Thread: My Great-Great-Great-Grandfather's razor

During the process of moving my grandparents to a knew house my mother came across some apparently very old razors. One in particular was said to be my grandmothers great grandfathers. I looks very old and after a bit of cleaning I found it stamped McGreaves and Sons. It has a yellow or yellowed translucent handle with visible fibers, i was thinking baleen, bone or turtle shell? The blade looks like its in good condition with only one bad spot of pitting. It came in a box marked Winchester, should I assume this isn't the original box? A second is visibly newer with a clear blue handle. The blade isn't stamped but was etched, or something, and is very hard to read. I can make out Dixie Blue Steel on one side and *something* CO. Union city GA on the other, i think. The third my dad took for himself since it was in the best condition....and promptly lost it so more to come on that one.

Can anyone please give me any more information on either razor? Im interested in the McGreaves and Sons razor in particular. I would also like to restore both to usable condition and use them. Any tips on cleaning and restoration would be much appreciated.(I have seen those sections on this website just haven't had time to read them yet)

Here are some pictures of both

These mean a lot to me and my grandmother so any information you can give me on either would be much appreciated.

Thanks

The greaves appears to be a 'newer' model as far as the company goes. William greaves started making razors in the late 1700's and he and his family started shefworks which was te larger cutlery factory in Sheffield England at the time. Greaves moved in to the shelf works building in 1823, and was sold to the eyre company in approx 1850. The trade mark of the greaves name is known to have been used until around 1858.

Looking at the style of blade and te shefworks marking I would say this blade dates to around 1850...... Based on your family history does this sound about right?

When was your great great gret grand dad born?

The scales or handles are horn. And appear original....

If you ask me no better honor to your answstor then to get it cleaned, honed and shaving.... It would be mind boggling for ur great great great grandfather to have though his own blood would be shaving with his own razor in 2013.

Greaves are excellent shavers, and yours appears in good condition. Enjoy!!!! Let us know what u decide!

Unfortunatly we dont know much about that part of the family that far back but my gandma is 86 and the math works out right for that time period.

Do you know anything about the box it came in marked "Winchester"? Or might the mgreaves or the dixie have any value for a collector? I wouldnt sell either but its nice to know.

I have never used a striaght razor and dont have a strop or any other tools one might need. I do have some experience sharpening and using other blades like knives and chisels but have never tried a striaght razor. I am very excited about this new challenge and cant wait to get started.

If a Sheffield razor is marked "Sheffield, England" it is post 1897, if it's just "Sheffield" pre 1897.

The other one is early to mid 20th century best guess

They are both in very nice condition

Originally Posted by khor1287

I have never used a striaght razor and dont have a strop or any other tools one might need. I do have some experience sharpening and using other blades like knives and chisels but have never tried a striaght razor. I am very excited about this new challenge and cant wait to get started.

First and foremost, those are very nice razors!!! I’m so glad that you acquired them!

As a former meat cutter I’ll tell you straight up that sharpening a knife and honing a razor is as different as day and night/black and white! My advice is DON’T TRY IT! All you will do is cause damage to the blade!

If you want to use those precious heirlooms, send them out to a Pro for honing!!! While they are out, buy yourself a strop as you will need it to maintain the edge that they worked so hard to provide you!!

While I maintain my own razors, I have a favorite restorer/honer/give me a PM and I’ll tell who I’d prefer you send those blades to!

I’ll also give you a link to a nice professionally made strop that you can have delivered for less than $45!! I bought one for my son!!

I feel your Greaves is a very oldie, from possibly 1830's. It (IMO) was reground, probably around the turn of century, and should shave circles around most anything else as properly prepared. This is from my experience, having several similar, and observing your pics of the tang, scales, collars, and blade. The presence of a stabilizer on such an old one as well as the minimal hone wear at the spine, indicates this (regrinding) as well. The Winchester box is nice, collectible, valuable, More rare than the razors I think, a Dixie is good, regular, but that Greaves.......It has a soul! And a long story to tell. I wish I had THAT from great, great grandad! Treat it properly That Dixie is a fine starter razor candidate. I recommend going with it to start, "bringing in the Greaves" Later. JMHO

I can't tell you much besides that I have a Greaves razor simply marked "SHEAF WORKS" and it is the best razor I have ever shaved with. I would definitely hone that razor and see how she shaves. I think you will be very happy if you do. Congrats on the find, and it's too awesome that it belonged to your ancestor.

Lovely razors and in very good conditions! You will just need a little work in order to bring them back to life.

Found the third razor today! It looks like it could be as old as the Dixie blue but I couldn't find any information about it online. Stamped "DESCO" on one side and "Dealers Sales Corporation Made in Germany" on the other. Looks to be in a bit rougher condition then the other two as one of the scales is broke at the blade end rivet.

In addition to "the desco" today we recovered what appears to be the original box for the dixie and its in very good conditon.


If anyone knows anything about the "desco" I would be very interested. If anyone has any experience appraising/buying/selling razors i would like to get a pros opinion about my finds. I would like to get all three back into shaving condition but sometimes repair can devalue antiques and id just like to know as much about these as i can.

Thanks !

I would not worry about evaluations on them. The two solid ones are the Dixie and the Greaves. The third one is worth more to you than anyone as an heirloom. Just preserve and enjoy. No gold mine here, just a few nice shavers and a worn and broken one.
JMO