Getting the most out of my last day of vacation…
When you think “disposable razor” today, you think plastic. But there was a time before non-biodegradable materials were the material of choice for things used a few times and then dumped in the landfill… and in those days a lady would want smooth legs and hairless pits even if she had forgotten her grooming equipment when she went on a unplanned rendezvous.
Enter the Welch’s Saratoga Disposable Razor and/or E-KON-I-ME (economy?) razors, identical in all but name as far as I can tell, and both also used the trademark “Just A Little Shaver”. A perfectly safe hair remover that would aid you in removing objectionable hair.
Robert K Waits’ compendium tracks the trademark back to 1917, not that long after we as a society started body-shaming women into shaving their armpits (which happened in 1915).
The razor was made by Woodward-Williams Co. Inc., of Rochester, NY. Given that the only difference is the markings on the head, and that Saratoga apparently was a popular summer resort, I assume it was possible at the time for a hotel or resort to have razors like these rebranded as a promotional item… something you could keep for a while as a tangible reminder of the unplanned rendezvous you suddenly went on.
The razor itself is simple enough; all wooden construction, a head with an open comb cut on one side and a slot for a blade, and a fairly stubby handle. Given the coarseness of the comb – only five teeth across the whole razor – it probably wasn’t the smoothest of razors out there… but it was available on site as it were, and if you really need a shave a razor in your hand is ten times better than a razor at home.
The E-KON-I-ME brand was also used on a razor blade sharpener. The name makes more sense for that product, so I’m assuming in the absence of firm information that the sharpener started manufacture before the little wooden disposable.
A bio-degradable disposable would be a nice option to have today, but I think I would prefer something a bit more refined than these wooden ones. Still fun to dive into what little I could find about them and share with my readers.
Razor: Yaqi Mini, red & black
Blade: Persona Platinum
Brush: X A
Lather: Nivea Mild
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block, Big Red Beard Balm, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
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.
…as long as the ‘new’ isn’t cartridge razors – they work for some, but not for me.
It is the time of year when most people gets a little introspective, wondering how they measured up to their own standards the last year and how they can improve their performance in the year ahead… the time when one is most likely to reexamine ones goals in life, and make resolutions that will be broken within a few weeks.
Unsurprisingly, it is much easier to say one is going to do something than to actually do it.
It is also – at least up here in Norway – the darkest time of the year.. the sun is coming back, but it will be weeks or even months before the sun comes back.. but as it was pointed out to me a few weeks back when I was even further north; you don’t really learn to enjoy the sun and summer until you lived through a dark winter.
So.. here I stand. The old year behind me, the new ahead of me. Looking forward to brighter times, and without any resolutions other than to keep on shaving, keep on enjoying it, and keep on telling you all about it.
Happy New Year everybody – take care of yourself and your loved ones.
Having the day of, sleeping in, etc. Or possible just being lazy.
Razor: Yaqi Mini, red & black
Blade: Persona Platinum
Brush: Vie-Long #13051M
Lather: Mike’s Natural Soaps Orange, Cedarwood & Black Pepper
Aftershave: Myrsol Aqua De Limón
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Oil, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
As a small Christmas present for two of the younger members of my family, I decided to turn a pair of small, lidded boxes – vaguely mushroom shaped. Very vaguely…
Norwegian spruce wood. construction lumber (4×4), sanded to 240 grit and finished with nothing more than mineral oil.
Razor: Yaqi Mini, red & black
Blade: Persona Platinum
Brush: Omega #10048
Lather: Dalan d’men Energenic and a touch of Oway softening shaving cream
Aftershave: Barber No3 Marmara
Additional Care: Alum Block, BullDog Original Beard Balm, & Pereira Shavery Boomerang Beard Comb
Pereira just finished – successfully I might add – a crowdfunder for their unbreakable shaving bowl, a crowdfunder I backed myself so I could have a second bowl in a lovely bright green.
This time Pereira is offering up a hone for cartridge razors and an optional leather sheet for storing your razor in while travelling or at home. The kit looks really nice, and looking at the size and mode of operation it should work just as well for DE and SE razors too.
Check out their video, and then check out their campaign.