Alexander Coppel

[dillon_b12]

I've come across a mint Alexander Coppel straight razor. It appears to be pre-war since it still bears the Coppel name.

Any ideas on a good price for it? The owner is asking a pretty penny.

 

[Wid]

How much is a "pretty penny" ? Just Googling it, it doesn't look to be anything special.

 

[dillon_b12]

$120.He seems to think its special because it actually has "Alexander Coppel" ON the razor and box. Supposedly, the Germans did not let the plant put his actual name on anything once it was in their hands.Googling it, I can't seem to find a whole lot. I can't find a razor that actually has his name on it.

 

[Wid]

Found this:


ALEXANDER COPPEL CUTLERY CO
Solingen; had an importing office in New York City
Used "STOLL RAZOR" trademark. Knives & Razors
"Barbers Choice"
ca. 1821 - present

 

[Greybeard]

In addition to the above, there is quite a bit of other history on Alexander Coppel, the company and the person.
In a nutshell, the company started as steel manufacturers by the original Alexander Coppel in 1821. They were very successful and opened a second manufacturing facility sometime in the 1850s. They manufactured pipes, rolled steel, wire, tableware, daggers, swords, knives and razors. They started manufacturing razors in the 1850s.
The company is most famous for their swords. Most of the police in Germany had a Coppel sword.
They exported sabres, bayonets and swords to England and the US for use by the military. This caused quite a scandal when it was found out that American and British military were using German manufactured weapons.
The Coppel family that Alexander (third generation, son of Gustav) headed were regarded just as highly as human beings as they were succesful entrepreneurs. They donated millions of marks to charity. Out of their own pockets built an orphanage, a school for the disadvantaged, and a recreation center. Their plants had recreational facilities for their workers. Some members of the family, including Alexander, became elected officials to fight for social issues. They headed various social rights groups. They were leading citizens of Solingen. In 2005 a street in Solingen was named after Alexander Coppel.
The family was Jewish and the company was Aryanized in 1936. Some of the family had already escaped to Switzerland in 1934.
Alexander Coppel and his family were sent to a concentration camp in 1941 along with the remaining Solingen Jews. He died there of starvation in 1942 at the age of 77.

An Alexander Coppel branded razor is not rare and is not considered a collector's item. There are just as many out there as many other leading brands. It will shave as well as any good Solingen razor. The swords and bayonets are the collectibles. At $120. you have a choice of many good razors.

 

[Kailand09]

Dang that is some cool background Grey beard, very interesting. I can't help but think it would be cool to have a coppel razor a sword and bayonet collection!

 

[jpcwon]

I will just add that FWIW they are great shavers IMO. Here's my Alexander Coppel "Alcoso"...

 

[dillon_b12]

Thanks for the info guys!

 

[LI995]

I can add that not all Coppel blades had the hanging scales. Being Jewish, he was deported and died at Ravensbrück Konyentrationslager in 1942. Aggressive murder of Jews began after the Jan. 20, 1942 Konferenz at the "Wannsee" Villa in S.W. Berlin (formerly Jewish-owned). The Villa is now and education center for the Holocaust and a library resource and a must-see if you travel to Berlin.

This author has a Coppel-made Forester's-type cutlass, stag handle with gutting knife, "Gott Mit Uns" raised etching on the blade. Obviously pre-War, no Nazi markings. Also a very fine pre WWI Cavalry type cutlass by Hugo Baruch, Berlin. He was swordmaker to the Kaiser, listed in the 1930 business directory. It is one of the finest period swords I've seen. Also Jewish, he was out of the sword-making business by 1930. Obviously Coppel's firm was too valuable to be destroyed, so was "aryanised" in 1936. One might consider this a "niche" area of collecting, making the straight razor somewhat more interesting as a collectible. Today Solingen steelmakers are very few, when once they competed with Sheffield, Wilkinson, and the greatest blade makers in the world.