Hi all, I received my first SR and am learning how to use it. The guy I got it from has over 50 razors, and I asked him why. He said "Why not"? I am now beginning to see his wisdom. As well, I am starting to become obsessed with my SR. Can anyone help identify: How old this razor is? What do the numbers 383 5/8 mean? What does double hollowed mean? Where was it made? What happened to the company that made it? Other questions I have that no one can answer is How many people owned this SR before me? Who first bought it? It may not be that old of a razor, but what adventures did the guy who bought it went through? Did he use this razor right before meeting a lovely girl under the Effile Tower? Did he use this razor in the depths of some war? Or when he was starting a business from ground up? Did he use this razor for a time where the odds were against him and he had to do the right thing at work, or with his friends, or in some foreign meeting? Was this his first razor that he used when he raised a young family with? What I do know about the razor: It has Jackson Garanti stamped on the shank. I assume this is the manufacturer It has very faint etching in the blade (not sure how visible it is in the photos I'm sending) with some words in French. I made out the following and translated: Forge A La Main =made by hand Double évidé Sonnant = Double hollowed sharp Click on the thumbnails to see the whole image Here is a link to the full resolution of some of the photos, so you can better make out the writing and logo: https://www.flickr.com/gp/78020500@N04/uyf59B Thanks, Will
Hi Will. I can only be a very little help, as I cannot find any trace of the manufacturer Jackson Garenti in my search engine. The number 383 on the blade might indicate the production run of that particular type of razor, for company records; the 5/8 indicates the height of the blade measured in eighths of an inch. Here is an interesting Wikipedia article, if you scroll through, it shows the different types of grind and you'll be able to compare it to your razor. I'm sorry I can't be more help. Cheers
It's a French razor, and Jackson being very much un-French, I would guess that's an importer or shop name, maybe barber supply name. It was made in Thiers, the Thiers makers had a number assigned to them, that's what the 383 is. Unfortunately none of my references list that number, so it came later or somehow escaped this record. Thiers-Issard is 69 for example. It appears to have a fairly normal length tang, so that makes it I'm guessing 1920 or later, along with it being pretty hollow and the older French razors were usually heavier grinds. In the olden days, thinner razors were framebacks. I'd guess that this is a between-the-wars razor for export to England or North America. Yes guaranti means the same as 'warranted' that we see on English/American razors. Sorry I couldn't come up with more, and some of it is guessing. Jackson being such a common surname doesn't help. Cheers, Steve
Thanks - that is good help. I don't suppose you could guess whether this SR is closer to a 1920s, 1950s, 1980s razor though? The fact that Jackson isn't showing up in any prominent google searches tends to substantiate it could be "old" (pre 1950s?). The website http://www.uniclectica.com/misc/manuf.html only shows a "WILLIAM JACKSON & CO" from Sheffield (c. 1850 - 1892). Nothing in France. But look at the etching. It looks of something from 1800s - 1920s. However, the handle and tang, as you mentioned, are more 20th century. Here is a close look at the writing and logo: click on the images to get a bigger view or better yet download them (in original resolution). https://www.flickr.com/gp/78020500@N04/uyf59B
Hard to tell, it might be from the '50s but I doubt it. I thought that the scales looked modern but they may have been replaced unless the Thier folk used phillips head screws for pins. Cheers, Steve
Maybe the second reference here: http://www.uniclectica.com/misc/manuf.html The time period is about right. Cheers, Steve
You have a Le Grelot 363. The company was bought out by Thiers Issard. 363 is the grind or the style of the blade.
An integer followed by a fraction, identifies the type of blade. For example, 41 identifies the blade used in Le Dandy.
