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Thread: Unusual Pipe razor etching

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    Default Unusual Pipe razor etching

    Hello, recently acquired this razor off Ebay. I has been honed and shaves wel. in speaking with Johnmrson he advised he had never seen this particular etching from Wostenholm. any ideas as to age of this razor?
    Name:  Wostenhom and Sons.jpg
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    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Best bet is to post more pix of the whole razor, maybe the tang stamp as well. There are nuances in the scales, blade, monkey tail that can sometimes give more accuracy in estimating the era that the razor comes from. Wostenholm was around a long time, from the very early days.
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    Name:  GW Full Pipe.jpg
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Size:  42.7 KBName:  Full GW.jpg
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    More pictures as requested.
    Tang reads "Geo Wostenholm & Son Sheffiled Eng."

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    Default Tang Pic

    Apologies for the blur, best I could get
    Name:  GW Tang.jpg
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    Historically Inquisitive Martin103's Avatar
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    Krisbowe, the apparent Eng. on the tang would make this razor post 1891.

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    krisbowe (03-21-2013)

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    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Like Martin says, post 1891 but FWIW, I don't recall ever seeing a pipe razor with that etch on the belly of the blade. I'm sure they made more than one but I've seen a lot of them and never one like that.

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    krisbowe (03-21-2013)

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    Would it be fair to say that based on what appear to be Buffalo Horn scales with pretty old looking pins this may be post 1891 but pre 1900?

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    Senior Member blabbermouth JimmyHAD's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by krisbowe View Post
    Would it be fair to say that based on what appear to be Buffalo Horn scales with pretty old looking pins this may be post 1891 but pre 1900?
    It could be but I'm not sure just when the cutoff point for horn was. I know that sometime in the late 1800s, early 1900s they started scaling with gutta percha/vulcanite. The same as tobacco pipe stems. I have a big Wosty FBU wedge that looks late 1800s as far as the blade but has the rubber scales. Maybe Neil or Zak might know.

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    wai
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    I have it's twin and I posted an image of it in a SOTD 13/03/2013

    A good shaver.

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    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    That mark was still in use in 1919 as this register from the time shows:

    Name:  wostenholm.jpg
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    As far as horn scales are concerned, there is no accepted cut-off point, though it would be fair to say that it was mostly used before 1900 if you must generalise. I have seen 1920s and later examples.

    Based on your pics I couldn't say whether those scales are horn or not. The wedge is helpful, sometimes - it was usually made from lead (there are exceptions) and earlier scaes sometimes had the wedge 'ground' integrally into them.

    Regards,
    Neil

    PS the numbers on the chart are not years, just block identifiers.
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