My Great-Great-Great-Grandfather's razor

[khor1287]

During the process of moving my grandparents to a knew house my mother came across some apparently very old razors. One in particular was said to be my grandmothers great grandfathers. I looks very old and after a bit of cleaning I found it stamped McGreaves and Sons. It has a yellow or yellowed translucent handle with visible fibers, i was thinking bone or horn? The blade looks like its in good condition with only one bad spot of pitting. It came in a box marked Winchester, should I assume this is the original box? A second is visibly newer with a clear blue handle. The blade isn't stamped but was etched, or something, and is very hard to read. I can make out Dixie Blue Steel on one side and *something* CO. Union city GA on the other, i think. I found a third razor in the dixies box later. The last looks like it could be as old as the Dixie blue but I couldn't find any information about it online. Stamped "DESCO" on one side and "Dealers Sales Corporation Made in Germany" on the other. Looks to be in a bit rougher condition then the other two as one of the scales is broke at the blade end rivet.


Can anyone please give me any more information on either razor? Im interested in the McGreaves and Sons razor in particular. I would like to return the first two the best condition possible. I am however wary about sending my heirlooms to a random joe. Can anyone recommend a trusted craftsman to whom i can send my razors?

Thanks for your help !

 

[jrp316]

Rickboone1 puts a good edge on a razor and he can hone them up; I'm not sure if he does restorations. Doc226, although I've never utilized his services personally, has a good following on here as well for honing and restoration. Get all three at least honed up; that last one doesn't look to be in bad shape at all.

I can't find any information on a "McGreaves and Sons", but there is a pretty well known razor maker by the name of Wm. Greaves and Sons. They operated in England from the late 1700s through the mid to late 1800s.

 

[SliceOfLife]

I've never had a razor restored, but I've had custom work done by MyCarver and I've seen some of his restore jobs here, even visited his shop once. He knows his way around a razor restoration.


First razors scales are horn.
Second razor is odd. If it's anywhere near as old as it should be (given the # of greats in thread title), then there is no way those scales are original. I suspect it's from a younger family member. Even so, if those ARE original scales, they are excellent. Look like modern acrylics almost.

Honestly I don't know if I'd even recommend restoring them. They look to be in great condition as is. I'd just oil them up (The steel as well as the horn scales).

 

[Krodor]

Would have guessed shorter tails for the number of "greats", but I haven't worked out greats to dates, if you know what I mean.

 

[BillC]

Nice. Now I know to be on the lookout for a Dixie Manufacturing straight - would be nice to have a Georgia made razor

 

[Mo-beffah]

Beautiful condition razors!

 

[Shave_Rat]

I sent my heirloom razor to Doc226, I am more than happy with the result, enough so my second heirloom razor is on it's way to him as I type this.

Here's the link to my post after I got it back, including a link for before and after pics he took.

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/352065-Heirloom-razor-restored