Thread: My Grandfathers gear

My Grandfather emigrated from Scotland to the USA circa 1905. He brought these razors and stone with him. As near as I can tell the Joseph Elliot is 1850 ( no sons ). One of the boxes has an illegible name penciled ( not grandads ) and a date from 3/??/53 ( 1853 I am sure ). I can get no hit on the Mackie blade from Kirkcaldy. The other is T. R. Cadnan that has the chipped blade. the one box is M. Hunter & son, but no blade for that box. The address on the other 2 boxes stickers is now an art gallery, and on Google Earth it seems the gallery has expanded into the old shop and the 164 doorway no longer exists. I tried shaving with the Elliot and will probably stick to my disposables.

You should have the unchipped one honed, then you can shave with it.

Awesome to have some family history / heirlooms.
Don't let a first attempt at shaving with a straight put you off.
I would imagine it will need honing before being shave ready... and then there is the learning curve.
If you're interested I'm sure you'll find someone here who can get the Elliot ready for you.
All the best

Ditto my Kiwi cousin above...


Mick

Nice gear!

Really curious about that stone's history. I psuedo-inherited it's spitting image from my grandfather.

My Dad probably told me 50 years ago and I have forgotten. It did come from Scotland but could have been made elsewhere, it is 2 sided, the wood box is disintegrating from age. It has been kept wrapped in the same wiping rag for over 125 years at least and tied with a strip of cloth which I finally tossed out as it had turned to string. I have been using the stone on my kitchen knives and hunting knife, it makes a super edge. I will not attempt to hone up one of the razors pictured so I don't lesson the value. I am thinking of selling the chipped one for parts, the bone handle is almost perfect. The Hunter box would go with someones straight.

Originally Posted by Thomaskm

I will not attempt to hone up one of the razors pictured so I don't lesson the value. I am thinking of selling the chipped one for parts, the bone handle is almost perfect. The Hunter box would go with someones straight.

I think you'll be completely safe following one of the honing guides on this site (specifically, use electrical tape on the spine). You'd be very hard-pressed to do any damage to the blades that an experienced honer couldn't work out (assuming, of course, that you're careful to follow directions about pressure).

The handle on the razor with the chipped blade looks to me like it's hardened rubber/vulcanite/gutta percha/xylonite (it had many names). It might possibly be black horn.

I think you are correct on the composite handle for the Cadnan, I looked at closer and also found a small chip where the end of the blade enters. It has it problems.

Originally Posted by Thomaskm

I think you are correct on the composite handle for the Cadnan, I looked at closer and also found a small chip where the end of the blade enters. It has it problems.

That is blatently obvious in the last photo of it that you posted. I saw it yesterday. Won't affect it as a spares razor though. Saddens me to see an irrepairable Bengall though.
I would still have the good razor honed up, even if you were to learn the art of the shave on a razor of your own purchase, just think how great it would be to be able to tell people that you shaved with a peice of your families history. I've recently honed up a razor for a mate of mine, that belonged to his grandfather. He has never shaved with a cut-throat in his life, but his first efforts will be with his grandads razor. Something I will never be able to experience myself.


Mick

It's great that you have something like this from your grandfather. My mother-in-law gave me a razor owned by my wife's great great uncle who also emigrated from Scotland. I had it restored and used it to shave with. The original scales, which were in pretty bad shape and had to be restored, had his name scratched in it as well (maybe it was a Scottish thing). I would definitely have it honed so you could learn to shave with it. Nice connection with the past!