Jacob Wiss founded the company in 1848 as Jacob Wiss Cutlery. The earliest mention of razors is this Newark Business Directory 1852-53. The 1911 catalog claims that the Wiss razor has been the standard of razor excellence for 60 years. Production of Wiss razors ended in the latter part of 1923. Wiss razors appears to be made from blanks produced by Wade Butcher and other European (e.g. German) manufacturers. This razor is branded Newark, NJ USA, so here is a 'Yankee razor' in a world mostly dominated by the Brits, Germans and Swedes.
This razor was part of a 7-day set and has 'Saturday' on the spine. The razor had quite a bit of rust on it, which we removed up to the point where only some deeper marks and spots/blotches remain, we then blackened the blade to disguise these a bit and give it a more wicked appearance. It has black celluloid scales and a white wedge and is quite a compact, everyday use and travel option. There is a nice long runway with teethy jimps under the tang that provides great grip and control. The spine is in very good shape and seem to have no hone wear on it, the bevel is shallow and not perfectly uniform, but good enough to still be a great looking blade. The blade is 5/8ths in height, and has a cutting edge of around 70 mm. The razor weighs 41 grams.
*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 vintage 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.
The razor is stropped and shave ready, simply wipe away the protective film and give it a spin!