Thread: New mystery French razor!!!

She is a purdy gal, how does she dance?

Dont know yet shooter, she's sharp (slit my thumb on it this morning) but not shave shave. Im thinking of sending it to Glen for scales, honing, and a bit of restoring.

Originally Posted by animalwithin

Dont know yet shooter, she's sharp (slit my thumb on it this morning) but not shave shave. Im thinking of sending it to Glen for scales, honing, and a bit of restoring.

So in summary we have a mysterious French female razor that is beautiful, dances and is dangerous.
I hereby dub thee "la Mata Harri!" (with owners permission of course)



I would keep the original scales and just have her detailed and honed.
Unless you were to replace them with some pretty ivory.
Just my 2c worth.

Originally Posted by bonitomio

So in summary we have a mysterious French female razor that is beautiful, dances and is dangerous.
I hereby dub thee "la Mata Harri!" (with owners permission of course)

I would keep the original scales and just have her detailed and honed.
Unless you were to replace them with some pretty ivory.
Just my 2c worth.

Except that Mata Hari was not French was she?

Indeed she was not.
Born in Holland if I am not mistaken but was working in France in counter espionage.
An interesting read:- Mata Hari was only interested in one thing - and it wasn't espionage | Mail Online
Sorry again I´m

Originally Posted by bonitomio

Indeed she was not.
Born in Holland if I am not mistaken but was working in France in counter espionage.
An interesting read:- Mata Hari was only interested in one thing - and it wasn't espionage | Mail Online
Sorry again I´m

Ah those Dutch - they speak English better than the English and understand far more German than they let on to Germans.

Haha I was actually thinking of ivory boni. I'm looking at a 7" piece of fossilized walrus ivory but its pricey and I don't think its thick enough (1/2").

Originally Posted by animalwithin

Haha I was actually thinking of ivory boni. I'm looking at a 7" piece of fossilized walrus ivory but its pricey and I don't think its thick enough (1/2").

I would have thought 1/2 inch would have been ample for a set of ivory scales.
Vintage ivory scales are probably 1/16 thick when finished.
I would also PM gssixgun and pixelfixed to see what they can offer you in this line

Surely a Thiers razors from the 1930's, Dellac is just a reseller (the habit of stamping the razors for others in France date from the XIX century, evry small village had a reseller whit razors that he did not manfactured, nevertheless he had his name stamps on it directly in the manufactuer's work)

Opinel (a famous knife maker in France) didn't make any razor, it was Pradat Brun the manufactuer who did.

Originally Posted by charlie48horlogerie

Surely a Thiers razors from the 1930's, Dellac is just a reseller (the habit of stamping the razors for others in France date from the XIX century, evry small village had a reseller whit razors that he did not manfactured, nevertheless he had his name stamps on it directly in the manufactuer's work)

Opinel (a famous knife maker in France) didn't make any razor, it was Pradat Brun the manufactuer who did.

That is, of course, a distinct possibility.

Note that I say 'possibility' rather than 'surely' as you have, as Vierzon has quite an industrial lineage. There was a forge with a smelting works and iron works built there in 1779 on the banks of the river Yevre. The area is situated amongst forests - ideal for making charcoal for converting iron, and further down the Cher river are coalpits. Even if steel bar had to be imported (as a lot of steel made in Sheffield was - and still is - to France) then Vierzon is the confluence of major rail networks that propelled it into the Industrial Era, as well as the confluence of five rivers (the area is known as Le Pays des Cinq Rivieres). As well as foundries and iron works there were potteries and agricultural tool and implement manufacturers there. An 1834 treatise mentions the presence of tanning pits and paper mills, too. In fact, everything a practicing cutler could want!

In 1839 the first ironworks was re-equipped by Eugene Flachat, one of whose specialities was the recovery of heat generated by puddling to drive steam engines. Puddling, as we know, produces good quality carbon steel for use in knife, sword and razor making. Flachat installed a 60 horsepower wheel at Vierzon to drive the press and the rolling mills in the ironworks.

In conclusion, either scenario could be correct, but I feel there is more evidence of Dellac being the maker than there is of someone else being the maker. No doubt we will find out one way or another - some time!

Regards,
Neil