From time to time I wonder what the ideal razor would be.
Ideal for me. that is. I harbour no illusions that I know what is the best razor for every shaver. Quite to the contrary, I do believe that there is no such thing as a razor that fits everyone – so I am very wary of any company, Kickstarter, or person who claim to have come up with the One True Razor.
Tangent aside, let us consider what m ideal razor would be like. To do that, we need to look about what I like. and why.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette Single Ring
Blade: Astra Green
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Sample – Geo F Trumper Rose Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Sample – Saponificio Varesino Manna Di Sicilia
Additional Care: Alum Block
The home stretch of my Sample September. Been enjoying it a lot so far.
Razor: Merkur 39C Slant
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Sample – Dr Harris Almond Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Sample – Saponficio Varesino Felce Aromatica
Additional Care: Alum Block
Sample September keep on. Starting to see the end of my lather samples at least ð
Or as we know this patent today; the genesis of the Schick Injector type D and onwards. And unlike a lot of the patents I riff on, this one not only made it into production, but is alive and well. And expired, so anyone can copy the razor and loading device therefor found in this patent. The patent relates to:
…a combined razor and magazine which are separable to enable the razor to be used for shaving apart from the magazine.
From US patrent 1,969,945
Or, in simpler terms, an injector as we know and love them1 today. And in contrast to the older type A, B and C razors,2 which had the magazine in the handle.
Continue readingRazor: Merkur 39C Slant
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Omega #10048
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Sample – Truefitt & Hill Sandalwood Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Sample – Saponficio Varesino Felce Aromatica
Additional Care: Alum Block
Keeping the Sample September going. The pile of samples are getting noticeable smaller at this stage.
Some of you may recall the King Oscillator and the Rotary King razors I wrote about a while back. But King wasn’t the first – or the last – to propose a reciprocating razor. Almost a decade before King got his patents, Robert Taylor got a patent for a safety razor. A safety razor where the act of shaving made the blade reciprocate. Or as the US patent office helpfully classify it:
B26B21/36 Safety razors with one or more blades arranged transversely to the handle of the type carrying rollers with provision for reciprocating the blade
As a side note the blade moving sideways or vibrating is an idea that just won’t die, even if it ought to be well known that a razor is not a saw. To me the idea of sawing the blade is pointless – it would be better to keep the blade sharp.
Continue readingRazor: Merkur 39C Slant
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Pre-Shave: Prep Original
Lather: Sample – Dr Harris Almond Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Sample – Saponificio Varesino Cubebe
Additional Care: Alum Block
About two thirds in on Sample September. Still loving it.
Razor: Merkur (?) NOS Bakelite Slant
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Sample – Truefitt & Hill Sandalwood Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Sample – Saponificio Varesino Cubebe
Additional Care: Alum Block
Sample September is half done, and I’ve been enjoying it a lot so far.
Humans have shaved since – I strongly suspect – we were able to make a sharp edge. Some years back I posted about bronze age razors. Quite a few more years before back Egyptologist Howard Carter discovered the tomb of Tut’ankhamÅ«n, an Egyptian pharaoh from the late bronze age. More importantly for us, Carter discovered Tut’ankhamÅ«n’s razor-box as well as a few razors among the contents of the tomb.
Continue readingRazor: Phillips Philite
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Brush Experimental Alpha
Pre-Shave: Proraso Pre Shave Cream
Lather: Sample – Geo F Trumper Rose Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Sample – Saponificio Varesino Dolomiti
Additional Care: Alum Block
More or less halfway through my Sample September. Not halfway through my collection of samples.