Thread: ID a Cowboy

Originally Posted by bonitomio

Thanks for the link Howard.
I am pretty sure if I was to use my same caliper ruler on that razor it would show 4/8 from spine to edge.
If you only consider cutting edge and not the spine then of course it would be 3/8 or less, but the "standard" measurement is generally accepted as spine to edge AFAIK:-

Filarmonica Doble Temple para competiciòn 4/8 NOS
http://img111.imagevenue.com/gallery...ticin48NOS.php

Sorry earcutter if I am inadvertently hijacking your thread

New link. Go down 4 rows and to razor 1 & 2. 1 is 4/8 and 2 is 3/8. Even in the thumbnails the width difference is obvious. So, the 4/8 would have to 5/8 and so on. I think they're more accurate than that. I'm not going to buy one just to measure it though. Vintage Straight Razors

Howard

Edit: Gave Phil a call at The ClassicEdge and he confirms it is definitely a 3/8 measured from spine to edge. The #11 is 4/8, 12 is 5/8, etc.
Bon, I didn't mean to be contrary, just thought I'd confirm it from the vendor so I/we would know for sure.

Best Regards,

Howard

I don't know if this helps but like I said - compared to My Dovo, Revisor and Boker (all sold to me as 4/8's), it, my Fili seems about 1/8 smaller.

I hope you can see it in the Pics.

Originally Posted by earcutter

I don't know if this helps but like I said - compared to My Dovo, Revisor and Boker (all sold to me as 4/8's), it, my Fili seems about 1/8 smaller.

I hope you can see it in the Pics.

Yep I agree with you that the Fili is 1/8 smaller that the others, but if you measure all of them from spine to edge you will find that the others are 5/8 and not 4/8.
Nice razors btw

Originally Posted by bonitomio

Yep I agree with you that the Fili is 1/8 smaller that the others, but if you measure all of them from spine to edge you will find that the others are 5/8 and not 4/8.
Nice razors btw

Thanks bon! And thanks for your help!

I like my 4/8's and under. The majority of my collection is such. I note that everyone seemingly measures differently. Even between those "other three" there are 1/16's worth of a difference.

Maybe I'll need to reconsider my size preference from 4/8 and under to 5/8 and under lol. Woot!! That'll make the pool of possible razors a whole lot larger lol!!!

Your Cowboy was made by Ernst Linghorst, Solingen-Wald. Other brands in his line-up were 'Cowboy-Extra', 'Cowboy-Luxus'. He appears in the Solingen register of 1923, but could have been operating either side of that date.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Your Cowboy was made by Ernst Linghorst, Solingen-Wald. Other brands in his line-up were 'Cowboy-Extra', 'Cowboy-Luxus'. He appears in the Solingen register of 1923, but could have been operating either side of that date.

Regards,
Neil

Thanks Neil!! That's awesome!

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.