Every 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;

There 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.

What if you had more readily access to a brush or a suitable soap while shaving? And what if this more readily access was in a form that was convenient, compact, water proof, and adapted to be carried in your pocket or traveling bag? Well, fear not. William H C Taylor have you covered, with the shaving kit he got a patent for in 1925.