Odds are that it will need to be honed. It will be nice to save it until you have a little more experience. It’s gonna be a nice razor.
So these popped on my radar screen... 2 separate auctions from the same seller. Was it weird that I felt it was my duty to make sure they stayed together??? They are indeed a matched pair (#1 & a #2), E.M. Robinson (edit: found to be E.H.), Bishopsgate St Within. I am not familiar with what “Within” meant, so with a little research it seems Bishopsgate is 1 of 25 wards of London, named after 1 of the 8 original gates in the London Wall. It looks like this Ward straddled the location of the wall, so you had a Bishopsgate Within and a Bishopsgate Without. Thought that was interesting. How could I have possibly let these two become separated?!??? I was destined to help. Happy hunting. Tom
Thanks Mike. I haven’t found a Robinson cutler or retailer, other than a grocer. Best guess would be late 1800’s but nothing I have found to narrow it down.
Looks like the M is really an H, so E.H. Robinson of 53 Bishopsgate Also found an advert for cutlery, specifically razors in 1865. Cool stuff. Tom
Got a couple ideas... I will probably go with 2 of these 3: Coticule, Thuringian and/or Charnley Forest. Any suggestions?
I love a Coticule followed by a Thuri with Sheffield Steel .It will give you a very smooth edge .If you finish with the Charnley Forrest it will be a little less smooth but have a crisp edge .You could finish # 1 with the Thuri and #2 with the Charnley.I find the key with Softer Sheffield Steel is to finish them in the 10-14 K range .I do not think that most older Sheffield Sheffield Steel likes to push passed the 14 K mark .
Thanks guys. One of those opportunities where the seller’s pics leave some risk, but the risk paid off. Also didn’t hurt that the auctions ended late evening on the west coast... didn’t have to compete with some of you out there, and that the “handles” were described as Bakelite might have helped.
A new dealer at the market showed up today with close to 100 SR and allowed me to go thru first. Majority were “just another razor” but I was able to pick these four. Imperial SR #20507 with a Egyptian style etch, Tree Boker King Cutter, shoulderless W&B. And finally, the first one i found in the wild, a Wacker in a Puma case. Two have the tips scale missing but past the pin and they are tight. They will not take much effort to clean up.