Straight Razor Auction Ending 7/15

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Straight razor. Joseph Elliot Silver Steel. Silver Steel" was invented in 1832. Pressed black buffalo horn handle embossed with “New Orleans” with floral decorations on either side. C-1840. Uniquely shaped tang grip. This is the only example pressed with this city I have seen. Also, this is the only Southern city I have seen pressed into a handle. Rare.

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Straight razor. Adam Barlow Sheffield. Rare maker. Clear horn handle. The number on the pile side is an inventory number from the Henry T. Lummus Collection assembled before 1920. Lummus wrote articles on straight Razor Collecting for "Antiques" magazine in the 1920's. He had a unique code of red dots around the head pin that meant something to him. I have not been able to break the code. He sometimes scratched a date of acquisition. In this case, July 17, 1914.

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Straight razor. John Petty & Sons Manufactured Sheffield. Only razor by this maker I have ever seen. Blade etched “Real Magnetic Razor.”  Mother of pearl represents the top of the line. Carved multi-panel pearl handle, 2 panels each side attached to shaped metal liners.

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Straight razor. Wostenholms Celebrated Razor 2555. American Civil War period fancy wedge shaped blade having patriotic etched motif of American Shield, crossed flags and words including “Freedom.” Black buffalo horn handle. C-1860’s.

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Straight razor. Tang stamped “Ready for Use Universally Approved. C-1850. Very rare stag handle having metal head end cap and inlaid escutcheon plate. Stag is very rarely found on straight razor handles. If you have been buying straight razors in the first couple of sessions from my collection, you have had an opportunity to purchase a few already. In the fifty plus years of collecting, I kept all the stag I could find. They are now coming on the market for the first time in this Century. 

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Straight Razor. The Peter Frost Co. Chicago. Rare American maker. Blade etched “Radiumite.” Fancy imitation ivory celluloid geometric handle pattern. This razor handle pattern is #151 in the book “Celluloid Handle Guide for Straight Razor Collectors Reflecting on Fifty Years of Handle Designs (1870-1920)” By Robert A. Doyle.

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Straight Razor. Rhodes & Champion. C-1815. Awesome pressed buffalo horn handle with “Cossack” battle scene with Coat of Arms, horse and riders, Reindeer pulling sleigh, other symbols.

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Straight Razor. Manufactured by Wade & Butcher Sheffield. C-1850. Pressed buffalo horn with advertising in gold on the front “Wade & Butchers Celebrated Patent Frame Back Razor.” Straight Razor Superiority of Temper Stands Preeminent to Any Other.” The frame piece from top is missing. 

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Straight Razor. Keen Kutter. Blade etched “E. C. Simmons Keen Kutter” in a shield logo. Reverse of tang “Simmons Hdwe. Co. Germany.” Simmons Hardware also made straight razors for Winchester Arms Co. Imitation tortoiseshell handle.

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 Straight Razor. Manufactured by Wade & Butcher Sheffield. C-1850. Massive blade etched “The Celebrated Hollow Ground Razor For Barbers Use.” These massive blades on heavy black horn handles were. popular with the Irish immigrants that worked the railroads at this time period.

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Straight Razor. Simmons Hardware Germany. Imitation ivory celluloid handle with extremely rare handle pattern with horseshoe, riding crop, stirrups and whip. This celluloid Handle is quite rare. It is not in the book “Celluloid Handle Guide for Straight Razor Collectors Reflecting on Fifty Years of Handle Designs (1870-1920)” By Robert A. Doyle. This is the only one of this pattern I have seen.

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Straight Razor. Skidmore. C-1815-20. Rare pressed buffalo horn handle with all different symbols having to do with “Commerce.”

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Straight Razor. Weiss & Son 62 Strand. C1830-40. A rare London maker. The handle is genuine tortoiseshell having a bevelled perimeter and inlaid escutcheon plate. Uniquely shaped blade. This was a high-end piece, most likely a gift. Buying from Weiss in the early 19thC was like buying from Tiffany’s in New York.

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Straight Razor. American. The handle appears to be uniquely silverplated metal. Unusual.

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Straight Razor. Baker & Hamilton San Francisco, Sacramento, CA. Note: California made cutlery is very rare. This company is not listed in Bernard Levine’s book: KNIFEMAKERS OF OLD SAN FRANCISCO. The blade is etched “Damascus.” The mottled green celluloid handle is pressed with advertising for “BIG VALLEY CO-OP ASSN.” Rare maker with advertising.

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Straight Razor. Unmarked. C-1836. Fabulous inlaid black horn handle having inlaid engraved metal spread eagle surrounded by 25 inlaid mother of pearl stars each representing one state in the United States of America. The 25th star represents Arkansas that became a state from being a territory in 1836. America was halfway to being complete when this razor was manufactured. The only one like this i have ever seen.

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Straight Razor. Illegible maker. C-1825-40. Very rare carved mother of pearl one piece handle each side without supporting metal liners. Mother of pearl represents the top of the line. It’s hard to imagine how this beautiful, fragile handle lasted almost two hundred years without breaking!

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Straight Razor. PISA. extremely rare 18thC, 1700’s razor having a beautiful select horn handle with squared ends and fancy pin covers. This Handle material is the rarest that you will find on an early Razor. I have witnessed five, including the folding straight razor carried by the Duke of Marlborough. All five that I have encountered over the past 50 years, I kept. You will search for many years and most likely will never find one. I do not know why this "select horn" is so rare. It must have been extremely hard to find this kind of grain on a single horn.

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Straight Razor. Star & “P” symbols. 18thC Revolutionary War Period razor having a black buffalo handle with inlaid round metal decoration and fancy iron pin covers. Note how the wedge blade goes simply from wide to narrow without having a distinct tang?

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Straight Razor. T. Hessen & Bruch Co. with symbol of a Bear. “Perfection Warranted.” Ornate cast aluminum handle having a pattern of raised scroll and a Bear with words “Will Bear Inspection” on front. Pile side with raised scroll and a beautiful woman. Figural cast aluminum handled straight razors are quite rare as aluminum was a new and expensive alloy at the time these Art Nouveau razors were popular. This would have been the top of their line for this maker.