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Thiers-Issard |
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In Nineteenth Century Europe and elsewhere in the world the well-groomed gentleman was hard pressed to maintain his gentlemanly appearance. There were not nearly so many choices for grooming and personal care products as we enjoy today. Most soaps lotions and other men's toiletries were either hand made at home or produced in very small batches by local shopkeepers and crafters. This too was true of shaving implements, including the venerable straight razor.
As making one's own razor was quite impractical and beyond the capability of nearly everyone, providing these necessary articles became the responsibility of the local Blacksmith, who also served as the local Cutler producing tableware for the home, butcher's tools, specialized machinery, and medical instruments for other local professionals. As with any handwork, some crafters were more capable than others. These, the most accomplished and respected of craftsmen, became known as Master Razor Makers, their work being recognized as the epitome of the craft and their reputations for quality spreading far and wide.
During this time the Thiers family were active in their own family forge, producing all of the necessities of life for the local community. A search of the "Chart of the Jurande" or Professional Guild Charter from the period lists at least three "Thiers " as master razor makers.
Pierre Thiers, (1860 - 1929) at the age of ten was apprenticed to another master razor maker and set about the task of learning the trade. Over the next twenty-four years the ambitious boy became a man, and what a man - Twenty-four years of working 6 days a week at the forge, delivering 10,000 hammer blows in a typical day's work, had produced a powerful, barrel-chested man who was known to lift and carry a 165 pound sack under each arm. During this time the apprentice became a Master Razor Maker in his own right. Well known for his skills in the forge producing the finest quality cutlery, his products were sought by the most discriminating and demanding of buyers.
In 1884 Mr. Thiers undertook to establish his own forge and assume the rightful place of such a highly regarded craftsman - working for himself. In order to differentiate his products from those produced by other members of his family who were still active in the trade themselves, he named his factory Thiers-Issard, adding his wife's family name, Issard, to his own.
From 1884 to 1929 Mr. Thiers labored daily, breaking only to honor the Lord's Day by attending church and observing the sabbath with his family. Twenty-four years as an apprentice and thirty-five years as a Master in his own right finally caught up with him when, on an otherwise typical workday, at the age of sixty-nine, Mr. Pierre Thiers died, fittingly while at work at his forge, and most likely as a result of fifty-nine years of tremendous exertion.
The Legend Continues:
Though the death of Mr. Thiers dealt a serious blow to the family business, it was by no means the end of the story. With the able assistance provided by Mr. Thiers' widow, production continued in the hands of Pierre Thiers Jr. (1884 - 1962) whom Mr. Thiers Sr. had personally trained. Under the watchful eye of the master he too had become every bit the craftsman his father and mentor was and production of the finest quality products continued. As the business continued and grew, and demand increased, Pierre Theirs Jr. was joined by Louis Thiers (1910 - 1985) and later by yet another Pierre Thiers (1914 - 1997)
In 1985 the Thiers family sold the foundry and business to its current owner, Mr. Gilles Reynewaeter. In the best tradition of the Thiers family, Mr. Reynewaeter is committed to producing only the finest quality products, made in the traditional time-tested manner, and refusing to sacrifice quality in materials or craftsmanship to increase total production volume. Lessons well learned from the founder of the firm!
Today's Thiers-Issard:
The total Commitment to Quality embraced by today's Thiers-Issard begins with the finest available materials.
At times national pride and patriotism can be misplaced. Such is the case with steel. While they would like to be able to say that "French" steel is the best alas, English "Sheffield Steel" has long reigned supreme as the finest available steel for finely edged implements and instruments. For this reason Thiers-Issard uses Sheffield Silver Steel in all of its' premium grade products. The edge application and holding ability of this special alloy has simply proven to be superior to any other.
Even considering today's modern stainless steels and more exotic metal alloys, no significant improvement has ever been made over quality high carbon steels for use in fine cutlery and edged instruments. For this reason Thiers-Issard does not use such materials in their products.
Using the best available materials is only part of the story. The craftsmanship employed to make those raw materials into a thing of rare beauty and functional utility is the rest of the story.
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