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Been looking for a stub tail for a while now and was able to pick this one up. No clue who the makers is. Someone has already cleaned it up a bit so I'll leave it as is and see if I can set an edge on it. It came with a coffin but I don't know if it is the original especially since it is in decent condition.
Bob
Attachment 275889
Attachment 275890
Nice score.
My eyes are not what they used to be but is the bottom word WADE?
All I can make out with my loupe is:Quote:
Originally Posted by bouschie
Top line - C or G OL and possibly an I
Bottom line - WA and possibly R
My eyes are not that good anymore either.
Bob
Maybe the bottom line says warranted. I have a stubtail and that is the only mark on it. Looks awesome, hope it shaves as good as mine!
Great! Always nice to have a stub or two in the shave den.
Way to go :tu
Nice find Bob!
Super score Bob.
Agreed, Every man should have a stubby..
No wait, that sounds weird...
:beer1:
Thanks fellas for all the comments. I have been trying to set the bevel and remove some chips. The blade has a slight heel hook so I am trying to get rid of that too. This is going to be fun, not.
Yea I suspect the second line may have read WARRANTED when the razor was new.
Bob
I'm proud to say that i don't have stubby:) But seriously, i wish i did! nice find!
Yea, words you don't want to say like "Hey I just found my stubby". :DQuote:
Originally Posted by MikeB52
Bob
Unless it's VERY cold out :roflmao
Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
I'm thinking the box isn't what the razor came in, because I can't get any variety of SMITH out of that mark.
The razor itself is what I call the 'Ne Plus Ultra' style.
The name comes from the so-called Smith's Key, a book which was compiled for unknown purposes (though most likely as a catalog of etchings for use in advertisement) sometime between 1814 and 1816. The book includes illustrations of the many, many tools produced in Sheffield, with an emphasis on the ones made by James Cam and/or Marshes & Shephard.
There are two types of razors with the same basic blade pattern or design (though there were a lot of variations in ornamentation from one manufacturer to another). Large versions were etched 'Magnum Bonum' on the top of the spine and smaller ones were 'Ne Plus Ultra'. These marketing slogans persisted for many, many years, but very quickly lost association with any particular style. By no means were all the razors in this basic style etched with one of the slogans, but very many were. If you closely examine the top of the spine you might find a hint of an old etch. It probably said 'Ne Plus Ultra'.
As for the manufacturer, I'd need to see a closeup of the tang. I can't immediately place whose stamp that might have been. The second line is definitely 'WARRANTED', though.
I've seen examples of both from about 1810 to 1820ish. I'd say yours falls in the 1810-1815 range just based on my gut feeling.
My guts are pretty well calibrated, but by no means infallible.
Zak
Thank you very much for that additional information. It is much appreciated.
Bob
Nice find, the Smith, Scarborough case is likely from a retailer, Scarborough is a resort on the east coast.
A bigger photo of the tang stamp would be nice to see :idea:
That's a nice find Bob. Congratulations, I am looking forward to seeing how the restoration goes and how it shaves.
Thank you. All I did to it was use 3 layers of tape to set a bevel before I shaved with it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Porl
http://straightrazorpalace.com/shave...er-21th-9.html post #84.
It shaves as well as any other razor I have but is a little awkward to use because of the stub tail.
Bob
Thank you. We will try and get a close up of the tang stamp posted later today.Quote:
Originally Posted by 782sirbrian
Bob
Nice find Bob, enjoy it....
OK, tang photo for what it is worth.
Bob
Attachment 276393
Attachment 276394
This is mine. PACKWOOD. Shaves like a dream. Tried to sell it but no buyers so decided to keep it. Glad I did.
Thanks for the photo, at a guess Colley & Co :hmmm:Quote:
Originally Posted by BobH
I think you're on the money, Brian!Quote:
Originally Posted by 782sirbrian
Though it looks like a weird transitional mark for them. Alice Colley ran the business from the late 1700's to about 1811, when her son dissolved the partnership. She died in 1816.
During Alice's run, she used a mark of crossed pipes with an S above them, and primarily made scissors. In the 1830's the pipes mark got picked back up by the family and used for Colley & Co.
So I'd guess this was made after William and his mother dissolved the partnership (and hence lost the mark), which places it nicely in the range I thought.
I've superimposed the name and Warranted in a period appropriate typeface and fiddled with the spacing (since these stamps were laid out by hand, not computer) and it looks like a direct match.
Attachment 276401
Brian and Zak
I can't thank you fellas enough for coming up with a maker for the poor old girl. It is amazing the depth of knowledge that is freely shared on this forum.
Bob
For me at least, it's always a pleasure to track down ones like this! I'm glad to help.
It's my passion for locally made razors, and the history that comes with them I enjoy. Always fun to name or date a razor.
I only wish I could have been around when these were made, I can take a tour of Sheffield any day, but the razor firms are long gone, some of the buildings still stand.
