People get bright ideas now and then – and by that I mean people trying to put a light in or on their razors. The light attachment patented by Jacob N Garfunkle in 1927 is just one in a long line. Personally I like turning up the light in the bathroom, but a century ago that might not have been an option.
But first, let us see what Jacob was trying to achieve with his invention:
Continue readingWikipedia, in their article on shaving soap, sort of implies that a 1867 patent for an improved shaving mug is the first patent for a scuttle. And while I haven’t tried to verify that claim, if this isn’t the first scuttle it is an early scuttle for sure.
Continue readingThis shaving composition comprises a water soluble polyethylene oxide polymer having a molecular weight of 400,000 or less, a tracking agent component, a preservative component, and an anti-caking component.
From US patent 4,381,293
At some point I thought that shaving soap was a simple thing… well, I’ve learned much since then. And this 1983 patent for a shaving composition highlights just how much it can differ from a simple mixture of a base and fat or oil.
Continue reading…and advertise for Gillette razors at the same time.
Continue readingNeed a new travel kit? One that keep everything tidy and don’t slide around as you try to shave in an unfamiliar bathroom? Well, look no further than the utility kit patented by John E Borah in ’57.
So now that I told you to look at it, what is it? To quote from the patent:
Continue readingSo a while ago I picked up a NOS Gillette from the classifieds, and the knowledgeable gents over on the ‘Nook tentatively identified it as a airplane give-away kit. Which makes sense given the fact that it came with just two blades. For simplicities sake I’ll refer to it as the Airline Tech in this post.
One of the first things to look for on a vintage Gillette is the date code. Or, in the case of this razor, the lack of a date code. Which is okay, since the internet tells me that a lot of British Techs didn’t have them, and this razor is clearly made in England.
Continue readingBetween 1908 and 1914, Edward Weck was granted four patents which, when taken together, creates a full on shaving system centred around a shavette – a shavette system if you want. Interestingly enough, this was around the same time as another shaving system was patented. And much like Clark’s system, Weck’s shavette system contained a razor, a blade, and a way to package the blades. Weck also came up with a stiffener, to make the blade stiffer.
Continue readingEvery invention seeks to solve a problem. In the case of John T East’s shaving mug, the problem was that of unsanitary shaving mugs. Or, to use a less technical term, icky soap.
According to John, the soap would fit snuggly in a regular mug, and thus get moist and soft, and, well, icky. Or in the words of the patent;
Continue readingThere has been a great many travel brushes thought up throughout the years. They range from simple ideas like my Omega 50014, via oddities like Michel Charles Blondin’s plurality of flat elements, to neat ideas like Marcus B Berhman’s collapsible lather brush. So Archer G Jones was in good company when he patented a retractable brush suitable for shaving and make-up.
Continue readingAs you might have gathered by now, I am the lucky owner of both a Type A and two Type B Schick Magazine Repeating Razors. And given that the Schick Type D was the first Schick that were like today’s injectors, in that it used an external magazine with a key, you might wonder how to load a Type A or a Type B (or even a Type C).
Well, no worries.
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