Description: Folding Razor/Knife, carved from cow horn into the form of a boot. Blacksmith forged blade riveted to a cow horn handle. Two X's have been carved in the handle of the blade on either side. Blade still retains a sharp edge after over two hundred years.

History: The first narrow-bladed folding straight razors were first listed by a Sheffield, England manufacturer in 1680. By 1740, Benjamin Huntsman was making straight razors complete with decorated handles and hollow-ground blades made from cast steel, using a process he himself invented. Huntsman's process was adopted by the French sometime later; albeit reluctantly at first due to nationalist sentiments. The English manufacturers were even more reluctant than the French to adopt the process and only did so after they saw its success in France. Sheffield steel, a highly polished steel, also known as 'Sheffield silver steel' and famous for its deep gloss finish, is considered a superior quality steel and is still used to this day in France by such manufacturers as Thiers Issard. Straight razors were the most common form of shaving before the 20th century and remained common in many countries until the 1950s. Straight razors eventually fell out of fashion. Their first challenger was manufactured by King C. Gillette: a double-edged safety razor with replaceable blades. These new safety razors did not require any serious tutelage to use. The blades were extremely hard to sharpen, and were meant to be thrown away after one use, and rusted quickly if not discarded. They also required a smaller initial investment, although they cost more over time. Despite its long-term advantages, the straight razor lost significant market share. As shaving became less intimidating and men began to shave themselves more, the demand for barbers providing straight razor shaves decreased.

Provenance: N/A

Dimensions: Weight (Pounds & Ounces) = 0.12 | Height(in) = 4.25 (shut) 7.75(open) | Width(in) = 1.5 | Depth(in) = 0.5

Size of Artwork(in): 4.25 x 1.50 x .5

Artist Name: Unknown

Medium: Horn, Steel

Circa: C.1775

Mild wear to the handle and blade, slightest cracking at point where blade is riveted to the handle, typical of a folding blade of this antiquity.