Thread: Calling on the historical experts, I'm stumped! An unassuming mystery razor.

Very good!, I messed it up a little
Also sorry for the strange formulated quote, next time better...
OK here it goes!


I also found an advertisement in the sheffield directory 1840, exactely thesame but without "the authorised manufacturers of the patent plantagenet guard razor"
witch led me to the idea that it was after Stewart (?)

Regards

Originally Posted by Fikira

... I also found an advertisement in the sheffield directory 1840, exactely thesame but without "the authorised manufacturers of the patent plantagenet guard razor"
witch led me to the idea that it was after Stewart (?)

Regards

Thanks for the photos! It is exactly the same style of blade as the Stewart Plantagenet:



The fact that you have seen the Ragg original in trade directories from 1840 and I have seen it in a trade directory from 1833 makes it clear that John & William Ragg were the original makers and sellers. As Stewart did not file patent until 1847 that can only mean that he bought the patent rights from Raggs, and the fact that he is listed as just 'patentee' and not 'manufacturer' leads me to believe that Raggs still made the razors for him with his details on the tang.

The clipping below comes from the Great Exhibition of 1851 at the Crystal Palace, and shows that not only was the razor patented, but the process of making it was too, presumably to stop others emulating the shape:



Not only that, but even the steel is mentioned:



Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Thanks for the photos! It is exactly the same style of blade as the Stewart Plantagenet:



The fact that you have seen the Ragg original in trade directories from 1840 and I have seen it in a trade directory from 1833 makes it clear that John & William Ragg were the original makers and sellers. As Stewart did not file patent until 1847 that can only mean that he bought the patent rights from Raggs, and the fact that he is listed as just 'patentee' and not 'manufacturer' leads me to believe that Raggs still made the razors for him with his details on the tang.

The clipping below comes from the Great Exhibition of 1851 at the Crystal Palace, and shows that not only was the razor patented, but the process of making it was too, presumably to stop others emulating the shape:



Not only that, but even the steel is mentioned:



Regards,
Neil

Goodness that's a lovely razor, Neil.

Also, I absolutely live for these kind of excavations of history.

Your welcome offcoarse! Indeed, it is exactely thesame!

But I would very much like to see the 1833 example because in the advertisement 1840 there is nothing about plantagenet,

Ragg Sheffield directory 1840.pdf


and in 1871 there is...

Ragg Plantagenet 1871 Sheff dir.pdf

I also wonder what the exact meaning is of "authorised manufacturer"...

It's great to reveal history!

Kind regards

Well - I have got the 1833 reference somewhere, but just can't lay my hands (or mouse-pointer!) on it at the moment. However, here is a reference from Tweedale dated 1839 that shows the use of the 'Plantagenet' corporate mark (ie registered as theirs by the Cutlers Guild):



It would be interesting to see the Cutlers Guild records for 1833 - 1838 to see just how far back Raggs held the 'Plantagenet' mark in their name, as it does not appear in the picture accompanying the text, so I am assuming the picture pre-dates 1839.

"Authorised Manufacturer" would tend to indicate that they were licensed to manufacture that item by a third party - presumably Charles Stewart. That would solve any problems arising by use of the corporate mark.

Regards,
Neil

Offcoarse, appearantly I overlooked that sentence in my Tweedale?

Waiting for more information before 1839 !

Thank you very very much, my latest razor in my collection has been more exciting than I imagined!