Compact is a funny word, when you think about it. It can mean something dense, or densely packed. It can mean exerting a force on something to make it more, well, compact. Or it can be used to describe something that is a small and conveniently shaped example of its kind, such as a compact camera. I have seen it used to describe make up kits that fit in a purse. Or, in the case of Victor R Payton’s 1926 patent filing, a compact razor that fits in a pocket.

A little over two years ago I self-published – via Amazon – a book on shaving and razor patents. Now I have committed a second book, which is again available on Amazon.

Much like a criminal returns to the scene of the crime, I guess… but then again, I did warn you that I was going to.

Last week I made some lighthearted fun out of a shave kit that looked like a fountain pen. Today I’ll show of another fountain pen lookalike; Pete Bowlin’s shaving kit. Pete filed his patent in ’47, and while he failed to include a shaving brush he did find room to make his invention a hoe style single edge safety razor.