Metalwork Objects in Focus, Millennium Gallery, Sheffield
Seven Day Razor Set, made in Sheffield by Thomas R Cadman and Sons Ltd (c1900)
The seven-day razor set made from steel, ivory and wood was very popular from around 1820 to the early 1900s. This boxed set consists of seven open razors with steel blades and ivory scales. Each razor is engraved with a day of the week. The box is made of light and dark woods, which allude to the stripes of the famed Bengal tiger.
The razors slot into the bottom half of the box and are arranged so that the days of the week – etched into the ivory - are facing the shaver when he lifts the lid. Each day, the shaver would remove a razor, sharpen its edge by ‘stropping’ it on a piece of leather and then replace it in the box for use a week later. The razor’s edge was thought to distort through shaving, and by putting it away to rest for a week, it would recover.
Learning article provided by:
Museums Sheffield: Millennium Gallery |
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