Safety razors were fist produced in the late 1800s by the Star Razor Company in U.S.A. and it was a former employee of this company that produced the Gem Safety Razor in 1898. The Gem razor, to be produced in later years by the American Safety Razor Company, became one of the world’s most popular razors and in the 20th century it was the major competitor to the Gillette razor produced in the U.S.A. The safety razor has been largely superseded by the disposable razor blade and the electric razor. This safety razor has no known local provenance but it is retained as an example of the type of safety razor used in households for the most part of the 20th century.This is a silver-coloured Gem safety razor in a rectangular green Bakelite box. The box lid has metal pins acting as hinges and inside the box there are moulded sections to ensure the razor fits snugly into the box. The razor handle has an etched decorative pattern and the top part opens so that a blade can be inserted. There is a blade in this section. On box: ‘Gem’ Blade: ‘Gem Double Life, Gem Blade, British Made’ Inside the razor: ‘Gem Brooklyn New York Made in U.S.A.’ gem safety razor, history of warrnambool

In 1848, 43-year-old John Clarke launched a cutlery business in Harvest Lane in Neepsend, Sheffield UK. Clarke entered the trade late in life he was indenture and apprenticed to Octavius Twigg, a razor maker. Clarke was granted his Freedom in 1856 and began using the trademark 'NEVA'. By the 1860s, Thomas Clarke's son by his wife Elizabeth had joined the firm. When John Clarke died at his home at Augusta Place, Rock Street, Sheffield on 25 July 1873 (aged 68), he only employed six workmen.  By 1881, Thomas had expanded this number to twenty.  He sold a wide range of cutlery and was also an ‘emigration agent’, the Sheffield Independent, of 7th September in 1886 had an article published stating Thomas helped to recruit personnel from England for cutlery centers in America.  In 1893 Clarke’s showroom displayed miniature knives from '5/16ths-inch long to the most expensive sportsman's knives, that were gold and silver mounted.  Table knives and carvers were also manufactured (or factored).  Agencies were opened in London, New York, and Melbourne.  Besides ‘NEVA, the ‘EXPRESS’ and ‘RING’ marks were used on razors; and Clarke’s marketed the American ‘GEM’ safety razor.  By 1901, the firm had moved to Mowbray Street, where its Mowbray Works overlooked the River Don. Thomas Clarke died at Harrogate on 26 April 1902, aged 62, and was buried in the same Burngreave cemetery as his parents.  Thomas’s sons, John Roome Clarke (1860-1925) and Thomas Edward Clarke, were directors, another son George William Clarke was a shareholder. John Roome Clarke died on 3 February 1925, aged 64  his son, John Clarke, of Crimicar Lane, remained as the senior partner.  Clarke’s was one of the last producers of hand-made pocket knives and it also produced a large output of sheath knives for scouting associations. The firm was liquidated in 1964, but the company name was resurrected and Its last address after 1980 was at 65 Garden Street Sheffield.  The company trademark passed on to Meteor Industries and then to Egginton Ltd. Weber & Co: The Clarke company purchased or (factored) many of its blades for razors and knives from Weber & Co of Solingen Germany. The full name of the firm originally was Jowika Stahlwarenfabrik Eugen Weber & Altenbach KG. It was founded in Solingen prior to 1928, under the name Johann & Wilhelm Kleinewefers GMBH, Messerfabrik. JWK for short, hence JoWiKa. The company was sold to Eugen Weber in the 1930s. Weber was married to a woman named Altenbach, from a family that manufactured innovative low-priced pocketknives, as well as other cutlery items. In 1960 Weber opened a branch factory in Listowel Ireland. It was sold to Albert M. Baer of Imperial Schrade in 1978. The Listowel factory was closed about a year and a half before the U.S. Schrade factory closed in 2004 and the Jowika factory in Solingen had closed in 1984.An item with an interesting manufacturing history from the 1930s showing how one man can grow a business into a successful concern that made quality products that stand the test of time.Razor metal folding blade with horn handle in its original cardboard box Inscription Made by John Clarke and Son England. "Champion" razor. On box " The Champion 10/6d" and "Weber Lohmann & Co SOLINGEN".flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwrecked-coast, flagstaff-hill, flagstaff-hill-maritime-museum, maritime-museum, shipwreck-coast, flagstaff-hill-maritime-village