Sheffield Appreciation Thread

[4freek]

These are a couple that belonged to my Grandfather, I have 4 in total but these are the only ones marked Sheffield.
I'm 55 now but I can remember him shaving at the kitchen sink on their farm. I also have his strops.
It was just a great memory when I saw this thread.
They really do need some TLC, I look at them often and think about sending them out for refurbish and give them a go
That was his leather pouch he kept his razors in.

 

[Klaasianer]

 

[Galhatz]

These days, I reach for this Bengall wedge most of the time...

 

[mjclark]

I've been privileged to enjoy some more Sheffield Excellence recently...
This Marsh Bros near wedge from the 1870's:

Everything about this razor is lovely - it's beautifully designed and really well balanced with horn scales, a smile, a swayback, a Spanish point and a picture of a bull's head on the blade! And 140 years on, it still shaves like a dream

...And then from the 1920's this George Butler Extra Hollow

This looks, feels and shaves very similar to my Bengall and I wonder if they are the same blanks - in any case this must be on of George Butler's last razors and it really is excellent - and very hollow.
The period between WW1 and WW2 was the twilight of the Sheffield razor industry but also the period in which some of the very finest razors were produced, and this is one of them!

 

[mjclark]

And today Bengall Blue Steel

I now have two Cadman Bengalls and they are both incredible shavers and have a certain Bengall je ne s'ais quoi to them that is very distinctive.

 

[Aloicious]

I've got a couple pieces of Sheffield steel, both pretty old.

The first is a unknown maker dating from roughly 1787 to 1810, near wedge, ~4/8, stub tail, horn handle with inlayed "1".

The second dates from 1820 to 1835....

but it's an anvil (sorry for the bad pic, its all I've got right now)

it's a 1820-1835 Mousehole forge anvil from Sheffield, body of wrought iron, face/horn of steel, marked weight is 129lbs, scale weight is 127.2. and once I get a stand for my forge built, it'll be used to create some straight razors, among other things.

 

[mjclark]

I've got a couple pieces of Sheffield steel, both pretty old.
.

And both pretty cool! Do you ever shave with the stubtail?

 

[Aloicious]

And both pretty cool! Do you ever shave with the stubtail?

thanks, I haven't yet, I'm sure I will at some point. It needs a careful honing though.

 

[troy]

My 2 Sheffield blades. Wade & Butcher near wedge and Wostenholm pipe razor extra hollow. Probably my best 2 shavers. Definitely my oldest 2. Someone loved the Wostenholm enough to put their name on it. Sometimes before using it I say "This one's for you Hobbs".

 

[mdunn]

Ohh they knew how to make a pretty razor in Sheffield.

A couple of mine, to add to the thread..

 

[782sirbrian]

I've got a couple pieces of Sheffield steel, both pretty old.

The first is a unknown maker dating from roughly 1787 to 1810, near wedge, ~4/8, stub tail, horn handle with inlayed "1".

The second dates from 1820 to 1835....

but it's an anvil (sorry for the bad pic, its all I've got right now)

it's a 1820-1835 Mousehole forge anvil from Sheffield, body of wrought iron, face/horn of steel, marked weight is 129lbs, scale weight is 127.2. and once I get a stand for my forge built, it'll be used to create some straight razors, among other things.

Lovely razor and an impressive Mousehole forge anvil. Not many people here in Sheffield would know where the forge was. They also made double 'beak' ones.
I'll have to take a photo of my Sheffield's, not shaved with any yet but I'm working up to straights (I'm a DE shaver), I've got 19 but not all Sheffield's.

 

[dymaxion]

Here are my 2 Joseph Allen & Sons Razors. I just acquired the top one which is a 5/8 and seems to be a wedge or near wedge

The bottom one is a 6/8 quarter hollow. A very smooth shaver and currently my favorite razor.

 

[mjclark]

So this cased matching pair arrived today from 1895:

One of the blades has a small chip in the toe but it should hone out easy enough, the other is perfect.

And the scales are a very dense black horn.
At first I thought it was gutta percha compressed rubber, but when they are wet the scales start shimmering with a pearlescent lustre.

The blades are half hollow, and with those dense scales too these razors are quite heavyweight for 6/8.

 

[alpster]

Here ya go...first up W&B FBU and a Fred Reynolds with some pretty eagle etching....



Another W&B...


Northfield Cuttlery...


Another Fred Reynolds...


W&B Wedge


W&B Celebrated Damascus...


And there are a dozen or so more in various stages or restore. Loves me some Sheffield steel.

 

[Brianskeet]

 

[mjclark]

Beautiful razors from Victorian England, and some beautiful designs on the blades.
[MENTION=59733]Brianskeet[/MENTION]:
What's going on with that handle in your second picture down?
Never seen anything like that before.

 

[Crispycrunchy]

My only sheffeild razor, Joseph Mappin, I quite like it. Should get a better picture of it (and a proper camera sometime).

 

[mjclark]

My only sheffeild razor, Joseph Mappin, I quite like it. Should get a better picture of it (and a proper camera sometime).

Nice thumb notch!
Are those horn scales?

 

[Brianskeet]

Beautiful razors from Victorian England, and some beautiful designs on the blades.
@Brianskeet:
What's going on with that handle in your second picture down?
Never seen anything like that before.

That is my workbench knife. I was hopelessly inexperienced at restoring razors (not that I am fantastic at it now) and took a pretty good nick out of the blade. I wasn't sure if it would ever hone out and leave me with a satisfactory shaver so I made the handle from horn and carbon fiber and turned a chipped W&B into a workbench knife. Such a nice little blade I couldn't see just throwing it away. Now I hone it with three layers of tape to give it a durable edge and it gets used very often. Blued the blade to make it a little bit rust resistant. Since I don't shave with it, I usually hone with synthetics and paste. It will easily take a hht5 level edge!

 

[Strop Dragging My Heart]

This thread is really something! Beautiful blades, people!



I have only one (for now, anyway!) - a not so fancy but wonderful Bengall.