Just got a new member to the family and it's a big boy. Thanks Livio for the great deal,. It's a great shaver with just a few light strops.Attachment 134789
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Just got a new member to the family and it's a big boy. Thanks Livio for the great deal,. It's a great shaver with just a few light strops.Attachment 134789
Very nice!
That Blade has been around the Block many times.I really wanted it.Very nice razor,enjoy.
I had never heard of this brand before and I tried looking for information on it but, no luck. I know that it was sold on ebay before for a bargain price and then turned up here at SRP but didn't sell. Other than all this I would like a little more history on this huge razor. I have cleaned it up now and it is really nice and shiny. It has real good steel and very little spine wear, but if anyone out here can help with some history I would appreciate it very much.
Thanks everybody, i will continue my search for information on this razor and share any new information I may find.
Very nice acquisition, I did find a few interesting things about the Gervais razor. Firstly Anvers(Antwerpen) is a city in Belgium. N. Gervais is for Nicolas Gervais, he is listed in the diretory of Anvers in 1877-1878 as a gunsmith and cutler.
Jules Gervais was a gunsmith in Anvers as well, since the razor is marked "succ" for successeur or in english successor, im assuming that Nicolas
was a family member that was trained by Jules.
Jules gervais work as a gunsmith was truly breathtaking.
Attachment 135005
This is just what I needed. I am a bottom dweller in the field of straight razors now I see a beautiful photo of something I can afford even less (as if that is possible), an engraved double gun, which must be a sidelock, thanks for posting! Now I'll probably go creep around a double gun forum where oil barons show off their acquisitions.
How strange! - as soon as I saw that tang stamp I thought of the razor here - both Tom and I had seen the same mark before.
Now it seems that it was made by one of the Gervais family. Emmanuel Gervais was in munitions:
Attachment 135014
The same webpage says that Jules Gervais was operating at the same time - 1910. That is just the date of the ad, though.
Attachment 135015
That he was active earlier is not in doubt:
Attachment 135016
The odd thing is that the razor in the post I have linked to is stamped 'Jourdain - importe d'Allemagne' which means it was imported from Germany and that Jourdain was not the maker. On the back it has the stamp (now) attributed to Gervais - the 'A' in which must stand for Anvers (Antwerp).
So - was the Jourdain originally Belgian made, sent to Germany, then imported by Jourdain into France. Very odd.
Regards,
Neil
Neil, good eye! i knew i saw that stamp before! Both blade looks very identical, more then likely from the same manufacturer. I'm thinking both razors were made in Germany for Jourdain and Gervais.
Wow awesome informational background history, thanks a million!
Here is a pic from the other side of the razor.Attachment 135031
Thanks all and thanks to Neil to directing me to this thread. It seems obvious that mine in this old thread was made by Gervais for export and sold by Jourdain in France!
http://straightrazorpalace.com/razor...azor-info.html
BTW, that thread was a Classic!
What has impressed me the most about this razor is the steel.Yes I love the way that it is made or the way that it shaves but the steel is extra nice. I have compared it to my other straights but this one is far more superior quality steel. It is hard to explain but I have owned many brands and types but this stands out.
Sounds like it came shave ready and he is enjoying it. All are enamoured with antique big steel from W&B, Greaves, and many Sheffield makers. Antique big steel from Germany, (Belgium too!) is very similar. The old "cast steel" feel on hones, strops, and the face seems same, I expect most quality steel was made by few for these razors, but the Germanic guys could surely grind well. I really like antique German biggies. Hard to see, but awesome shavers. :D
True I did get it shave ready and just have stropped it and shaved. It just feels like a winner,, you know when you get and have that feeling about something that is made right, you know right away.
Can you even see your face to shave with that thing? LOoks like a nice blade to shave back hair with :p
Just kidding!
Thanks everyone for all the valuable information on this razor,happy straight razor shaving.
Attachment 177206Attachment 177207
Hi I just bought this one in the Netherlands, I think it is the same producer.. but a little bigger. 46 3/4.
nice to read about the history of this razor. Any Idea what the value is of this razor?
How should i clean it and keep it sharp?
Thanks Rolf
No evaluations allowed, Rolf, but not much to compare it to. As you say bigger and 46 3/4, How are you measuring it?
The picture you have provided leads me to believe yours is around 20 mm in width?
Nice shoulderless grind on yours. I would recommend only hand polishing/cleaning.
