Sold: Razor Strops Store Display Case

Store display case for leather razor strops  / oak & etched glass / c. 1880s

Store display case advertising “Torrey’s Best Razor Strops” c. late 19th century. Meant to display hanging leather razor strops (used to sharpen straight razors) the case is tall and thin, its upper perimeter lined with brass hooks for hanging the strops. The interior is also edged with glass mirror, meant to further illuminate the product. The front glass panel is acid etched with Torrey’s advertising in bold Victorian lettering. A nickel plate indicates the case was manufactured by the M.C. McCassy Company of Cincinnati, Ohio.

The J.R. Torrey Co. of Worcester, Massachusetts began making strops and selling razors in 1858. By the late 19th century, the Torrey family was one of the wealthiest in the city and the first to acquire an automobile. Production peaked in 1910 just as the straight razor faced obsolescence with the introduction of disposable blades. The heir to the Torrey fortune insisted safety razors were a fad, and as the fifth recipient of a private pilots license, found himself too preoccupied with flying his plane to address the threat head on. By the mid-20th century, the fad left the J.R. Torrey Company bankrupt and the family was reduced to taking in boarders at their once palatial mansion.

Designed for the wares of the J.R. Torrey Company, the glazed oak display case remains in remarkable condition, as if new. The piece was found in an old general store in Camden, Maine. In all likelihood, the tabletop display was used only for a few years in the store and then sent the rest of its days under wraps in the attic (perhaps shortly after the introduction of safety razors). An exceptional antique store display, ready to be put back to service in a barber shop or as a unique fixture in an advertising collection.

Excellent antique condition. Note: Any darkening of the glass in the pictures was a product of the photo editing process — the glass is crystal clear in person.

Measurements

28 inches tall
14.5 inches wide
13.5 inches deep

Maximum interior dimensions
26 inches tall
10 inches wide

Shipping

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