Thread: Wostenholm & Sons SFR

I picked this one up off ebay, 7/8 (.910) near wedge with horn scales and MOP inlay.
I gave it a little clean up and while doing so found some cursive lettering in the scales, I can make out the j, but the letters on the other side are too difficult to make out.
Im going to hone it up tomorrow and give it a spin tomorrow night.
Maybe someone can shed some light on the SFR stamp, my searches came up empty.

Thanks for looking,
Eric

Nice one! I'm glad I missed that one completely as we probably would have been bidding against each other.

Afraid I can't help on the SFR stamp though.

Nice razor! since you found a J it is highly possible that it is a Joseph Wostenholm & Sons, totally different company then the more popular George Wostenholm & Sons.

OH very nice Spanish point.
J. Wostenholm & Sons
c.1854-1867 This firm was in business as early as 1948 as Joseph Wostenholm & Co.. In 1854, They moved from 64Rockingham Street to 42 Leicester Street in Sheffield, England. The name was changed to J. Wostenholm & Sons about the same time.

Originally Posted by TrilliumLT

OH very nice Spanish point.
J. Wostenholm & Sons
c.1854-1867 This firm was in business as early as 1948 as Joseph Wostenholm & Co.. In 1854, They moved from 64Rockingham Street to 42 Leicester Street in Sheffield, England. The name was changed to J. Wostenholm & Sons about the same time.

Thanks Colin, does your Goins read anything about the SFR stamp?

Originally Posted by epd

Thanks Colin, does your Goins read anything about the SFR stamp?

Nada zip zilch. I bring it to the meet so you can have a look see.

Why have you decided, that it's Joseph Wostenholm & Sons?
I don't see any "J".
But "SFR" stamp is interesting.
...maybe, it's SFr - Swiss Franc? Since 7 May 1850, Swiss Franc is the monetary unit of Switzerland. And the razor was made by George Wostenholm & Sons? We know "The I*XL Improved Swiss" razors.

P.S. But the stamp font is unusual for Geo.Wostenholm. IMO.

I think it means "Super Fine Razor"! That's a fact!

Originally Posted by manah

Why have you decided, that it's Joseph Wostenholm & Sons?
I don't see any "J".
But "SFR" stamp is interesting.
...maybe, it's SFr - Swiss Franc? Since 7 May 1850, Swiss Franc is the monetary unit of Switzerland. And the razor was made by George Wostenholm & Sons? We know "The I*XL Improved Swiss" razors.

P.S. But the stamp font is unusual for Geo.Wostenholm. IMO.

I hadn't decided if it was Joseph or George or either for that matter. The J on the scales had me thinking that it was Joseph, However the chances that those scales are original, combined with the fact that Joseph himself likely did not personally make and sign the blade, make it an impossible guess.
I think you nailed it with the SFr, that makes perfect sense! Thank you.

In my opinion it's a knockoff... A very old one. And that doesn't mean it's bad, just that one company (or person) tried to cash in on the fame of another in a city where skilled workers moved around a lot.

The stamp is wrong for it to be either George or Joseph Wostenholm. George's stamp was "son's" -- singular possessive -- and I can't find examples of his marks past 1820 or so that don't include at least his first initial. Joseph Wostenholm didn't produce razors without a first initial since he brought his sons on board too (and in his case it was "sons" plural).

There were lots of examples of grinders and cutlers producing work with false stamps, usually for a rival company but sometimes for a 'Little Mester', and Wostenholm --being an incredibly recognizable name -- would've been a primary target. And if Georgie had caught the guys who did it, he probably would have picked his teeth with their ribs.