Questions About a Vintage Straight Razor
December 11, 2020 6:05 PM Subscribe
I inherited this vintage razor. Box is embossed: "Harrison Brothers & Howson, Cutlers to Her Majesty" and "Corporate Mark (five pointed crown logo) Alpha". Blade is stamped "Made in Sheffield". I am curious about the vintage ("Her Majesty" must be Victoria, right?) and approximate value, since I may wish to sell it. Canadian Toonie for scale.
Response by poster: Them handles ain't chased. They's unchased Bakelite.
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:48 PM on December 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 7:48 PM on December 11, 2020 [1 favorite]
I have no particular expertise in vintage English razors, but if the handles are Bakelite, it can't be Victorian. Victoria died in 1901 and Bakelite wasn't invented till 1907.
posted by clair-de-lune at 10:19 PM on December 11, 2020 [3 favorites]
posted by clair-de-lune at 10:19 PM on December 11, 2020 [3 favorites]
Response by poster: I agree. I think the box is Victorian due to "Her Majesty". The razor is a half centimeter too long to completely close the box, and is not stamped with anything other than "Made in Sheffield".
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:47 PM on December 11, 2020
posted by weapons-grade pandemonium at 10:47 PM on December 11, 2020
and is not stamped with anything other than "Made in Sheffield".
Doing a google image search, the Harrison Brothers & Howson razors are stamped with variations on
Harrison.Bros & Howson
Cuttlers to Her Majesty
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:16 PM on December 11, 2020
Doing a google image search, the Harrison Brothers & Howson razors are stamped with variations on
Harrison.Bros & Howson
Cuttlers to Her Majesty
posted by sebastienbailard at 11:16 PM on December 11, 2020
We have a Her Majesty right now, you know, and have since '52. If you can be sure it's from before then then yes, it would most likely be Victorian, but you can't just jump to that conclusion.
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:46 PM on December 11, 2020
posted by How much is that froggie in the window at 11:46 PM on December 11, 2020
You might have better luck posting your question to r/Wetshaving or r/wicked_edge at reddit, or to a forum such as Badger and Blade.
It's not uncommon for razors and their boxes to end up mis-matched, as appears to have happened here. It has also been known for razors to be stamped 'Made in Sheffield' that weren't, though I've no idea if that's the case with this one. The razor's condition won't help its value, nor, I imagine, would the absence of a maker's name on the blade. Razors in pretty rough shape can often be restored, so it could have some value - but my (poorly-educated) guess would be tens rather than hundreds of dollars. Someone with a razor that matches the box may be willing to pay a little just for that.
It's more likely that the box is Victorian than post-1952, just by virtue of the relative prevalence of straight razors in the 19th vs the mid-20th century - plus Harrison Brothers & Howson went out of business at some point (between the wars?) with the name only being revived again as a silverware brand in 1978 (source).
posted by misteraitch at 5:20 AM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
It's not uncommon for razors and their boxes to end up mis-matched, as appears to have happened here. It has also been known for razors to be stamped 'Made in Sheffield' that weren't, though I've no idea if that's the case with this one. The razor's condition won't help its value, nor, I imagine, would the absence of a maker's name on the blade. Razors in pretty rough shape can often be restored, so it could have some value - but my (poorly-educated) guess would be tens rather than hundreds of dollars. Someone with a razor that matches the box may be willing to pay a little just for that.
It's more likely that the box is Victorian than post-1952, just by virtue of the relative prevalence of straight razors in the 19th vs the mid-20th century - plus Harrison Brothers & Howson went out of business at some point (between the wars?) with the name only being revived again as a silverware brand in 1978 (source).
posted by misteraitch at 5:20 AM on December 12, 2020 [2 favorites]
What on earth would Her Majesty be doing with a straight razor?
posted by Raybun at 5:47 PM on December 13, 2020
posted by Raybun at 5:47 PM on December 13, 2020
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by sourcequench at 7:37 PM on December 11, 2020