Razor: Phillips Philite
Blade: Treet Platinum
Brush: Artesania Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: The Lavish Gentleman Natural Strength Oil Cleanser
Lather: Pereira Shavery Orange Blossom w/ activated charcoal
Aftershave: BullDog Sensitive Aftershave
Balm Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
Thanks to Glenn’s website covering the history of Gillette’s adjustable razors, I found a very important number… the number is one million, five hundred and ninety nine thousand, seven hundred and ninety three. As in US patent number 1 599 793, that is.
To quote from the patent description, it
…relates particularly to an index’adjusting device for use in connection with safety razors of the Gillette type wherein a flexible and elastic blade is provided with cutting edges that are adjustable toward and from the guard member of the razor
In short, it’s about how to make an adjustable razor adjustable.
As can be seen from the image, everything interesting is happening in the head or right below it. Adjusting the dial 16 makes the top cap move up and down in relation to the base plate, while the base plate stays fixed in relationship to the handle. In order to remove or insert a blade, the shaver would turn the dial around and around to unscrew the cap. In other words, this very early version of the Gillette Adjustable works much the same way a Merkur Progress does – although without the central bar the Progress have.
I don’t think Gillette ever manufactured – apart from prototypes – this razor, although it must be pointed out that the method of adjusting this razor bears a lot of resemblance to how Gillette suggested one could “adjust” an Old type razor back when it was first offered:
If a close shave is desired, turn the end of the handle back a little and the edges of the blade will lift slightly from the guard thus permitting closer contact with the face. A moments practice will show the proper adjustment.
The patent is expired, and thus anyone can make a razor like this today; however bear in mind that other aspects of a good adjustable may still be covered by patents. It would still be interesting if a machinist decided to have a go though, so we could compare how far this version is from the other adjustable safety razors.
/Update: I originally believed this was an early Gillette patent, but discussion and research by the members of the Shave Nook showed that this patent was never assigned to Gillette.
Razor: Phillips Philite
Blade: Perma-sharp Super Stainless
Brush: Gustavo Romera Manchurian Badger, imitation horn
Pre-Shave: The Lavish Gentleman Natural Strength Oil Cleanser
Lather: Pereira sample
Aftershave: Nivea Cooling After Shave Balm
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
So I was puttering around the internet… again.
Sort of poking for information on vintage shaving gear… again.
Stumbled over a now defunct Norwegian manufacturer of razor blades… again.
Nordkapp (the North Cape) was one of two trademarks used by “Nye Norske Barberbladfabrikk” (New Norwegian Razor Blade Factory) in Oslo. Company founded in 1940, likely after the German invasion severly reduced the import of blades from the UK and US. Folded sometime between 1949 and 1951, likely killed off by imported blades.
Back of the sleeve states that the price was 17 øre per blade, and that each blade was controlled for quality. To compare; adjusted for inflation, that would be almost 5 Norwegian kroner today, or roughly 60 US cents. Listing the price per blade can also be an indication that blades were sold as singles… something that makes the mind boggle a bit today.
Fram – meaning Forward, but obviously named for the well known polar ship – was the other trademark used. Front of the sleeve states the blade is made from “first class Swedish steel”, while the backside states – in addition to the quality control statement – that it’s made with Norwegian money and Norwegian work. Portraying the factory as wholly Norwegian was probably a smart thing to do both to the public and the occupiers; the Germans and the Quisling collaborators tended to come down heavily on anything that hinted at the western allies, while the public tended to boycott any industry that had overt connections to Germany.
All in all a fun little excursion into Norwegian razor blade history.
According to Captain Charles of the Lusitania – greatest ship afloat – everyone can get a “head barber shave” from an Auto Strop razor… because while everyone can move a razor across the face, only a “head barber” can properly strop and hone a blade.
A few interesting titbits; the reference to Lusitania as the greatest ship afloat, as well as placing I T W Charles as the Captain, dates the advertisement to a narrow time frame. It must be from after 7th September 1907, which was the date of the maiden voyage for the Lusitania. It must be from before the Great War, since as far as I can tell her two wartime captains were Captain Dow and – off course – Captain William Thomas Turner.
Best guess places this advertisement around 1910 – before the Gillette’s with their disposable blades made the idea of stropping a safety razor obsolete.
As a side note, I’m really curious as to the “slaughter of the innocent” booklet they mention in the text – the only thing I find online about that is more recent than this advert, and has little to do with shaving.
I’ve mentioned this a few years back, but it bears repeating:
Over at Project Gutenberg – which is an awesome site for free books, by the way – I found a gem from 1905:
Next to the razor, the most important article of the shaving outfit is the soap. In its proper use lies the real secret of easy shaving.
If you desire a really clean shave, you must go over the face the second time.
It’s a highly enjoyable read, and I urge you to take a few minutes to grab a copy.
Once again my job have made me go places to do stuff, and once again I have been shaving out of my GoBag… and once again I’m reminded by what I miss most when not shaving in my own den.
Not quality razors; I actually have two of those in my kit, a vintage Gillette and a more modern Merkur.
Not a good brush; the Omega travel boar is a great performer and a good trooper.
Not good lather; the BEA shave stick I picked up in Spain a few years ago is all that and more.
Not my alum; I got a handy dandy travel sized one in a push up container.
Not a nice aftershave; I got a small bottle of Krampert’s Finest, and it’s fine indeed.
Not a beard oil; I keep a small bottle of Wet Shaving Products Matterhorn in with the rest of my gear.
No.. what I miss is what I don’t have… choice. Apart from the option of picking one of two razors, every single shave when Im on a trip is the same gear. Same brush. Same lather. Same aftershave. Same, same, same.
I do realise that some guys find their perfect setup and stick to it – one razor, one brush, one soap. I can’t do that. I cannot imagine going back to the dark age of always shaving with the same gear when there is choices available. I relish on rotating my razors and brushes. I enjoy agonising over what soap to use any given day, and which of my aftershaves I can pair it with.
Choice.
I miss that when travelling…
Impossible to cut the face – sounds good.
Shaves Easy, quick and clean – great.
Pays for it self in a fortnight – perhaps a bit of hyperbole?
Every undertaker and embalmer should have one – wait, what‽
It makes sense though, in that corpses are (and were) usually shaved to make them more presentable, and if the safety razor could do it easier, faster, cheaper and with less chance of cuts and the danger of infection… sounds like a great idea to me.