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

This blade completely vexes me. A lot of it looks like late 18th century French design to me: the rounded point, the vaguely defined shoulder, the very thin tang --



But that tail looks distinctly later to me. Late 1820's, maybe. Though I notice that Lummus' Norris razor from 1801 has a very similar tail. And the scales, while they certainly could have been replaced, are very 1800-1820 Sheffield.

Then there's the stamp.



I could swear I've seen the (CROWN) (STAR) stamp before but I can't find it anywhere, and that's definitely a crown. It also very clearly says PATENT. Above that, I'm a lot less sure. ST. <something>? Maybe STUART?

Were there any French razors stamped 'PATENT'? Did a 'STUART' make razors? (I know about Charles Stewart, but this is pretty clearly NOT one of his).

Manah? Neil Miller? Anyone?

Very nice! I never seen such a stamp. Maybe you could clean it a little, especially above NT in Patent, a couple of letters more could appear. The third letter doesn't seem an E to me, maybe it's a C or G. The second and fourth letters could be E's... The blade design is strange, it reminds me too of the French XIX century blades...

I hit it with the 2000 grit sandpaper and took a few more pictures with different lighting.

I'm now reasonably certain it's 'STEWART'

Yes ti is!

Hello Voidmonster!

Nice razor - I can see what you mean about the 'french' look, but I think it is english. I'm not so sure about the tang markings - I'm reasonably sure that I have seen the symbols together before, but not where - could have been tools just as well as razors. I'm not sure that the name is 'STEWART' either (you are right about it being no relation to the Stewart of Caring Cross famous for the 'Plantagenet' Guard Razor - I have since found that that particular Stewart's Sheffield agents were John and William Ragg and I suspect that they made the razor for him as 'Plantagenet' was one of the marks they used) - but I digress! The third letter along from the left looks rounded in places - like an 'O' and I know of a famous cutler, surgical instrument maker and razor maker called James Stodart of 401, strand, London, whose business ceased around 1836, probably run at that time by David Stodard as James died in 1823. His lancets and surgical instruments were simply stamped STODART in capital letters, but with no makers mark. I have never seen a razor by him (you will recall he was senior to Faraday and instrumental in Faradays discovery of true silver steel). The instruments mostly had shagreen cases, tortoiseshell handles and were known for their excellence. He also made razors from wootz, a crucible or 'cast' steel.

Being a London cutler, his mark - if any - would not appear in the Sheffield register.



It may not be a Stodart razor, but is intriguing nevertheless!

Regards,
Neil

After a little more research it now seems like your razor was definitely made by James Stodart. Below is a picture of a gold lancet case, complete with his crown and star symbol and name:



and here are a few of his trade cards that prove he made razors as well as surgical instruments:









Regards,
Neil

From The London Knife Book:
David Stodart, Cutler and Surgical Instrument Maker. 401 Strand, London. 1787-1839.

Thank you Neil! Thank you Alex!

That must be it!

Now all that remains is the question of when it was made. My instinct is 1810-1820, but it's such an odd duck of a razor I don't feel very confident.

I also wonder if it is, in fact, not intended to be a razor at all but a surgical cutting tool.

For what it's worth, the scales are horn and it has a lead wedge.

I think that the London Knife Book could do with a little clarification, Alex!

James died in 1823 and his original company traded under the name of James Stodart. Samuel Stodart and David Stodart were in partnership at the premises at Strand and trading under the name of 'David & Samuel Stodart' after this, but their partnership was dissolved in 1832:



At that time Samuel would have been only 15 years old (he was born in 1817 in Strand, but by 1881 he was living in Lambeth). David - the elder brother - carried on with the business - trading under the same name as when in partnership with (presumably) his brother, but by 1835 he was declared insolvent and unable to meet his debts, as this extract form the London Gazette of November, 1835 records:



So, as cited above, the business ceased trading in 1836 or in the last two months of 1835 and I suppose the dates given by the London Knife Book are the birth/death dates for David. The only thing that worries me is that the Sun Insurance archive for May 1836 shows that the occupant of 401 Strand was David Stodart, but that may be because the insurance did not expire until then?

I would imagine the razor was made in James's time.

I suppose the dates given by the London Knife Book are the birth/death dates for David.

Yes, of course. I think so too.
I've put the dates in the end of the sentence, instead of the beginning.=)

David Stodart, 1787-1839. Cutler and Surgical Instrument Maker. 401 Strand, London.