Thread: Early razor - need identification

Just got this one in a group of razors and cleaned it up. Has a Pipe logo with what looks like I.B., L.B. or J.B. I thought William & John Birks or F.W. plumacher. Any help would be appreciated.

34 have viewed and no one has any info on maker. I know someone out there has a clue. Awaiting the answer.

Originally Posted by bouschie

34 have viewed and no one has any info on maker. I know someone out there has a clue. Awaiting the answer.

Looks like an early Wostenhome, but the pipe stamp looks different from the ones I have seen. I’m guessing.

STRAZORS.com - all about classic razors - George Wostenholm & Son, Sheffield.

A pipe must have been popular as I have seen multiple uses of it in marks.

That is what I thought at first but Wostenholm pipe is curved this is straight. I found many makers that used a pipe or crossed pipes. Some had words or symbols with them. Nothing like this. W & J Birks used a similar pipe but no initials. I am stumped.

Originally Posted by bouschie

Just got this one in a group of razors and cleaned it up. Has a Pipe logo with what looks like I.B., L.B. or J.B. I thought William & John Birks or F.W. plumacher. Any help would be appreciated.

That's a head-scratcher alrighty.

I have several thoughts on possible ID.

The first and most likely is that it's not from Sheffield. I can't really pin it down more than that, but the shape of that razor is just all wrong.

The second though is:

If a late 1700's Sheffield razor got 'modernized' at some point, it might possibly end up looking like that.

How thick is the tail? The older razors tapered in thickness a lot more than the newer ones.

If it is a heavily modified old Sheffield razor, there's only one mark that's close, in Gales & Martin's 1787 directory.

William Mullins. Scroll down to near the bottom of Fikira's page on the Birks pipe mark to see.

But if it is, it's a misprint and... Uh, it'd be pretty weird for a sickle maker to also make razors. There are a handful of Mullinses in the apprentice registry, but none are in the right trade. They all made files or sickles (and an oddball who made shears). Sickles were a sufficiently different trade that even the family names are different from typical Sheffield cutlers.

Still, never say never! Table knives were fairly separated too, but William Teal made both table knives and razors and was only listed for table knives.

The short version: I don't know, probably not Sheffield, but maaaaaaaybe William Mullins or kin, heavily modified.

Thanks so much for the info.
The second guess I made was Plumacher. Definitely not Sheffield.
And the mystery continues.

It looks a bit on the thin side. But you know its a great blade! Got any plans for it yet?

Originally Posted by Gasman

It looks a bit on the thin side. But you know its a great blade! Got any plans for it yet?

It's now mine (see SOTD entry for today, 02 November 2018). I plan to keep and use it!