Original Razor Mishap

I recently got a few Wilkinson & Son straight razors dating to the 1890s, amongst which was one with a curious dot on each side of the ivory scales near the wedge pinning. At first I thought it was to fix a split in the ivory scales, but then I noticed that you could see the dots on the inside, so it wasn't a pin going right through the scales. The holes are well above the top of the wedge, too.

When magnified I could see that two little ivory plugs had been let into the scales (they have a grain which you can't readily see in the photos), so the reason they were put there could have been a hole going through the ivory, which seems unlikely, or that the hole for the wedge pinning was drilled in the wrong place - the most likely explanation.

Here are a couple of photos of both sides of the scales:

Attachment 85580Attachment 85581

I haven't come across this type of fix before - clearly done at the time of setting-in the original blade, and thought it might be of some interest. You can also see from the flat linear marks on the washerless pinning that a cross-pein rather than a round-pein hammer was used.

Regards,
Neil

Very interesting. My guess would be that the pin hole was moved, possibly to fit a blade that was slightly longer than average or different than what the scales were made for.

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Originally Posted by Joed

Very interesting. My guess would be that the pin hole was moved, possibly to fit a blade that was slightly longer than average or different than what the scales were made for.

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That's exactly what I was thinking . It would be hard to sell a flawed ivory scaled razor , for a premium price . I think the original blade was replaced .

The guy that made it was definitely a waste not want not type. Neil, you made me think of Sherlock Holmes, another Englishman with a discerning eye. :)

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Originally Posted by Joed

Very interesting. My guess would be that the pin hole was moved, possibly to fit a blade that was slightly longer than average or different than what the scales were made for.

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Originally Posted by dave5225

That's exactly what I was thinking . It would be hard to sell a flawed ivory scaled razor , for a premium price . I think the original blade was replaced .

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If it was a single razor I would tend to agree - but it was from a boxed 7-day set, all identical scales, all identical blades - a premium product. Maybe when it was first done it was practically invisible and over the years it has stood out as the ivory aged and changed colours at different rates and the glue darkened?

The blade certainly wasn't replaced and the scales are correct for the set of razors. Maybe they had some sort of a jig to drill the holes with so they were all in the same place, and someone used the wrong jig? Perhaps the worker - like so many at the time - was on piece-rate and had to pay for the materials he used?

Jimmy - I'm sure Holmes would know where the particular elephant came from, who used the razor last and what he was wearing at the time!

Regrds,
Neil

I've seen very similar ivory scales, I don't remember about the company. But for myself at that time, I've explained this, as one company makes scales with two holes for two types of blades. Another company collects all the razor and puts pin and plug, depending of type of a blade.

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

If it was a single razor I would tend to agree - but it was from a boxed 7-day set, all identical scales, all identical blades - a premium product. Maybe when it was first done it was practically invisible and over the years it has stood out as the ivory aged and changed colours at different rates and the glue darkened?



Regrds,
Neil

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Neil , are you saying all the razors in the set have the same plugged hole ?

Hi Dave - no, just the one. Which kind of mitigates against the notion that the scales were bought from another company complete with two holes at the wedge, or they would all have them. I really can't see them being prepared with two holes, to be honest.

Regards,
Neil

I have a similar razor .Attachment 85609
It was my first set of scales I made . I thought I could "eye it up" , without laying it out , and starting the hole with an awl . I didn't make that mistake , again LOL .

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Hi Dave - no, just the one. Which kind of mitigates against the notion that the scales were bought from another company complete with two holes at the wedge, or they would all have them. I really can't see them being prepared with two holes, to be honest.

Regards,
Neil

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I agree . I think you're right , that it was probably a mistake , and the repair was invisible at the time it was done .

I've done that too, Dave - a great way of learning not to do it again, isn't it?!

I have seen much earlier razors, circa 1800, with two holes at the wedge, but these were clearly a mistake as one scale had one hole on one side and two on the other (others were drilled right through) but the oversized bulls-eye washer hid this defect.

Regards,
Neil