anybody have a similar replacement washer?

Yes , it's too bad the scale is broken . If you're going to shave with it you'll have to fix it . If you're not going to shave with it , you can leave it as is . To find a washer , you can look on ebay for a razor that has the same washers , but has damage (broken blade/scales) that make it only good as a parts razor .

WOAH! Sweet find and a rare one

I'll keep looking for bone handles on eBay, there are a few possibilities occasionally but the real issue is finding these particular washers. Never seen another design quite like them. Maybe others have....Not even sure what they are made out of. Don't seem to be brass nor nickel silver as they are quite thin and are probably steel or mixture.

First off, awesome find and beautiful razor. As far as the pins and washers, they may be sterling silver. I've seen plenty of old razors with sterling fittings, especially on bone or ivory scales.

These washers could be silver as they have not rusted and shine up nicely when buffed. The scales may be ivory as Harrington apparently worked with ivory scales. Note the presentation razor that was given to Henry Clay in 1832. Mine is similar but seems a bit older than this one based on the tail/tang. That is merely a guess on my part. That is the only reference I could find to another Harrington razor. Tells me it is worth something!

American Made Straight Razor Acid-Etched Presentation Razor for Henry Clay, - Cowan's Auctions

Well, I finished up the restoration. Ended up having to rescale it but tried to stay with the original design and materials. Used cow bone and it seems to give it a nice yellow tone, similar to the original scales. Reused three of the original washers, the original horn wedge, and pinned it with silver nickel. I removed all of the rust but left the watermarks in tact which shows its age. Hope to take out the small nick on the tip of the blade when I hone it. Should be a good shaver for my rotation.

Originally Posted by ajkenne

Thanks. I have tried the MAAS for about 3-4 hours and most of the rust has come off. Starting to look good and glad I waited on the sandpaper. May still have to use a very fine grit to so the final clean up. Agree with you estimate on age as pre 1850 closer to 1830 but even that is hard to say with an American blade. It is a very thin razor, has a short tail, and seems to be stainless steel. Believe as you suggest that scales are bone rather than ivory. Probably cow bone with its yellow vice white hue of camel. Believe I try to duplicate the damaged scale and fabricate the missing washer. Believe I could do it. Anybody have a similar replacement washer?

I have a stub I am restoring. Could you detail the blade rust removal technique? I like how yours finished up.