Thread: A very early American razor?

I nabbed this off the Bay:



From the pictures on the auction, I assumed it was a 1800-1820 Sheffield razor (and so I HAD TO HAVE IT).

What I didn't realize was the size of the thing.



Above it is a Mab razor and above that a more normal sized Joseph Rodgers.

It's stamped 'Refined Steel', which is the only clue I've got about its origin.



It had a fair bit of red rust on it, but that all came off easily and didn't leave any significant pitting. The scales appear to be hand-carved ivory (there are toolmarks but zero grain) and it's got a couple chips and a fair bit of discoloration.



It centers perfectly, opens and closes smoothly and feels very solid in-hand.

I'm more than a little mystified about it though. Is it a Sheffield razor? Early American? Other than The Mab, I hadn't ever seen anything that small (and unless I'm mistaken, corn razors are smaller still).

Anyone have any thoughts on the providence of this? I know it came from the estate of a master die-maker in Indiana who'd kept a large, eccentric antiques collection, but that's it.

I've been doing more research and continually turning up nothing. The scales are bone, not ivory. That much I'm sure of.

But that 'Refined Steel' mark is vexing me. The only other examples I can find are on blades stamped simply 'RODGERS', which all seem to be 1810's. There is mention in the 'Official Descriptive and Illustrated Catalogue of the Great Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations (Vol.2), 1851' of G.&W. Higgenbotham of Sheffield displaying

"An assortment of scissors ornamented and with gold and other metals suitable for dressing cases writing desks &c Pair of fine scissors made of refined steel and and tempered by a process not yet made public produces a durable edge and a brilliant polish Razors in ivory tortoise shell and mother of handles and gold and silver mountings with blades similar temper made of refined steel and highly finished."

Does anyone have better info on this?

Thats nice! I am sure it is of English orgin. Refined steel is an older sales speak as was India steel, Cast steel and Warranted. The carving on the bone is unusual, to be shure. The razor is early 1800's I think and the scales may well be original as to the shape. Great collectible!

I may well be wrong on the scale material. I found another razor in nearly identical scales which are described as ivory (and I believe it). I guess when I get home I'll do the hot-pin test.

Also noteworthy, the other, similar razor is listed as 1810-1820.

I'm gonna try and get it honed up pretty soon, but I'm also thinking those scales could do with a trip through an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner.

I'll keep the thread updated as I work with it!

I should also put up pictures of the box it came in...

Ivory and bone will give the same result on the hot pin test. I am pretty positive they are bone. I don't know about honing it up. That is a true antique. I would just display it in it's current form. I feel you will be disappointed as you take off the patina and try to make it shave. You certainly have better candidates? JMHO

You don't have to remove the patina to hone it

nice razor, I don't think it's American-made though just because it is widely accepted that straight razor manufacturing didn't begin in the US until decades later

I'd bet on it being a Sheffield and the scales bone. I had a set of two Joseph Rodgers 'Refined Steel' some years back. They had bone scales but not carved. They also were diminutive in size compared with a 'normal' razor. In his book Collecting Straight Razors, Robert A. Doyle talks about the brief period when travel razors were made in the early 1800s. They were smaller than average and that could be what you have there. An early travel razor. Nice whatever it is.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Ivory and bone will give the same result on the hot pin test. I am pretty positive they are bone.

I used the microscope test. They're bone, good call folks!

There were two things that made me think it was ivory. The first was that they're VERY thin scales. The only other ones I've got here that are as thin are unequivocally ivory. The scales on this one confused me slightly because of the carved waves and staining.

I convinced myself they were bone after close examination, then I found this. So I went digging around about all the different kinds of ivory and managed to talk myself out of the bone hypothesis. After a good long time with a microscope, a UV lamp and a bunch of examples of ivory and bone I am now certain. These are bone.

Originally Posted by sharptonn

I don't know about honing it up. That is a true antique. I would just display it in it's current form. I feel you will be disappointed as you take off the patina and try to make it shave. You certainly have better candidates? JMHO

I do have one better candidate -- for shaving with a razor made before 1820, that isn't already in shaving-shape -- but it needs the scales fixed up a bit. I have no intention of sanding this one or removing the patina anywhere but the bevel. My one other very early 1800's razor actually shaves better than almost anything else I've got!

Originally Posted by hoglahoo

You don't have to remove the patina to hone it

nice razor, I don't think it's American-made though just because it is widely accepted that straight razor manufacturing didn't begin in the US until decades later

Yeah, I agree. It's most likely Sheffield. I know there were a couple of cutlers in the US as early as the beginning of the 19th century, but the one I've now seen pictures of is radically different in design. I just couldn't find much of anything using 'refined steel'... At least not until I went digging again today.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

I'd bet on it being a Sheffield and the scales bone. I had a set of two Joseph Rodgers 'Refined Steel' some years back. They had bone scales but not carved. They also were diminutive in size compared with a 'normal' razor. In his book Collecting Straight Razors, Robert A. Doyle talks about the brief period when travel razors were made in the early 1800s. They were smaller than average and that could be what you have there. An early travel razor. Nice whatever it is.

The above link points to a razor from Doyle's collection, even. I also notice that Lummus mentions that the early 1800's razors were very small, and indeed my 1810's Wostenholm is certainly not a wide blade -- probably 4/8 tops, but it's a pretty standard length. And oh man, the shave it gives...

And now, more razor porn.



I figured after all that, I needed to post some better quality pictures. In this one you can see the box it came in. It's a wooden coffin with a pivoting lid and a leather sleeve. Them parts look oooold.



I gently cleaned it up with a toothbrush and toothpaste before taking these pictures.



Not the most legible stamp in the universe, but it's definitely 'Refined Steel'.

Man, oh man do I have a thing for the antique razors...

The pair of 'Rogers Refined Steel' (I remember now it wasn't "Joseph Rogers") I had came in the same box as what you have in the photo. Pivoting lid and all.

Originally Posted by JimmyHAD

The pair of 'Rogers Refined Steel' (I remember now it wasn't "Joseph Rogers") I had came in the same box as what you have in the photo. Pivoting lid and all.

Ah yes! I found pictures of those (or at least other 'Rodgers: Refined Steel' razors) while I was digging today.

That the same box was involved really does help at least sorta narrow down a date range.