Most inventions have a point to them. Charles Ackerman’s patent, filed in the last days of 1950, could be said to be an exception. It is a safety razor that can being described at being all edge and no point.
And honestly, that is not a bad thing. No point means less chance of nicking oneself on the corner of a blade. So let’s have a look at how a razor can be all edge and no point.
Continue readingRazor: “Normal”
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Wet Shaving Products Pre-production Sample
Aftershave: Saponificio Varesino Tundra Artica
Additional Care: Alum Block
New week, new shave, and a new aftershave too. Bought after trying it during my Sample September.
Razor: Gillette Slim
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Omega #10048
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Brutalt Bra TSN LE / Norwegian Wood
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block
A fine Friday shave after being outside all day.
A little while back we looked at a lather spreading attachment for your razor. Unsurprisingly, bad ideas keeps coming back – although Fredrick Schallgruber referred to his 1949 invention as a lather applying razor, rather than as an attachment. And it was single, rather than double sided. And it didn’t make it harder to change blades, so that at least was an improvement.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette Slim
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Crabtree & Evelyn Sandalwood
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block
A smooth humpday shave
There are times that I see a patent and just know, deep in my soul, that the inventor was the kind of guy I could probably get along with. Charles H Dolan, the patentee of a wall mounted toilet kit, is one of those goys. The mind that came up with this idea is a mind similar to a mind that can spend hours browsing old patents to find the odd ones.
This isn’t the first toilet kit I’ve showecased.1 Not even the first to go on a wall. But this toilet kit is a product of a very tidy mind.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette Slim
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Jabonman Mediterráno L.E. BullGoose
Aftershave: Myrsol Aqua De Limón
Additional Care: Alum Block
A fluffy start on a new week. I love traditional wetshaving!
Razor: Gillette 1958 TV Special
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Vie-Long #12705B
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Aftershave: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Additional Care: Alum Block
A fine Friday shave on a foggy fall morning.
Razor handles can apparently be used to store many things. In the past I’ve riffed on razors with styptic pencils, shaving cream, and even pens in the handle. It is an idea that don’t seem to want to die, as proven by Arthur E Keene’s 1943 patent for a soap-containing safety razor. While Arthur’s invention shares some traits with most of the razors that have things in the handle,1 it has a couple of interesting ideas I have not seen elsewhere.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette 1958 TV Special
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Pre-Shave: O Way Softening Shaving Cream
Lather: Wilkinson Shaving Soap
Aftershave: Epsilon for Men Scottish Spirit
Additional Care: Alum Block
A quick but nice humpday shave.