Thread: First MOP (help with identify?)

So I've kinda finish restoring the blade, it took a lot of time and I'm not sure if I'm happy with the results...you decide yourself.
Don't get me wrong, I love it and the scales are amazing (although not quite perfect). I couldn't identify the maker and I was hoping I could get some help here if possible. I can say that it came from France but judging by the blade's shape and the "silver steel" stamp my guess is that its English...any thoughts on this?

The scales are nice and the blade, though heavily pitted isn't bad. I don't think they pair up very well however. If you had some scales that looked more roughed up I think it would look better, almost matching. This is just my opinion and personal taste, of course. I think the scales would look great on a mirror/satin finish blade around 4/8-5/8.

Nice! Leave it alone, IMO. The scars are from time and use. Looks like something and Co. The first letter appears to be a "T" while the last is a "R"? Turner? Anyway, A beauty!

Yes, a real gem of a razor!

The tang mark could be Pickslay & Co and underneath Peruvian Silver Steel?

If so, Charles Picksaly (b1781) would have been the cutler. He was in a number of companies (Green, Pickslay & Co, Pickslay, Appleby & Bertram, Picklay & Co.) and had made proper silver steel razors from an ingot of that metal supplied by Michael Faraday. At one point (c1828) Adam Padley was a partner, his company being absorbed by Charles Pickslay. Some examples of Peruvian Steel razors have a stylized 'AP' on the tang near the pivot. In 1834 Pickslay registered the PERUVIAN mark and proclaimed himself as the only maker of Peruvian Steel, made by a process "only known to Himself" although one presumes it must have had Peruvian silver as an alloying agent. He was making Peruvian Steel cutlery in Solly Street in 1834 as Pickslay & Co. Appleby seems to have disappeared by then and James Bertram (late Pickslay & Co) was a Merchant, Factor & Manufacturer of 11 Norfolk Street (still making Table knives, Razors, Stove Grates, listed under Ironmongers). Pickslay died of apoplexy in 1844.

Of course, it just looks like it says those things on it - a higher res, larger pic of the tang stamp would have been nice.

Regards,
Neil

I like that spine on the blade, very unique.

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Yes, a real gem of a razor!

The tang mark could be Pickslay & Co and underneath Peruvian Silver Steel?

If so, Charles Picksaly (b1781) would have been the cutler. He was in a number of companies (Green, Pickslay & Co, Pickslay, Appleby & Bertram, Picklay & Co.) and had made proper silver steel razors from an ingot of that metal supplied by Michael Faraday. At one point (c1828) Adam Padley was a partner, his company being absorbed by Charles Pickslay. Some examples of Peruvian Steel razors have a stylized 'AP' on the tang near the pivot. In 1834 Pickslay registered the PERUVIAN mark and proclaimed himself as the only maker of Peruvian Steel, made by a process "only known to Himself" although one presumes it must have had Peruvian silver as an alloying agent. He was making Peruvian Steel cutlery in Solly Street in 1834 as Pickslay & Co. Appleby seems to have disappeared by then and James Bertram (late Pickslay & Co) was a Merchant, Factor & Manufacturer of 11 Norfolk Street (still making Table knives, Razors, Stove Grates, listed under Ironmongers). Pickslay died of apoplexy in 1844.

Of course, it just looks like it says those things on it - a higher res, larger pic of the tang stamp would have been nice.

Pickslay & Co is the only maker stamp I can think of that fits the space on the top (I can only recall 5-6 cutlers with "& Co." around 1820-1840, but that sure doesn't mean there aren't others), but I'm not at all sure about the bottom being PERUVIAN SILVER STEEL. Back to 1826 when Pickslay was anonymously singing his own praises in the newspaper row over silver steel, he was calling it just 'Peruvian Steel' as a separate thing from silver steel. (The letter signed 'Another Friend To Invention' in the December 16th, 1826 edition of the Independent).

I could swear I've seen a razor stamped 'Perfected Silver Steel', but I never replied to this before because, unhelpfully, I can't remember where.

That's a good point, Zak - I have only seen it stamped as 'Peruvian Steel' by Pickslay, Appleby and Bertram (from 1827), 'Peruvian' by Adam Padley (1834) and 'Peruvian Steel' by Pickslay and Co (1834). The list of '& Co' cutlers I have compiled so far doesn't help much either:

1822
Harwood Thomas & Co. manufrs. of table knives, razors, and lancets, 27, Arundel st.
Hilliard R. H. & Co. merchants, factors, and mfrs. of table knives & razors, Grindlegate
Johnson George & Co. manfrs. of pen and table knives, razors & lancets, 4, Furnival st.
Schofield & Co. factors & mfrs. of table knives razors, nails, &c. 18 Union st.
Skidmore Saml. & Co. mfrs. of portable desks and cases pocket books, razor strops &c. Westbar
1834
Colley & Co. 98 Arundel st
Johnson George & Co. Tudor st
Oakes & Co. 2 Eyre lane
Pickslay & Co. (Peruvian steel) 60 Solly st
Sansom, Harwood & Co. 36 Norfolk st

I can see that faint first letter as either being a 'T' like Tom said or a 'P' or posibly a 'B' or 'D' but I can't see it being anything else - even the last three depend on an overhangin top serif and wear to the lower part of the character.

It could be 'Perfected' on the next line, perhaps even 'Peerless' - perhaps more pics in different lighting would help.

Regards,
Neil

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

I can see that faint first letter as either being a 'T' like Tom said or a 'P' or posibly a 'B' or 'D' but I can't see it being anything else - even the last three depend on an overhangin top serif and wear to the lower part of the character.

It could be 'Perfected' on the next line, perhaps even 'Peerless' - perhaps more pics in different lighting would help.

I can definitely see it being 'Peerless' too. Maybe it was TILLOTSON & CO? The timeframe seems about right... I've never seen that stamp, but I know there were several Tillotsons working between 1820-1840 (a few merchants as well as the more famous cutler). Also, I'd guess the age is closer to 1840 than 1820. Seems like the changeover to Victoria is about when that style of half-swaged/half-quill spine was popular.

And because I forgot to mention it, wow, that's a lovely razor!

Aha! A Tillotson & Co razor.

I'd guess this is John Tillotson and not Thomas Tillotson. Neil will, of course, know for sure.... But I'm pretty confident in the maker identification.

You are too kind, Zak!

Not the original Thomas Tillotson - too early (founded company 1774, died 1803). In 1797 name changed to Thomas Tillotson & Sons - John and George were the sons. The name changed again to Thomas Tillotson & Son - after John took over the firm. George had his own business. John had two sons - John and Thomas - he handed them the business in 1831. They styled themselves T & J Tillotson. John left the business and Thomas run it by 1850. Sometime around that date the name changed to Thomas Tillotson & Co and carried on that way to 1861.

So it could have been T & J Tillotson or Thomas Tillotson the second.

Regards,
Neil