The scales are pressed horn
1, so a good soak in neatsfoot won't do anything but good. Chances are excellent they don't even need it, but soaking them will help get out any stuff that's been lodged in there (you can use a pipe cleaner while they're still wet with the oil to
really clean between them).
If you soak them, the way I go about it is to put the razor into a sealable bag and pour in enough neatsfoot to cover it with a little extra, then put that bag inside another bag.
Double-bagging helps prevent the oil from making the whole room smell like neat feet (which, depending on your tastes, may not be the most awesome thing that ever was). It is aromatic stuff, and the smell goes right through a single bag.
I'd guess that's from 1830-1840, and I'm 90% certain the blade has been reground quite a long time ago. That stabilizer is
not original.
The idea that the anchor means its from Birmingham is a misconception. The anchor was a part of the hallmarks for Birmingham
silver. Since the razor isn't silver, it just means 'an anchor'. Maybe they were sold in port towns to sailors?
- Fun fact, almost all old Sheffield scales that are made from horn were pressed rather than cut. It saved significant labor and meant scales were uniform sizes, since every set that came from that mold would be the same (minus natural variations in the material). Making scales was its own micro-industry, and only the biggest firms made their own scales.