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Hey all,
I saw a nice 6/8 W&B wedge needing a simple clean and hone restore. The stamp looked really odd though and I haven't seen it in any of my searches. I should have snapped a photo, but after a few hours last night and this morning searching, I found it. It's the one on the far right.
Attachment 132357
Is this a really old W&B or just an atypical stamp?
Thanks.
They did have a few, looks like a"Victoria Reign", but I'm not sure... Guess Neil Miller would now for sure, if you PM him on here.
This isn't going to narrow things down much for you, but the VR would indicate the reign of Queen Victoria, which ran from 1837 to 1901.
I'm FAR from an expert, but I can't recall seeing that particular one either.
EDIT: Mikael is quick!
Yes, it is the stamp for during Victoria's reign. There are also Wade and Butchers with WR for William and GR for George that have the same stamp design. Less common, but they're out there.
Thanks for the info. It was different than the others that I've seen and until I saw the picture that I posted, I thought it was a razor somebody was trying to pass as a W&B. Whether it was made in 1837 or 1887, it's older than any living human. I wish I knew which decade it was made.
The crown is the symbol of the Regent. The initials, like Science Guy said, are for Queen Victoria. He gives the dates in the post above. EDIT ..... I see, that doesn't help with the decade ..... if there is no England stamped along with Sheffield it is pre 1889 IIRC.
I have a W&B with that stamp. It was a "masonic" razor with very faint etching on the blade. It is supposedly circa 1830. Max restored it for me and it's a fantastic shaver.
Attachment 132400
Wade & Butcher had an incredible number of stamps.
The 'R' in GR, WR, VR, ER and GR again stands for Rex (or Regina, in the case of Victoria). It's Latin for king (Rex, that is -- Regina is the feminine form).
In my experience, Wade & Butcher didn't use the VR stamp much beyond 1850. Just because of the length of her reign, the great majority of Wade & Butcher razors are technically Victorian though.
And while George was preceded by another George, the crown stamps do not appear to have been put into use until the 1820's.
The dates are:
GR (George IV): 1820-1830
WR (William IV): 1838-1837
VR (Victoria): 1837-1901
ER (Edward VII): 1901-1910
GR (George V): 1910-1936 (I've actually seen a 7 day set of razors from this reign with a GR stamp, and I have a Joseph Rodgers ink eraser likewise stamped).
ER (Edward VIII): 1936-1936 (yes really -- January to December)
I doubt there are any razors with Edward VIII's stamp, and beyond him they're monarch stamped razors are pretty unlikely.
Also, Wade & Butcher were absolutely not the only cutlery company using monarch stamps. Many, many cutlers did.
That's what love will do ...... or rather can do ........ :hmmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by Voidmonster
I know this is an old tread, but I have a couple of razors of interest to this thread. I feel it is, hopefully, able to assist one is the razor in question. The dating in this quote is the best I have been able to come up with in searching a lot of Google research. It seems very consistent with what my research has uncovered. One piece of information, which I did not save-curses, is the V.R. razor came jimpless (37-39) and the razor that was with jimps was 40 and towards the 1900s direction.Quote:
Originally Posted by Voidmonster
Curious enough, I am searching another blade, which was sold to me as a W&B because of the "Fine India Steel" stamped under the "Universally Approved" Stamp. I think the opinion of the seller was the light and incomplete stamp above the two, previously mention stamps. I guess under the rust/oxidation one could be confused that its a W.B, but in fact, a W R with a partial stamp of, what looks to me and as I understand, a crown.
The blade is a wedge with a barbers notch. Lead wedge and pressed horn scales. The blade has some pits, which does not offend me, along with some, bigger than I like, chips from the blade. But in fact, the blade chips are only a couple mm deep and I am confident to be able to hone them out.
If not, I'm calling Roy to the rescue, again :) This time, I will ask for him to coach me while I do the honing.
A good score this razor is.
I had a couple with that stamp. As I recall the steel cut quick and took a very nice edge.
