Anyone know anything about this razor...?

[cotedupy]

Picked this old stub-tail up for almost nothing in a 2nd hand shop yesterday, to see if I could give it a bit of love. And was wondering if anybody knew anything about the maker...

It looks to say either 'Magents' or possibly 'Magenis', and then '195 Boro' underneath.

The latter I assume is an address; Boro is an old abbreviation of Borough, which is an area in SE London near The City. It's one of the older parts of town, where Shakespeare's Globe is for example. And what is now Borough High Street is one of the oldest commercial roads in London with inns mentioned in Chaucer &c. That's what I'm guessing that part means, but anyone know anything about Magents...?

Ta!

 

[Legion]

I don’t know the brand, but it would be Magenis, which would be the name of the maker. It’s an old Irish name.

Magenis Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Read the Magenis surname history and see the family crest, coat of arms for the Irish Origin. Discover the Magenis surname history. Where did the name Magenis come from?

www.houseofnames.com

 

[cotedupy]

I don’t know the brand, but it would be Magenis, which would be the name of the maker. It’s an old Irish name.

Magenis Name Meaning, Family History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Read the Magenis surname history and see the family crest, coat of arms for the Irish Origin. Discover the Magenis surname history. Where did the name Magenis come from?

www.houseofnames.com

Ah thank you, I'd never heard of that as a name tbh. My best mate happens to be from Co. Down, I'll have to ask her if she knows any Magenis! Also nice in that if I'm right about the address being in Borough then it's very close to where I'm from - bout ten mins on the tube.

Is this kind of thing likely to have been made in Sheffield and then stamped for a shop in London? Or would they have been grinding and making razors themselves down south do you reckon...?

 

[Legion]

Ah thank you, I'd never heard of that as a name tbh. My best mate happens to be from Co. Down, I'll have to ask her if she knows any Magenis! Also nice in that if I'm right about the address being in Borough then it's very close to where I'm from - bout ten mins on the tube.

Is this kind of thing likely to have been made in Sheffield and then stamped for a shop in London? Or would they have been grinding and making razors themselves down south do you reckon...?

Hard to say, but there was still a small cutlery industry in London at the time that razor was made.

From the Worshipful Company of Cutlers website,

"By the middle of the 18th century much of the cutlery trade had moved to Sheffield, where raw materials and water power favoured the production and working of steel. However, as late as 1879, there were still some thirty Cutlers actively working in the City of London, and the Company held an Exhibition in its Hall, awarding medals for various classes of work. Amongst the exhibitors and prizewinners were Wilkinson, the renowned makers of swords and razor blades. Their Acton sword factory closed, and sword production ceased in September 2005."

History | The Worshipful Company of Cutlers

 

[cotedupy]

Hard to say, but there was still a small cutlery industry in London at the time that razor was made.

From the Worshipful Company of Cutlers website,

"By the middle of the 18th century much of the cutlery trade had moved to Sheffield, where raw materials and water power favoured the production and working of steel. However, as late as 1879, there were still some thirty Cutlers actively working in the City of London, and the Company held an Exhibition in its Hall, awarding medals for various classes of work. Amongst the exhibitors and prizewinners were Wilkinson, the renowned makers of swords and razor blades. Their Acton sword factory closed, and sword production ceased in September 2005."

History | The Worshipful Company of Cutlers

Ah interesting, ta! If the London cutlery industry was focused in The City* then the address I speculated might make sense... Borough is just the other side of the river, might even have included in it back in the day.



* I'm sure you know already but: 'City of London' is an area of central east London, rather than referring to the whole city. It's the original old financial district. Also has all the old impressive guildhalls; Worshipful Company of Cutlers/Cordwainers/Wheelwrights &c. &c.