What's new

Info about an inherited razor

Well, today I head over to my mom's because she brought home some stuff from her visit with her parents. I thought nothing big, a planter that my granddad makes as a hobby, some sweet corn from the family plot and "something I need to unwrap" Well I didn't expect that to be my great grandfathers straight.:w00t:

From what I gather from the blade, it is German made for a company out of York, Nebraska, F.H. Evans. The model or brand appears to be William Tell.

It did come with a box but it is in rough shape with only the word Red legible. And one of the scales is cracked, other than that it seems very serviceable.

Well here are the pics, I hope some of the geniuses here can tell me more about it.

$WT1.jpg

$WT2.jpg

$WT3.jpg

$wt4.jpg

$wt5.jpg
 

Mike H

Instagram Famous
FH Evans was a barber supply company in York Nebraska around 1911. He had several razor makers produce razors with his business name on them.

William Tell is the name of the razor, I do not know the manufacturer, ...may be Richard Schmidt.
The box says Red Point, but do not think it original to the razor.

Hopefully, graybeard will come along and straighten this out.
 
Last edited:
I'll die laughing if Greybeard types, "no idea - never heard of it" lol.

All I know is I would love to have a straight from my grandfather!! If you aren't going to use it, I wouldn't fix it - I would frame it with a shot of him in the background and hang it in the den. Nice score!!
 
"William Tell" may have been a brand name of F.H. Evans since I can't find it attributed to anyone else. "White Hope" was also one of their brands. :laugh:
Evans was in business until at least 1934 but I haven't done any further research on them.
I'm not sure who made the razor. Considering the German manufacturers who specialized in exporting and re-branding to US barber supply businesses and the style and script I could make a guess, but it's a guess.

Friedrich Brangs
1845 - 1939
Solingen

It might also have been made by one of A. Kastor & Bros. many German subsidiaries. They supplied a large percentage of all the re-branded German razors sold in the US.

I see where Mike H is coming from with Richard Schmidt but the brand they used was "Tell" and not "William Tell".

Sorry I can't tell you more.
 
Thanks for the replies everyone. I'm sure the razor was purchased in Nebraska either in York or Grand Island where the family farm is. I plan on mild restoration and a rescale I hope I can get pointed to a material similar to what is on it.
 
That's amazing. I recently acquired my great grandfathers razor as well, but it isn't in nearly the condition that is. There's something to holding a razor that was used generations ago by a family member that cannot be described.
 
Top Bottom