A few1 years ago I wrote a short post on a 1933 oscillating razor. Further searching online revealed that it was sold under the name King Oscillator. And to my joy, patents for it are available online.
I have also found the design patent for it, namely US design patent2 75,147. Comparing the photo of the razor – especially the handle – as it appeared in Modern Mechanix and the patent drawings, it is most likely the same razor.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette 1958 TV Special
Blade: Feather Hi-Stainless
Brush: Wilkinson Sword Badger
Lather: Palmolive Sensitive w/ aloe vera
Aftershave: Nivea Cooling After Shave Balm
Additional Care: Alum Block
Think that weird and wonderful razors needing special blades were a thing of the early days of safety razors? Would this advertisement for a King Oscillator from 1946 change your mind?
I found this advertisement as I was writing a different and longer blog post about the King Oscillator and the Rotary King razors… so consider this a teaser for next week.
Razor: Gillette Single Ring
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Brush Experimental Alpha
Lather: Williams Mug shaving soap
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block
Recently razors.click tweeted about a razor patent that I’ve never seen before and it has some really intriguing features. It was filed in 1908, and the patent granted in 1912. It’s a patent by Clifford E Dunn, whom we have meet before.
One of described forms is a single edge razor using a double edge blade – not a unique idea by itself, but this is one of the earliest ones I know of. That design is set up to use Gillette’s three hole blade1 – thus avoiding having to reintroduce yet another blade on the market. Other forms can use a single edged blade – the early Gem blade might work, or a Christy style blade.
On to the patent, which described – according to the text – “certain new and useful Improvements in Safety-Razors”. To quote:
Continue readingRazor: Gillette Single Ring
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Semogue TSN LE 2012
Lather: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Aftershave: Asylum Shave Works Frankincense & Myrrh
Additional Care: Alum Block
I’ve mentioned the Christy razor in the past, as well as other razors that built on the same idea or used Christy blades. As mentioned, the blades at least were for sale until the early thirties. What I found today shows that razors themselves were offered until at least 1927, competing for the low end of the market.
Continue readingRazor: Gillette Single Ring
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Lather: Cold River Soap Works’ Barbere Sapone
Disposable safety razors were patented from time to time in the past. Usually they were just a regular safety razor made from cheap or disposable materials. Sometimes they were a minor stroke of genius. Sometimes they were plain odd. Mr Foltis’ safety razor made from bent sheet metal is one of the later two.
Continue readingAn important object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive safety razor having an integral razor blade of small size whereby the entire razor must be disposed of after the blade becomes too dull for shaving purposes.
US patent 2,550,056
Razor: Merkur (?) NOS Bakelite Slant
Blade: Shark Super Chrome
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M
Lather: Prairie Creations Walter
Additional Care: Alum Block