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Need help dating a John Shepherd Razor

I recently picked this blade up not really knowing much about John Shepherd. I just finished restoring it and decided to to a little research.....What I found out was that There is next to nothing out there on this blade. I do know from uniclectica that this is a sheffield made blade as this is what is on the wed page.

SHEPHERD, JOHN
Sheffield
Trademark: Crown and Wolf
1770-1795 ("More Old Razors" by Lummus. Antiques, May 1927 p.372-374); ("Old Sheffield Razors" by Lummus. Antiques, December 1922 p.261-267)

What is confusing though is the grind/tail, etc. are not conistent with other Crown and wolf razors from the 1700's. All of these that I have found have the symbols stamped on the blade. Mine does not, and certainly appears to be ( I am guessing by the grind, blade shape and the tail) to be a late 1800's razor.

I was hoping one of the resident experts can weigh in on this thing. Is it perhaps pre/post Marshes & Shepherd? Was it perhaps an outsourced blade made by Wosty, W&B or another contemporary? There are only markings on one side of the blade "Manufactured for John Shepherd". The other side is blank.

BTW it's a 15/16ths blade with approximately a 3/4 grind and an awesome shaver. Scales are custom (made by moi) buffalo bone that was dyed in three phases and finished/stabilized with CA. cobalt, Violet and purple hues. Not that I am pimpin my stuff, but these did come out pretty cool looking.
 
That definitely does not look like a 1700's grind.
Perhaps there was another John Shepherd that ran a store, and had these commissioned?

Love the scales though. :thumbup1:
 
I saw "need help dating" and I immediately thought you meant "Do you want to come in for coffee?" dating. Well, in my case, "Do you want to come in for tea?" :blushing: :lol:
 
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definately buy it dinner first.


May be that one of the other companies bought the blanks from old john shepherd and only got round to grinding them much later (just like TI got, and then forgot about until recently the le grelot blanks)
 
According to "The Standard Guide"
Shepherd, Jon; England; 1770 - 1995

I can only guess that is a typo, but maybe it's supposed to be 1895? The shape and grind are definitely not pre-1800. The grind could have been reground, but I really doubt that somebody somehow elongated the tail.

BTW, nice job on the scales. I like 'em.
 
Thanks guys, I agree. I'm thinking its a mid to late 1800's blade, that may have at some time been reground. Still a great shaver.....Now who's gonn buy me that Guiness!!
 
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