Thread: A little info needed please

Hello guys.

I found this wooden toiletry box at the antique store and I stumped the guys over at the straight razor forum on the "all about pocket knives" site.

There is almost all the utensils missing and some look self explanatory but there is a bit of a mystery involved concerning what the full complement would be.

Questions like, "where would the strop fit?" and "what is the 2 pieces that look to be mirror images of each other in the 2nd tier?" have stumped me and my friends.

I am sure someone here has seen one of these before.
The 2 razors seem to date from about 1880.... any ideas of the age of the box?

Here is a few pics.

OK.... maybe you can see the utensil I am wondering most about. See the 2 items in the 2nd tier that look to be opposites of each other? What is that?

Mike

I’m stumped on the 2 pieces that mirror each other as well.
But I’m not sure you’d have a place for a strop. That being a travel/weekend kit you possibly wouldn’t need to have it.

I’m sure someone will be along and know what those two blanks are for

This is easy, don't ask guys from a pocketknife forum for answers! They are a button hook tool, very common in old sets because Spats were a well dressed mans accessory. Plus the nail file and toothbrush. Tc

As to the strop, that's why 2 razors, and if you brought one with you it would have been one of the retractable silver ones that didn't take much room plus were the well heeled gentlemans travel strop. These were made stay for the upper class. Tc

Ahhhhhh.... yes! SO... is there a spot for 2 button hook tools or do the 2 work together?

mike

My best guess is for a different type of button hook, it has a different handle. I'm by no means an expert but have seen several go thru here that were whole and the guy knew what everything, was, plus I,m not well heeled even though all my custom razors cost more than they spent on theirs. Tc

I found pics of one VERY similar kit online. It also has a similar item in the lower level that has a "hook" but below that, the profile is different.....

This is a campaign toilet kit, probably French. You are missing boot hooks (two, one on each side, to help pull on long boots; these probably had folding handles), nail file, scissors, toothbrush, general purpose knife. The bottom held shaving soap, brush, etc. and probably had soft metal lined compartments (at least some of them). The mirror may be removable; often there were more compartments stashed behind it; based on the apparent thickness of the lid, I think this may be the case for yours. FYI the razors in this kit are not original, the case well predates those and I guess is around 1815 +/- based on others I have seen. The cutouts for the razors suggest razors of this shape (English):



or this (French):



(The set could also be English, I won't say for sure it is French.)

A really nice set!

Wow... thanks so much for that info!
What do you know... boot hooks.

Maybe "boot pulls" is more proper. Here are some more examples. Based on the asymmetry of the cutouts, one of yours probably had a button hook as well like in these sets.