Non-straight razors(single edge;double-edge,and others......

knife7knut · Post by **knife7knut** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 4:18 pm

Thought I'd throw in(or up)a few other shaving devices that have migrated into my "accumulation containers" over the years. Not sure exactly how or why they started to proliferate;likely as a result of the supply of straight razors drying up(collected after the supply of pocket knives started slowing).
The collecting mania manifests itself in strange ways like that.Once you start with an item,it seems like that is all you can see when you are out looking.
Some of the safety razors that were offered when straight razors started to fall from favor sported some very unique features.One came with a device to re-sharpen the double edge blades(even though the practice was discouraged by manufacturers).Another had a set of built-in rollers that provided the correct angle for sharpening the blade.One even sharpened itself when you shook the razor vigorously!
A lot of the earlier razors sported built-in "combs" to assist in aligning the hair for shaving.
Some of the early safety razors were nothing more than a short piece of straight razor blade affixed to a handle at 90 degrees to the blade. Others sported a unique way of holding the blade in place such as the Valet.The blades were pierced with the valet name and little tabs on the razor rested against the letters making it impossible to use anything but Valet blades in them.
Some of the travel kits offered by manufacturers were unique as well. A J.A.Henckels set that folds over to create a stand to hold the razor and a mirror on the opposite side.Another that has a shaving brush that breaks down so that the bristles store inside the handle to prevent damage to them. The innovations are endless.
In this post I will try to highlight some of the travel kits and then possibly some of the unique sharpening devices for blades. Hope you enjoy them.

jerryd6818 · Post by **jerryd6818** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 4:37 pm

Ray, when you joined the Navy, were you issued a safety razor in your initial issue (Marine Corps called it "bucket issue", I don't know what the Navy called it)?

carrmillus · