These are great razors, a lot of history here;
The enterprise was ‘puffed’ in The Industries of Sheffield (18881), which stated that it began in 1810 and employed about 100 workers. Manuscript sources tell a more prosaic tale. The founder was Joseph Allen (c.1829-1893), the son of a sickle maker, who had been born in Dronfield. By 1851, Joseph had moved to Sheffield and had been trained as a razor smith, but was working as a servant. In 1855, he married Miss Elizabeth Bingham. He worked as a razor smith in New Edward Street (1861) and as a ‘razor back forger’ in Rockingham Street (1871). By 1881, he was living in Solly Street and told the Census he employed ten men. However, according to an account of the coming-of-age celebrations for his son, Joseph Jun., his workforce was upwards of sixty (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 5 March 1881).
In 1883, Joseph Allen & Sons acquired the ‘NON-XLL’ mark from Unwin & Rodgers, which it stamped on razors and other cutlery. In particular, Allen’s established a reputation for its hollow-ground blades. Many were exported to America. Joseph Allen developed a link with the US hardware agent Adolph Kastor, who used Allen as a source for razors (alongside other Sheffield firms, such as Butcher). Kastor paid Allen a royalty for the use of its ‘NON-XLL’ mark, because of its resemblance to ‘I*XL’ of George Wostenholm.
By the late 1880s, Allen was operating from Oak Works, New Edward Street. Before the founder’s death, however, the firm moved to Ecclesall Works, 245 Rockingham Street (the former address of Ebenezer Parker. Joseph Allen, razor manufacturer, died (aged 65) on 22 November 1893 at his residence in Crookesmoor Road. He left £5,347 and was buried in the General Cemetery. The business was then managed by his sons, Joseph Allen Jun. (1860-1917) and James Edward Allen (b.1866). It continued to export to the USA and until the First World War Allen’s ‘NON-XLL’ cutlery – razors, pocket knives, and Bowies – could be ordered from Sears, Roebuck’s mail-order catalogue. Allen’s Bowies were usually plain in style, with stag handles, and are sometimes mistakenly described in the collectors’ literature as ‘Civil War’ Bowies (Palmer et al, 19922). However, most are apparently stamped ‘England’, which means that they were made after 1890.
In 1901, Joseph Allen Jun. and James Edward Allen became major shareholders in H. G. Long Ltd, which was also based in Rockingham Street. Joseph Allen later became chairman of H. G. Long. In 1902, Joseph Allen & Sons became ‘Ltd’ (capital £20,000), with Henry Robert Hounam joining as a partner until about 1921. Allen’s thrived on contracts from the War Office. One Admiralty order in 1910 was for three years supply of knives (40,000 per annum) and razors (15,000 per annum). A previous order for the Royal Army Clothing Department had led to Allen’s being fined for employing children illegally on Saturday afternoons (Sheffield Daily Telegraph, 23 January 1901). Allen’s had a policy of acquiring reputable trade marks. These included the pistol-heart mark of Jonathan Crookes; a picture of two crossed fish; a dagger (with the word ‘Sheffield’); a man on a horse; and ‘3415’ (purchased in 1878). The latter had belonged to Joseph Smith and the year it had been granted (1810) evidently gave Allen’s a founding date. Allen’s later acquired, inter alia, Horrabin’s phoenix, and the batsman mark of Levesley Bros. The chairman, Joseph Allen, died on 25 November 1917, aged 58, and was buried in Fulwood. He left £18,695. His son, Joseph Bingham Allen (1886-1931), became the next managing director. He died, aged 44, on 18 April 1931, leaving £2,253.
In 1933, Allen’s was liquidated. But it was revived by Joseph’s sons, Edgar Allen (1890-1975) and Sydney Allen (1893-1964). In the best Sheffield tradition, they continued to list Jonathan Crookes and H. G. Long (which Allen’s acquired at the end of the 1920s) in directories at Ecclesall Works (even though these firms were now no more than a name and a collection of trade marks). Sydney Allen, of Wostenholm Road, died at The Royal Hallamshire Hospital on 24 June 1963, leaving £18,022. In the previous year, the cross-dagger mark had been sold to Denis Slater (of H. M. Slater in Arundel Street).
I liked the look of this razor such a lot, I really hoped it would shave well, and what do you know, it did exactly that, of the last 10 razors I used, this one came out tops. The long blade only needed a few swipes to reduce my stubble to groupings of brown spots sitting precariously in the white lather on the blade, waiting to be washed away to a destiny of slow decay in my septic tank system. To me, this razors shaves very well in its current state, not much more needs to be said as that is exactly what it was made for.
This razor weighs 43 grams and has a spine thickness of 4.4 mm, blade height of 17 mm, or around 1/2 that delivers a bevel angle of just under 15 degrees. The blade, scales, pinning and wedge are all in good original condition, the etching looks great and is still clear and deep, it won't come off like the leafing on some razors. The razor scales are a bit loose when opening up, but feels good with enough resistance in the stropping and shaving position.
The razor is shave ready and strops comfortably on hanging leather or a paddle.
*Vintage razors are priced according to model and availability, time spent cleaning and reconditioning and time/level of honing. Please enquire if you need additional work done to this razor prior to purchase. All straight razors will require a stropping on a leather strop before every use. Pics are unedited (detail) and provide a true image of the condition of the razor.