Thread: Seeking info on vintage 7 day razor set - Pick Slay & Co

I found this 6/7 day set at a market outside Barcelona (one razor was missing). It was purchased in a village in France by an antique dealer.
This will be my first major restoration. I am both excited and nervous about doing a good job.
On purchase it was in poor conditions with surface rust.

5/8 English made razor (I think). Near wedge with barbers notch and with large "Heljestrand like" thumb notch. (Unusual for a Sheffield razor?)
Bone scales with lead spacer. Solid brass pin with no collar.
Stump-like tang.
2 razors have cracks in the bone scales. I must decide whether I replace the broken ones only or all of them.
For such a relatively small razor they sure weigh a lot. 63.5g!

Only one razor has the blade etching intact "F.Z. EZPELETA" (at first glance I thought it was a Led Zepelin razor :P)
Tang stamping reads ""Pick Slay & Co. Manufacturers to the King GR." The crown stamp is different to more recent VR razors for example.
The days of the week are etched in Spanish on the spine. Stamped on the spine near the jimping is the word "LRUVIAN." Could be Latin?
Any company info, dates etc would be really appreciated.
I couldn´t find diddly squat

Please click on this link to see more detailed photos:- http://img108.imagevenue.com/gallery...yCo7dayset.php


Special thanks to Manah & Neil Miller for their services to SRP!
Thanks for looking

A very nice set. I would not replace any scale. It seems to me the one with the blade etching is not from the set itself. I suggest you enjoy the restoration process on the blades before you think about the scales. Many ideas about them could arise from your subconscious while you work on the metal

You will surely enjoy your set once it's ready for shave!

Originally Posted by Mauri

A very nice set. I would not replace any scale. It seems to me the one with the blade etching is not from the set itself. I suggest you enjoy the restoration process on the blades before you think about the scales. Many ideas about them could arise from your subconscious while you work on the metal

You will surely enjoy your set once it's ready for shave!

Thanks Mauri.
Your advice about starting with the metal and taking my time with other decisions is certainly good!
I am curious why you think the razor with etching is different to the other ones?

I'm unsure if the blade with the etch is part of the same set or not. It has some small differences, but honestly they're within the standard variation for handmade razors. That the others don't appear to have an etch, or have ever had one, is kind of suspicious, but I don't consider it conclusive proof of a mismatched set.

A few notes.

Interestingly, those are clearly Pickslay & Company razors, but the GR stamp places their manufacture at some point between 1821 and 1830. Lummus claimed Pickslay & Company began in 1832. In fact, Pigot's 1829 Sheffield directory lists Pickslay, Appleby and Bertram as brass founders but has no listing for a Pickslay cutler. It's very hard to read the stamps on them however, but I do clearly make out a G(crown)R in there. Very, very curious.

The scales are almost certainly ivory and not bone. You should start a thread over on the Workshop to develop a strategy for restoration. Ivory needs some special care. Those cracks are almost certainly repairable.

That's quite a find!

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

I'm unsure if the blade with the etch is part of the same set or not. It has some small differences, but honestly they're within the standard variation for handmade razors. That the others don't appear to have an etch, or have ever had one, is kind of suspicious, but I don't consider it conclusive proof of a mismatched set.

A few notes.

Interestingly, those are clearly Pickslay & Company razors, but the GR stamp places their manufacture at some point between 1821 and 1830. Lummus claimed Pickslay & Company began in 1832. In fact, Pigot's 1829 Sheffield directory lists Pickslay, Appleby and Bertram as brass founders but has no listing for a Pickslay cutler. It's very hard to read the stamps on them however, but I do clearly make out a G(crown)R in there. Very, very curious.

The scales are almost certainly ivory and not bone. You should start a thread over on the Workshop to develop a strategy for restoration. Ivory needs some special care. Those cracks are almost certainly repairable.

That's quite a find!

Thanks a lot for your information Voidmaster.
I will start a threat in repair section.
I want ALL the help I can get.
I didn´t realise the scales were ivory.
This is really jumping into the deep end.
If you find any follow up info on Pickslay and Co please update me.

Originally Posted by bonitomio

I am curious why you think the razor with etching is different to the other ones?

Well it's more a feeling that a certainty, but in picture n° 2 you can clearly see the difference between the etched one and the one above it: the conjunction between the blade and the shaft is different.

Originally Posted by Mauri

Well it's more a feeling that a certainty, but in picture n° 2 you can clearly see the difference between the etched one and the one above it: the conjunction between the blade and the shaft is different.

Thanks Mauri,
I see what you are referring to now.
After checking all 6 razors there is only one that doesn´t have that long sweeping line that runs parallel to the spine and tapers down to the far end of the thumb notch. I didn´t pick up on that before. There are also 2 razors that have a slightly different tip on the finger rest to the others. Whether these differences would have been still considered wthin spec when they were (as Voidmaster suggested) or it is a razor from the same manufacturer but from a different set I cannot say. It is curious that only one of them still had the etching intact. The honing wear of these razors shows that not all were used equally, as some are more worn than others.

Dificult to speculate with accuracy.

Anyone else with similar 7 day sets of this vintage may be able to comment on their razors inconisitencies or otherwise.
Also has anyone seen a 7 day razor box with a lock on it?
As yet I haven´t seen a photo of one.

Hi bonitomio-

Charles Pickslay was my great great great great grandfather. I have a bit of information at Charles Pickslay & Co. Razors, collected partially from internet research and partially by my father at the Sheffield Local Studies Library. Hope it's helpful.

I'll be interested to see your restoration progress.

Christopher

Originally Posted by chrispix

Hi bonitomio-

Charles Pickslay was my great great great great grandfather. I have a bit of information at Charles Pickslay & Co. Razors, collected partially from internet research and partially by my father at the Sheffield Local Studies Library. Hope it's helpful.

I'll be interested to see your restoration progress.
Christopher

Hi Christopher,
thanks so much for this invaluable contribution!
This really helps me with the historical background of the Pickslay Co.
I will most certainly keep you posted with all progress made.
If you happen to have any other photos of their razors, boxes etc it would be really appreciated.
Thanks for your generosity :