Family Hand-me-down

[slpknt10l03]

Had this in the cabinet for some time - probibly never used - probibly never will be - any story on one of these -- Army issue??

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_oFSb3RmfBjg/TM39rS4nSOI/AAAAAAACfOk/kF9YJ5IpEJs/s720/IMG_8415.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_oFSb3RmfBjg/TM39s071liI/AAAAAAACfPA/FnJnb9gcbzg/s720/IMG_8417.JPG

http://lh5.ggpht.com/_oFSb3RmfBjg/TM39tjWFbtI/AAAAAAACfPQ/hpjjnGkYXac/s720/IMG_8418.JPG

http://lh4.ggpht.com/_oFSb3RmfBjg/TM39uYIVtzI/AAAAAAACfPg/rb0WMLy6A9I/s720/IMG_8419.JPG

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_oFSb3RmfBjg/TM39u_geuXI/AAAAAAACfPw/unByIL6aJLE/s720/IMG_8420.JPG

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_oFSb3RmfBjg/TM39vkeKYtI/AAAAAAACfP8/iC-LmMjFlYc/s512/IMG_8421.JPG

[Wid]

I know one thing; that is one sweet razor.

[Relayer56]

WOW!

Any detail on the history of it that you can share?

[Walker]

I know of Torreys but haven't seen any with Army on them. That is one sweet razor. Great heirloom.

[Barber-Eile]

Wow what a great razor! It's lovely looking and a thing is treasure for sure!

[Troggie]

That is a great looking razor. I have not been able to find information about the Military branded razors ( I have seen one with Marines on it as well ) but I am guessing they were ones sold at the PX up until WWI when the military switched to DE razors. It is possible they sold them longer but that would put the data between 1895 when Torrey first started using the J.R. Torrey Co mark to 1917.

[slpknt10l03]

My mother said this:

It was either my Mom’s Dad or it was one that my Dad had……….
Being that the date is 1918 not sure.
My Mom was born in 1918 and Dad in 1909 * he was in WW2 – in the 40’s
Sorry –
I will try to think but, something’s are lost to in history…
Lov ya
mom


I doubt I'll ever use it - out of some type of respect - As long as I can remember it was in my mothers china cabinet -not to be touched - and now that its mine for the last 3 years it has sat in my cabinet with the same sort of off limits feel. - still I like to look at it since it is so nice.

[mandoman]

one word SWEET :thumbup1:

[Munxcub]

Personally I don't see how using it would be disrespectful, unless you were using it to butter toast or something...

My aunt just tracked down my great-grandpa's old straight and I can't wait to get it. I just hope it's not ruined. I can't remember why she had it but it had something to do with working on her reeds for her oboe back in the day...

To be able to have a shave with it, and somehow connect with family I've never met, and share something with them would just be very awesome.

[mr. s]

Personally I don't see how using it would be disrespectful, unless you were using it to butter toast or something...
Personally, I think you honour it by using it. Forgetting it and letting it fall into disrepair would be disrespectful if anything.

Gorgeous straight.

[TheVez2]

Personally, I think you honour it by using it. Forgetting it and letting it fall into disrepair would be disrespectful if anything.

Gorgeous straight.

I agree. Keep it's history alive. It was made to be used. Use it. Or maybe just save it for special occasions?

[Munxcub]

I can't think of a more fitting razor for Remembrance Day than a family heirloom Army straight.

[hitemfrank]

A quick google search brought up this from straightrazorplace.com (specifically from FatboySlim);

"I have a cool (but long out of print) book called "The Razor Anthology" published in 1995 as a series of razor-related articles from Knife World magazine. I picked it up at an online used book store. It has articles devoted to the history of many razor makers, one of them Torrey. Maybe this was the article you're referring to. The quality of the articles varies from excellent to terrible, but the Torrey one is good. This notes below are gleaned from that article.

* Torrey started as a strop business in 1858, and they imported razors from England and Sweden.
* In 1880, a Sheffield immigrant named Joseph Turner joined J. R. Torrey, and they started making their own razors.
* The earliest marking for the Torrey razors is three straight lines on the shank that read "THE TORREY RAZOR CO. / WORCESTER, MASS / USA".
* The article notes an 1895 Torrey catalog in which the "usual" Torrey marking appears, which it describes as "THE J.R. TORREY CO." in an arc over a "U.S." and an arrow trademark with "WORCESTER, MASS" under the trademark.
* The Torrey razors marked with the whip are called the "Whip Line," and were a low-priced line of razors which also began production around 1895. The blades were made of the same steel as the finer grades of razors, they just weren't highly finished. Some of them weren't even hollow ground, but plain ground. They simply have the name "TORREY" in an arc over the whip, which is curled around itself.
* An interesting tidbit: In 1892, Torrey patented the "ear of corn" handle pattern. The article notes that this pattern is also seen on Lakeside Cutlery handles, and that Lakeside Cutlery razors are extremely similar in grind to Torrey razors. Joseph Turner (the Sheffield immigrant who joined Torrey in 1880) also holds the patent for the early Lakeside Cutlery safety razor, which looks identical to the safety razor Torrey produced. This led the author to speculate that perhaps some(?) Lakeside Cutlery razors may have actually come out of the Torrey factory in Worcester.

