Device for cleaning and drying safety-razor blades

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Back in the good old days – in those days spirits were brave, the stakes were high, men were real men, women were real women and small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri were real small furry creatures from Alpha Centauri – razor blades were not stainless steel as we’re used to today; in that respect today’s shaver have an easier time. Non-stainless steel will rust if left wet, so there were an obvious marked for devices to help dry the blades before they rusted… even if careful use of a towel should suffice.

I found several patents, one of the more practical ones was the brainchild of Charles J Kennedy from Dakota, US.

In Mr Kennedy’s own words;

1. A device of the character described comprising two pieces of resilient sheet metal bent inwardly toward each other at their ends and suitably united. A cleaning pad and a drying pad held adjacent each other longitudinally on the inner surfaces of the parallel portions of the pieces of .metal, whereby a razor blade, when passed between said portions, may be engaged by the pads and thus cleaned and dried.
2. In a device of the character described, the combination with a holder having two parallel spaced body portions resiliently united at both ends, of a cleaning pad and a drying pad carried by the inner face of each parallel portion and so positioned in relation to each other as to cooperate in cleaning and drying a razor blade when passed therebetween. 1
3. In a device of the character described, the combination with a holder having two parallel spaced body portions united at both ends, of a blade cleaning pad and a drying pad positioned close to each other and rigidly secured to the inner face of each body portion whereby when a blade is passed intermediate of the two pairs of pads, it will be first cleaned and then dried by a single operation.
4. A device of the character described comprising two pieces of elongated sheet metal united at their ends and having parallel body portions spaced apart, the side edges of said body portions being turned inwardly forming converging flanges extending from the innermost faces of the body portions, a cleaning pad and a drying pad held tightly bearing upon each other intermediate of each pair of flanges, the free edges of each pair of pads being opposite each other whereby when a razor blade is properly passed therebetween, it will be first cleaned and then dried by a single operation.
5. A device of the character described comprising two pieces of elongated sheet metal united at their ends and having parallel body portions, converging flanges extending inwardly from each body portion, a cleaning pad and a drying pad held tightly between each pair of flanges, one pair of pads opposite the other pair and engageable therewith whereby when a razor blade is properly passed between the two pairs of pads, it will first be cleaned and then dried by a single operation.

The device seems practical enough, and while I personally don’t like taking the blade out of my razor after every shave I would probably like shaving with a rusty blade even less.

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