any info would be greatly appreciated guy's. the tang reads: Wm. Moses over: Birmingham Ala nothing on back. the etch says: "DAMASCUS" over: "SILVER STEEL" but lost the silver steel because of massive chips. it was severely rusted no metal showing just rust. scales were celluloid of the cheap kind and rough i rescaled with padauk. saved as much as i could.
Inherited razor
- Thread starter tomjr
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Congrats on saving your grandfather's razor, Tom.
I tried to find out something for you.
There were a couple of individuals named Wm. Moses in Birmingham that I came across, but no businesses. If you wanted to really check, you would have to access the Birmingham Public Library system and check the Birmingham phone books/municipal records for a date range you would select.
I doubt that Wm Moses was a manufacturer and the razor was probably supplied by another maker.
The usual suspect is A. Kastor & Bros. or one of their subsidiaries. I did come across a Dixon Cutlery Co. (New York) razor with the same blade etch as shown below. Dixon was around from approximately 1915 to 1938. It has been speculated in several references that Dixon was either owned by A. Kastor or was one of their distributors.
However, to throw a monkey wrench in the works, I also came across this blade from Griffon Cutlery with almost the same blade etch. Griffon would also fit as a possibility.
The Kastor and Griffon companies knew each other well but were competitors and separate businesses.
I tried to find out something for you.
There were a couple of individuals named Wm. Moses in Birmingham that I came across, but no businesses. If you wanted to really check, you would have to access the Birmingham Public Library system and check the Birmingham phone books/municipal records for a date range you would select.
I doubt that Wm Moses was a manufacturer and the razor was probably supplied by another maker.
The usual suspect is A. Kastor & Bros. or one of their subsidiaries. I did come across a Dixon Cutlery Co. (New York) razor with the same blade etch as shown below. Dixon was around from approximately 1915 to 1938. It has been speculated in several references that Dixon was either owned by A. Kastor or was one of their distributors.
However, to throw a monkey wrench in the works, I also came across this blade from Griffon Cutlery with almost the same blade etch. Griffon would also fit as a possibility.
The Kastor and Griffon companies knew each other well but were competitors and separate businesses.
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thanks graybeard. i did notice on the examples of the etch that they are single stabilizers where the moses is a double. i think that the examples u found are a might older, as to the time 2 search in phone books & etc. At least that is my thoughts. but thanks again u were a huge help. your knowlege in these matters is amazing. tom
You're welcome. I did take note of the stabilizers but posted the pictures just for the blade etch. Kastor (as Camillus Cutlery) & Griffon both made razors with double stabilizers and were making razors into the 1960s.
If the original scales were fancier (figured, metal bolsters, colourful/patterned celluloid) I'd lean toward Kastor. Griffon tended toward plainer scales.
If the original scales were fancier (figured, metal bolsters, colourful/patterned celluloid) I'd lean toward Kastor. Griffon tended toward plainer scales.
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