Unfortunately, no mention is made of the "Army" marking in the article. Sorry."

Thread is here http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/razors/55749-torrey-army-model-history.html

It contains a picture a razor like your one too.


And a big +1 on actually using it.

[Luc]

Those are the best scores!!

[Shangas]

Personally, I think you honour it by using it. Forgetting it and letting it fall into disrepair would be disrespectful if anything.

Gorgeous straight.

I agree, it should be honed, stropped and be used to shave. Too many people look at stuff like that and go: "But it's old an it's anique and it's valuable and I'll destroy it and...and...and..."

They tend to forget that when that razor or watch or pen or vintage car was brand new...they were DESIGNED to be USED EVERY DAY. Your using it every day to shave (if you do so properly) is not going to harm it - It's what it was built for, anyway.

...You can use your razor to butter your toast!? Why has nobody informed me of this before!?:angry:

[Jim]

Wow, the scales look like tortoise shell.

Honor the razor and the memory by using it!

[slpknt10l03]

To be able to have a shave with it, and somehow connect with family I've never met, and share something with them would just be very awesome.

Personally, I think you honour it by using it. Forgetting it and letting it fall into disrepair would be disrespectful if anything.
Gorgeous straight.

I agree. Keep it's history alive. It was made to be used. Use it. Or maybe just save it for special occasions?

And a big +1 on actually using it.

I agree, it should be honed, stropped and be used to shave. Too many people look at stuff like that and go: "But it's old an it's anique and it's valuable and I'll destroy it and...and...and..."
They tend to forget that when that razor or watch or pen or vintage car was brand new...they were DESIGNED to be USED EVERY DAY. Your using it every day to shave (if you do so properly) is not going to harm it - It's what it was built for, anyway.
...You can use your razor to butter your toast!? Why has nobody informed me of this before!?:angry:

Wow, the scales look like tortoise shell.
Honor the razor and the memory by using it!

Jeeeezz guys - twist my arm why dont you :lol::lol::lol:

I guess I know what I want for christmas - some professional honing is now on the list :thumbup:


A quick google search brought up this from straightrazorplace.com (specifically from FatboySlim);

"I have a cool (but long out of print) book called "The Razor Anthology" published in 1995 as a series of razor-related articles from Knife World magazine. I picked it up at an online used book store. It has articles devoted to the history of many razor makers, one of them Torrey. Maybe this was the article you're referring to. The quality of the articles varies from excellent to terrible, but the Torrey one is good. This notes below are gleaned from that article.

* Torrey started as a strop business in 1858, and they imported razors from England and Sweden.
* In 1880, a Sheffield immigrant named Joseph Turner joined J. R. Torrey, and they started making their own razors.
* The earliest marking for the Torrey razors is three straight lines on the shank that read "THE TORREY RAZOR CO. / WORCESTER, MASS / USA".
* The article notes an 1895 Torrey catalog in which the "usual" Torrey marking appears, which it describes as "THE J.R. TORREY CO." in an arc over a "U.S." and an arrow trademark with "WORCESTER, MASS" under the trademark.
* The Torrey razors marked with the whip are called the "Whip Line," and were a low-priced line of razors which also began production around 1895. The blades were made of the same steel as the finer grades of razors, they just weren't highly finished. Some of them weren't even hollow ground, but plain ground. They simply have the name "TORREY" in an arc over the whip, which is curled around itself.
* An interesting tidbit: In 1892, Torrey patented the "ear of corn" handle pattern. The article notes that this pattern is also seen on Lakeside Cutlery handles, and that Lakeside Cutlery razors are extremely similar in grind to Torrey razors. Joseph Turner (the Sheffield immigrant who joined Torrey in 1880) also holds the patent for the early Lakeside Cutlery safety razor, which looks identical to the safety razor Torrey produced. This led the author to speculate that perhaps some(?) Lakeside Cutlery razors may have actually come out of the Torrey factory in Worcester.
Unfortunately, no mention is made of the "Army" marking in the article. Sorry."
Thread is here http://www.straightrazorplace.com/forums/razors/55749-torrey-army-model-history.html
It contains a picture a razor like your one too.

Thanks for the information hitemfrank - good read!