The razor was made between 1883 and 1933 by Joseph Allen & Sons of Sheffield, England. It is a form of shaving equipment used for many years, and still by some today. The shaver would prepare for shaving by lathering the skin and hair with soap and a purpose-made bristle brush before carefully stretching the skin and running the razor over it. The razor's blade would be sharpened with a 'strop' strap. JOSEPH ALLEN (C. 1829-1893) Joseph Allen was born in Dromfield, in the Sheffield district of England in around 1829. He was trained as a razor smith and razor back forger. His business grew and he moved to several addresses. By 1883 his firm was named Joseph Allen & Sons and was exporting his products overseas. In 1883 he paid to use the 'NON-XLL' mark to stamp on his metal products. Joseph's tow sons, Joseph and James, were managing his business by 1900, operating at Ecclesall Works, 245 Rockingham Street in Sheffield. They expanded the range of products to include cutlery as well as razors and bought the use of other trademarks. In 1919 it became a Limited company, trading until 1933. This vintage razor represents men's grooming equipment in use over many decades, and even today. The maker is well-known for its quality workmanship and materials.Razor, metal blade with synthetic handle. Blade has steel handle. Razor is contained in black cardboard box. Made by Joseph Allen & Sons of Sheffield, England. On blade "NON - XXL" "Joseph Allen & Sons, Sheffield, England"flagstaff hill, warrnambool, shipwreck-coast, shipwreck coast, flagstaff hill maritime museum & village, maritime museum, joseph allen & sons, sheffield, raxor, shaving equipment, personal grooming, men's toiletries, shaving aid, ecclesall works, non-xll, vintage razor

This item(razor) was used by men, only before fashion dictated that women should shave their legs and underarms. There is information that this razor was first used circa 1922 and it lasted up until circa 1958. It permitted the user to have a compact shaving apparatus at hand in any environment. It provided a safe and easy way of sharpening the more permanent blade. This type of razor replaced the straight, open, or cut-throat razors. The mobility of this item was further enhanced by Gillette with their double bladed disposable razor. Time taken(shaving) and costs involved where crucial factors in the ever growing pace of domestic lifestyle in the post 1920s.This historical item presents that, even though the Kiewa Region was an inland rural settlement which in the 1920's was not as close to "modern" fashions and "gadgets", the basic living conditions where still maintained at city levels. This particular razor was in its heyday a sophisticated safety razor and brought down the demand for the services of the "professional" barber(shaver). One of the problems of the superseded straight razor was the high levels of cuts and nicks to the face. As this particular razor was fairly expensive it would have been used by men who were in the middle to upper socio-economical position in Kiewa Valley before the late 1950'sThis item is a Sheffield steel(stamped inside) metal box(Viscount model) containing a red leather fine shaving strap and in its lid a grey honing stone. Both bottom and top lids are removable to allow for replacements of strap and stone. On the bottom lid appears "The Whetter" trade mark, registered in the U.S.A. in 1950.Three bands of a Greek key pattern has been pressed on the lid. A circled identification inscription. " ROLLS RAZOR Ltd, MADE IN ENGLAND" and patented information appears within this inscription. "Patented in England and Abroad. English patents numbers 467383. 284428. 242718. 242717" On the outside of the base lid within a circle are "ROLLS RAZOR" and the sketch of a long haired naked man (side view), crouched, with both hands stretched forward operating the razor. On a slab underneath are the words "The Whetter"safety razor, non disposable, men's shaving implement

Shaving soap scuttles are distinguished from shaving mugs by having a separate area for hot water. The hot water is for dipping a shaving brush into to make a lather with the soap which is then applied to the skin before using the razor. Vintage scuttles are often elaborately decorated. Between 1880 and 1920 is the original time period for the occupational shaving mug. Most men owned a shaving mug, either at home or at a barber shop. Mugs purchased for home use typically were purchased through local stores, had more variety in style but usually went without a name. Barber shops sold mugs with the owners’ names on them partly because they thought that shaving rash came from sharing the same soap. In reality, the rash was not a result of soap but of unsterilized razors. Transfer ; The Duryea Motor Wagon was among the first standardized automobiles and among the first powered by gasoline. Fifteen examples were built by the Duryea Motor Wagon Company of Chicopee, Massachusetts, between 1893 and 1896. Their enterprise followed the first commercially available automobile which was patented by Karl Benz on January 29, 1886, and put into production in 1888. The Duryea Motor Wagon remained in production until 1917. The Duryea brothers entered their horseless carriage in many shows and races. A china shaving mug / scuttle with a car transfer. The mug has a wide spout to hold / insert the shaving brush , a perforated tray opening at the top to hold the soap and a bulbous base for the hot water. car transfershaving equipment, safety razors, cheltenham, early settlers, moorabbin, shaving soap sticks, shaving brushes, shaving scuttles, shaving rash, infectious diseases, barber shops,

This machine was used to sharpen men’s razors several decades ago and is thus a vintage item of historical interest. It belonged to a local Warrnambool man, Henry Cain. This item has local provenance and it is retained for this reason. Also it is an interesting memento of times past when men used razors and razor blades and needed some sort of sharpening or stropping device to keep the razors sharp. Today men mostly use disposable razors or electric razors. This is a silver-coloured oval-shaped metal object with a hinged lid and a catch.Inside the machine are two rotating brown leather pieces which form the sharpening aspect of the machine. A razor blade is inserted between the two rotating pieces.There is a turning handle on the outside of the machine and part of this folds back into the inside of the machine when the lid is closed. The handle has a wooden end. The machine is in a rectangular-shaped cardboard box. The base is white and the top is dark blue with an image of the machine on the top and the side and gold and white printing. One section of the top of the box is missing. The name of the owner is printed in black ink on the inside of the machine. ‘Abziehappart fur Rasierklingen, Barba No. 740’ ‘Stropping Machine, Barba No. 740, Made in Germany’ ‘Afilador Barba No. 440’ ‘H. Cain’ henry cain