The wooden-handled strop is in a hard black case with labels adhered to both sides, one with instructions, the other with a warning to watch out for the counterfeit strops, as apparently Charles Emerson invented this type of strop and was the only one who knew how to make them. Razor strop with cov…
The wooden-handled strop is in a hard black case with labels adhered to both sides, one with instructions, the other with a warning to watch out for the counterfeit strops, as apparently Charles Emerson invented this type of strop and was the only one who knew how to make them.
Razor strop with cover which consists of (a) the razor strop, made from a single piece of flat wood in a narrow, long rectangular shape; one end is squared and the other is rounded to form a handle with a blunted point at the end; the razor strop is covered with leather 11 cm from the handle; the leather is burgundy coloured on one side and black on the other; the razor hone is housed in (b) a cardboard cover that has printed paper labels attached to the front and back; the cover is rectangular in shape and closed on all sides except the left side; this allows it to be placed over the strop, leaving the handle sticking out.
Number Of Parts
2
Part Names
a - razor strop - Size: Length 44.0 cm x Width 4.3 cm x Depth 1.5 cm
b - cover - Size: Length 33.5 cm x Width 4.7 cm x Depth 1.7 cm
Provenance
Owned and used by Dr. B. N. Kropp; collected by Dr. A. A. Travill for the Queen's University Faculty of Medicine Collection.
(b) The front of the cover is largely illegible except for the manufacturer's name: "CHARLES EMERSON'S ELASTIC RAZOR STRAP" and patent information: "[illeg] Congress in the year 1859 by [illeg.] fer [illeg] the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the District of Massachusetts"; the back of the cover reads, "DIRECTIONS FOR USING THE GENUINE CHARLES EMERSON'S ELASTIC RAZOR STRAP // which by its elastic power, is sure to act with regularity and by its peculiar property, revive the edge of your razor // [directions listed] // MADE AND WARRANTED BY CHARLES EMERSON, EMERSON PLACE, CHARLESTOWN, MASS. U.S.A. Charles Emerson."
Permanent Location
Storage Room 0010
0010-E5-5
Condition Remarks
(a) The razor strop shows wear, but is complete; the wood is complete and undamaged; the leather shows wear, some cut marks and drying; there are no visible cracks in the leather; (b) the cover is very worn and the closed end has become unglued; the printing on the front is largely illegible; the printing on the back is for the most part legible, but has a small missing section.
Copy Type
Original
Reference Types
Document
Reference Comments
Previous number #144; Faculty of Medicine Collection 1984 Inventory
Research Facts
The brown side (now burgundy) was to be used with a dull razor and the dark side was to be used to get a keen, smooth edge.