Thread: GR stamped Wade & Butcher in ivory.

I was in one of the local antiques malls yesterday and I talked to a couple of the people who keep stalls there. One guy said he had some straight razors and he'd bring a few in.

His booth there is pretty much your typical coastal community, old fisherman's antique collection. Pipes, knives, things made out of spent ordinance, swords. The things he has are good quality (and I lust after that folk-art sword made from a swordfish bill using one of its vertebra as the guard, but I cannot afford it), but I just didn't know what to expect from the razors. This mall has had plenty before of radically differing quality.

I'd never bought any of their razors before.

So today I go in there to see if he brought any by and lo, there were two in the display case. The first was a Puma, probably 13/16. Very clean scales and blade etch but with a sizable notch out of the blade. It could've easily been fixed and I was considering it until I looked at the other one. The more expensive one.

This one.



The toe is overhoned. It looks like it may have seen a light regrind. It's not a rattler profile, but a groove down the middle of the blade.

However.



It's a GR stamped Wade & Butcher, placing it at some point between 1821 and 1830. It has almost no pitting, very little patina (for a razor of this age) and a thin bevel. The ivory scales are pristine. No cracks at all. There's not even much discoloration from the silver pins.

Now I officially have too many razors to put in my 'before 1830' display box!

-- Edited to add:

The tang stamp has G(crown)R, WADE & BUTCHER'S / FINE INDIA STEEL / UNIVERSALLY / APPROVED

Hmm. I've just noticed that there's the barest hint of a blade stamp near the spine. Does anyone else have one like this with an intact stamp? I'm curious what it says!

I can't see it on the pictures, but I wonder if it says "silver steel". That might male sense, maybe?

Originally Posted by medicevans

I can't see it on the pictures, but I wonder if it says "silver steel". That might male sense, maybe?

The tang is stamped "FINE INDIA STEEL", so probably not "SILVER STEEL" on the spine.

I could swear I've seen one like this somewhere, but I cannot find it now. This is the third GR stamped blade I've had in-hand and I start to suspect that the ones with the crown between the letters are later.

Wow, I don't know how I missed that. Disregard.

Originally Posted by medicevans

Wow, I don't know how I missed that. Disregard.

My guess on how you missed it is that the crappiness of my cellphone picture didn't exactly make the spine legible. For whatever mysterious cellphone reason, it focused on the desk behind the razor. Perhaps I should retake those pictures?

Originally Posted by Voidmonster

The tang is stamped "FINE INDIA STEEL", so probably not "SILVER STEEL" on the spine.

I could swear I've seen one like this somewhere, but I cannot find it now. This is the third GR stamped blade I've had in-hand and I start to suspect that the ones with the crown between the letters are later.

There were two King Georges in British monarchy:-

GR
King George Augustus Frederick IV
29 January 1820 – 26 June 1830


King George V of the United Kingdom
6 May 1910 - 1936

I would think your razor dates from the first one :

I am yet to see a british made razor with the kings or queens stamp, but without the crown between the letters.
Do you have any pics of one of these?

Originally Posted by bonitomio

There were two King Georges in British monarchy:-

GR
King George Augustus Frederick IV
29 January 1820 – 26 June 1830



King George V of the United Kingdom
6 May 1910 - 1936

I would think your razor dates from the first one :

I am yet to see a british made razor with the kings or queens stamp, but without the crown between the letters.
Do you have any pics of one of these?

Sorry to contradict you but there were five

George I 1714 - 1727
George II 1727 - 1760
George III 1760 - 1820
George IV 1820 - 1830 ( crowned in 1821)
George V 1910 - 1936

My bet is on George IV

Nice find. It is always nice to find a razor that has an interesting history.

Originally Posted by osdset

Sorry to contradict you but there were five

George I 1714 - 1727
George II 1727 - 1760
George III 1760 - 1820
George IV 1820 - 1830 ( crowned in 1821)
George V 1910 - 1936

My bet is on George IV

Thank you odset for your correction
I thought that there were only 2 King Georges pertinent to razor manufacturing.
After checking the stub tail razor section I find that these pre 1800 razors have stamping for royalty as well.
(The Stub-Tailed Shavers)

I agree with you that George IV is the likely choice, based on blade shape and grind.
The writing is different to more modern razors as well.