Razor: Gillette Old Type “Khaki” (in new single snap case)
Blade: Lord Classic
Brush: Omega #50014 Travel
Lather: BEA Shavestick
Aftershave: Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Additional Care:
Alum Travel Stick
WSP Matterhorn Beard Oil
If you are still depending upon the barber or old fashioned razor you are in the same category with the man who climbs ten flight of stairs when there is an elevator in the building.
While there is many things we can gleam from this advertisement from May 1908 – one of which is the almost curious lack of contractions (“you are” instead of “you’re” in the small excerpt I copied above) – the two that stands out to me is the fact that a safety razor with a dozen blades set you back a mere 5 USD, and you could get combination sets for tens times that price.
Adjusting for a hundred and eleven years of inflation, that equals about 140 USD for a single razor with blades, and a whooping 1400 USD for the most expensive set…
Razor: Phillips Philite
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Pre-Shave: The Lavish Gentleman Natural Strength Oil Cleanser
Lather: Brutalt Bra TSN LE / Norwegian Wood
Aftershave: BullDog Sensitive Aftershave Balm
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
So you invented a safety razor. You designed the machinery for making blades cheaply and easily. But until you can convince shavers to buy your razor, you’re nowhere close to turning every man into his own barber.
Selling is – I’m told – mainly about presentation, double so when selling to a merchant. And who wants to rummage around in a dark box to pick up a cased razor? So Gillette bought out a patent by Mr Nelson H Fairweather for a suitable display case; one I think would be well suited to a travelling salesman peddling his wares to merchants.
The mechanism is simple, yet elegant… as the lid opens, the tray with the wares lifts up and locks in place – a neat little trick, just the thing to lend a little extra to your sales pitch.
Razor: Phillips Philite
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: The Lavish Gentleman Natural Strength Oil Cleanser
Lather: Pereira Shavery Orange Blossom w/ activated charcoal
Aftershave: BullDog Sensitive Aftershave
Balm Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
As some of you might recall, I own a vintage khaki kit from the Great War – specifically from 1918 if the serial number on the razor is an indication.
I not just own it, but it is in active use. It lives in my GoBag, so whenever I am on the Go i shave with it… a hundred years and more is no age for a razor, and the single button webbing kit have held up remarkable well too.
Some time ago I was contacted by Ironbeard on twitter (@ SaveYourShave), and told that he was sending me a modern reproduction of the khaki set – he had seen my Shaves Of The Day with it and got interested enough to not only get his own but to make reproductions in modern materials as well. And yesterday there was a padded envelope in my mailbox…
So here it is, both by itself and next to it’s older brother:
I had to try it both with the Gillette Old Type from my original khaki set, and a modern three piece razor from Yaqi (I don’t own many modern three piece razors… so I had to pick the one short handled one I own). The workmanship looks at least as sturdy as the original, the choice of elastic loops instead of fabric means handles and heads of varying sizes can be accommodated with easy.
As luck will have it I’ll be travelling a fair bit the next couple of weeks, so I’ll be able to give it a good test. Expect a review in the near future.
Razor: GEM 1912
Blade: GEM Single Edge Stainless
Brush: Brush Experimental Alpha
Lather: Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum Soap
Aftershave: Krampert’s Finest Bay Rum
Additional Care: Alum Block, Gentlemen of Sweden Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
Clockwise, from upper left:
Razor: GEM 1912
Blade: GEM Single Edge Stainless
Brush: TGR Flying Tiger Copenhagen
Lather: Dalane d’men Energenic
Aftershave: BullDog Original Aftershave Balm
As I was trawling the net, I stumbled over a device that should pay for itself after a single use.
It trims, it thins, it cuts, it shaves legs… probably chops onions too. A device that promises a lot usually delivers just a little, but the thing seems simple enough: a comb with a DE-blade attached.
I can see a device like this cutting and trimming hair – especially if your preferred hairstyle is short all over. I can see a device like this thinning and shaping hair, provided you got a steady hand. I cannot see a device like this giving your legs a very close shave though.
For a 98 US cents in the mid ’40s (about 14 US dollars today, give or take), I can see it as a useful tool to extend the time between going to the barber or hairdresser. I can’t see it being a complete replacement though… even less considering the fact that it seems to be made from plastic:
