Ramapo Near Wedge Razor
Mfg. - William Gilchrist
Near wedge with Barber’s Notch. Measures 15/16” at the toe. Original Condition.
Tang stamp - Ramapo Co. Warranted.
William Gilchrist was a cutlery importer in New Jersey. He sold goods under his name, ‘Gilchrist’ and also ‘The Ramapo Company’. He was also listed as a razor manufacturer, and it is known that he had ties to Wade & Butcher in Great Britain; it was friends with Robert Wade, one son of one founder of the W&B company.
He was wrongly arrested, and later released, for treason in 1861. It was claimed that Wm Gilchrist was part of a ring that was selling munitions to the South.
Lafayette Baker, a government agent who helped to arrest Gilchrist, located Abe Lincoln’s assassin, John Wilkes Booth. Ironically, Abe Lincoln had a Gilchrist pocketknife with him when he was assassinated.
In 1853, Gilchrist won an award for razors manufactured under the Ramapo Co. name.