Tom
Hello, this razor is made by the same maker, is just a different style. 3/4 means is almost full hollow, is just a different grind, than usual. I sold mine because I like razors no bigger than 6/8, steel is probably German made , but well never know for sure.
It is of the same maker and the one I own is a 9/8's which measures 1 1/8" wide on the blade width.
The OP's here is 41 3/4. Mine is 41 1/4 yours is 46 3/4 . I reckon they denote models of razors. The 1/4, 3/4 might mean degrees of hollow grinding as in 1/4 hollow or 3/4 hollow, I suppose. Many makers had model numbers on their razors, Henckels had many.
As to the hollow grinding, unless one had a few examples in hand, it would be a guess. Old catalogues might explain, if they are found or even exist. A picture of the grind from the end of all 3 of these razors might be interesting. I will post mine later.
Attachment 177216
making a picture is dificult I will try later, I looked up a picture with a " Standart" counting ore qualification.... I think my is X or IX in this picture...
Here is a pic of mine and from the end.
Attachment 177238Attachment 177237
Attachment 177240Attachment 177241Attachment 177242
the top of yours is flat, my has a kind of top on it.. is tapered??
All 3 razors have some style differences. The OP's has a notched end, mine seems to be a sort of Spanish point, I think.
Yours is shoulderless and has a French point. Yes, nice tapered nose. Different models from Gervais!
Attachment 177248more razorAttachment 177248 porn!
Attachment 177249hope this works.
Attachment 177251hope this works
Whoever made these razors knew what they were doing and also not too many of them made, very rare indeed!
Most definitely true, Ruday. The family from which these pieces sprung were craftsmen in the highest order. Most certainly, the materials from which they were made are as well. In all 3 examples, the grinding appears exemplary.
This thread may well be the authority on Gervias razors as most info may be lost to time. A trip to Antwerp might yield more.
Thanks, Gentlemen, for the pictures and descriptions! :chapeau
Regards,
Tom
Hi Gents,
ok this will be my next goal a trip to Antwerpen lets find out where to go..
Longue rue de L'Hopital no:6. and Rue de Tournon 29. do not appear in Antwerpen on google maps.... they are in France... or where these streets distroyed in the War???
rue de l'h?pital - Traduction anglaise – Linguee for more info go to work now lets get it on :-)
Well Rolf, In my correspondence with Neil Miller on this, I suppose I may include his words on Gervias' location.
I quote Neil:
"Hi Tom,
I remember the thread now. There were a number of people with the surname Gervais in Antwerp. One (Emmanuel) we know was solely concerned with guns and munitions, whereas two - Jules and Nicolas were both cutlers and arms makers. In the thread we did not deal with Nicolas.
In the Commercial Address Book for Antwerp dated 1840, we only find five cutlers. One of whom was "C. Gilson" who occupied a premises in the curiously named "Marche Au Lait" street.
In the same guide, dated 1878 - 1888 we find both Jules and Nicolas Gervais. Nicolas is situated at - guess where?! - March au Lait.
Just a bit more food for thought...
Neil "
Best I can do to help! Looks like March au Lait is the ticket?
Tom
new info!!!!
Hi Tom found out the following item, March au Laut, the translation in Dutch is Melk Markt and this street is an existing street in Antwerpen. Melk markt no 18 is constructed around 1888 see https://inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/dibe/relict/4351 ok build in 1888 so I will see where i can go from here.....
The "Marché au lait" was not really a street but more a square on a street, its translation is Milk Market, the city of Antwerp was full of these markets all over for shoes, clothing,etc. RolfdeHaan im not sure the one you found is the same place seems i find in the old books that refer to the "marché au lait" was well before 1888.
It's the name of a street. No doubt its origins lie in a milk market on a square - many places are named like that - Marche aux Cochons et Lait (pigs and milk market) for instance. Marché simply means a market - a place where 'marchands' (merchants) sell their goods.
From the Universal Exposition of Antwerp, 1885 we have this entry from the diamonds/jewellers, etc category, complete with the number of the premises:
Attachment 177298
This postcard from 1895 shows it to be just a very wide street, where a market could be erected and dismantled on market days:
Attachment 177299
Unfortunately the germans did not think much of it, as witness this pc from 1915 (you can still see the church form the photo postcard above:
Attachment 177301
There is also a list of soldiers to be picked up from Belgium, who were residing with belgian residents at the end of WW1, amongst which there were many entries for people living in Marche au Lait, Antwerp. Seems like it was a definite enough street for the British Army to find its soldiers on...
Regards,
Neil