Vintage Joseph Rodgers & Sons Straight Razor and 50 similar items

Joseph Rodgers Sons Corporate Mark Shaving Razor Horn Handle Original Leather Case Vintage Old Perhaps Antique? Measures about 6 inches long x 1 inch wide and 5 inches high when the razor is open. The box measures 6 3/4 inches long x 1 1/8 inches wide Very good to excellent conditions. Has some etching mark on the handle that could be initials and a #477 wrote with pride? perhaps belong to officers of the all-Black 477th Bombardment Group of WWII? Joseph Rodgers Sons was a famous firm of cutlers and silversmiths, which reached the height of its success in the late 19th Century. Founded in Sheffield, England, the origins of the firm lie with Joseph Rodgers himself, who first began producing fine silverware in 1682. Although the history of the company's origins is a little unclear, by 1730 Joseph's sons - Maurice and Joseph - had taken over from their father and ran the firm. In 1871 the company became known as Joseph Rodgers Sons, and continued to expand until it became the largest cutlery factory in the north of England. Rodgers Sons continued to produce silverware for the British nobility and monarchy, in addition to catering for growing export markets such as Asia and Africa. North America became the firm's largest export market. Indeed, it is claimed that Buffalo Bill, the famous 19th Century American cowboy, used a Rodgers hunting knife in his well-known duel with the Native American, Sitting Bull.