Thread: ID a Cowboy

Have a look at what I just stumbled over:- 300734759199

That does not look too shabby for the price.

Bob

Cowboy went out of business in 1950, which make sense, that offered Stainless Steel razors whcih were not available in 1923. I bought one of the NOS 7/8 Cowboys, it gives a great shave.

Stainless steel as we know it was invented by Harry Brearly while working at the Brown-Firth research lab in Sheffield - in 1912. Before the Great Depression of 1929 the USA alone had made 25,000 tons of it. Cutlers were using it in 1919 for cutlery, surgical steel scalpels and other implements. I am not sure about the history of the first stainless steel razors, but would love to have any creditable information.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Stainless steel as we know it was invented by Harry Brearly while working at the Brown-Firth research lab in Sheffield - in 1912. Before the Great Depression of 1929 the USA alone had made 25,000 tons of it. Cutlers were using it in 1919 for cutlery, surgical steel scalpels and other implements. I am not sure about the history of the first stainless steel razors, but would love to have any creditable information.

Regards,
Neil

According to Grace's Guide to British Industrialization, George Ibberson and Co. were the first to make a knife from Firth stainless (Brearly's process) in 1914.
I have an Ibberson Firth stainless razor made for the T. Eaton Co. in Winnipeg, Canada. Due to a change to the T. Eaton logo, I can date the razor to before 1920. Unfortunately the razor's edge microchips. Apparently this was also a problem with the Ibberson knives according to a knife forum ( I can't remember which right now).
W. H. Hatfield became Brearly's successor at Firth and is credited with the invention of the 18/8 process in 1924. This process made for a better material.
That's as much as I've got.

Just an observation, Boker recently released its first stainless steel razor, all the dovo that use the term Inox are stainless steel are recent, seems French may have lead the way in incorporating stainless steel in razors as Inox is short for acier inoxydable, which translates in French to doesn't rust. Can't think of a decent old razor Puma, Crown and Sword, Theirs Issard, Wade & Butcher which was made using stainless. They all seemed to favor high carbon steel. It would be interesting to know the exact history of this innovation. I'm guessing it was post WWII.

Thanks for the useful info, Greybeard! I have read a bit more about Firth stainless - or 'rustless' as they called it then - and found that Brearly sent blanks directly to R F Mosely and Ibberson. The main thing that hindered production was the onset of the 1914-18 war and the Government laying hold to supplies of stainless for the war effort. The government imposed ban on stainless was ended after the war in 1918. 'Firth Stainless' saw a great revival in the post war years.

At the 1915 exhibition in the cutlers hall all the tableware, razors and scissors appeared to be German!

The reason that they didn't catch on in Sheffield is probably because most of the major players eschewed modern materials and modern processes. Not only was stainless something of an innovation, but the traditional processes were not suitable for stainless steel - for example it was too hard to hand forge and grind. This would suggest that Germany would be a suitable arena for stainless steel razors to be developed post WW1.

Regards,
Neil

An announcement of the development of stainless steel, in New York Times, January 1915.

Is O.T. but of interest, that prior to the widespread use of S.S for cooking and eating utensels.
Iron Deficiency was unheard of.You get alot of trace Iron when using cast iron pans and such.

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Is O.T. but of interest, that prior to the widespread use of S.S for cooking and eating utensels.
Iron Deficiency was unheard of.You get alot of trace Iron when using cast iron pans and such.

That's interesting! Popeye, of course, would be unaffected...

Most of our cast steel water mains, once cast iron, are being replaced with plastic these days, the domestic tap-offs have nearly all been replaced (except mine - had to do that myself last year) with plastic - they used to be lead. When I was a labourer digging up pavements and streets, you would find the lead pipes everywhere - some were cut off, some were not. Our digger driver used to tqap them with a small nail - if water shot out he would tap the hole shut and we would carefully dig around pipe rather than ripping it up and throwing it on the scrap metal pile. The risk of lead poisoning has been reduced, but I suppose that the trace iron is rapidly diminishing.

Your mention of SS pots and pans makes me wonder about the old aluminium pots, pans and kettles that seemed to dominate when I was a kid. Still, if I get alzheimers I won't be troubled with worrying thoughts like that!

Regards,
Neil