Thread: The Kilbourne-Jones Co

A new forum member, USMCCHAPS, and I have been working together to get him started straight shaving. He's been using shavettes so the concept isn't entirely new to him.
He's studied hard and looked LOTS of razors on ebay. He'd send me links and tell me what he liked or didn't like and I'd critique his review.

He spied this little darling and sent me the link.




The sellers pics weren't that great but we spied this in one of the pics.


We looked it over and I told him to go for it. He won it for a song.

Harold came up to Ft Worth last Saturday and brought his new toy along with another Boker that his poor puppy had mangled.
It had some very minor edge issues and I told him I'd let him know when it was ready to pick up.
In the meantime I lent him a nice, sweet shaving, little DOBIE 4/8 1/4 hollow to play with until I got his going.
I FINALLY got the edge straightened out today and took it for spin tonight. It shaved like I expected it to and hoped it would.
It wasn't the most fun shave I've ever had because IT'S SO TINY!!!
It did a good job and I had to be extra careful as I'm used to draggin' big iron wedges around my ugly mug. Made it through
with no rips, runs, or slices.
Seen here next to 5/8 Challenge Cutlery.


I hope he enjoys it. It's a nice little razor.

Im so excited yippie thank you wullie

You know I will have to take you out to the stock yards for a steak at my favorite place for you helping me with my first razor! You have been a great teacher.

Great looking gear guys.
Your a vey lucky man USMC in having such a great mentor such as Wullie. I too am blessed with such a person.
There help is immeasurable.
Well done guys!

Originally Posted by Tarkus

Great looking gear guys.
Your a vey lucky man USMC in having such a great mentor such as Wullie. I too am blessed with such a person.
There help is immeasurable.
Well done guys!

yes I would be so lost. He is a god sent. Just to have some one to tell me yes or no on stuff and what im thinking is on the right track. Is super helpful.

Yep. Thanks for helpin Harold out, there wullie! Gotta share! He will be a proper redneck in no time atall!

A beautiful razor indeed, and with a history going back to one of the finest sons of Columbus. Originally called Kilbourne-Kuhns (1862 - 1880), the firm was later known as Kilbourne-Jones & Co (I think you can just make out the beginning of 'co' hidden by the scales) the firm was founded by Lincoln Kilbourne (the name did not have an 'e' but picked one up along the way) in 1862. From 1881 to 1923 it was known as Kilbourne, Jacobs Manufacturing Co. Some sources say it survived under this name until 1953. There seems to be some confusion over the dates of the actual name of the firm as Charles Buchanon Anderson's family history says he was chief accountant at Kilbourne-Jones from 1895 - 1898.

Lincoln's father James Kilbourn (note - no 'e') was one of the founders of Worthington. Lincoln Kilbourn (still no 'e') worked for his uncle, Lincoln Goodale, who was trained as a physician, but opened a hardware store. Goodale retired, but Lincoln Kilbourn carried on with his brother in law, Cyrus Fay, as Fay & Kilbourn. Their store was part hardware, part clothiers. Fay took the clothing part and set up on his own, Lincoln took the hardware part. Lincoln married and had a son - James Kilbourne (note the 'e'), who served during the civil war (95th Ohio voluntary Infantry). shortly after 1868 he went into business with his father. Here we have another anomaly with the firms names and dates, as the firm they founded was called Kilbourne & Jacobs manufacturing Co.

A lovely razor, and a fascinating history. Thank God for the internet, without which so many stories of human endeavour would be consigned to the backwaters of history. We owe it to those folks to keep their stories known!

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

A lovely razor, and a fascinating history. Thank God for the internet, without which so many stories of human endeavour would be consigned to the backwaters of history. We owe it to those folks to keep their stories known!

Regards,
Neil

Indeed, Neil, you are correct in this. Thank you once again. I don't know how you do it, but am thankful you do!
Without interested parties, these fascinating bits of history would fall on deaf ears!
Tom

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Indeed, Neil, you are correct in this. Thank you once again. I don't know how you do it, but am thankful you do!
Without interested parties, these fascinating bits of history would fall on deaf ears!
Tom

Tom said it better than I could have.

AWESOME detective work!!

THANKS!
Willie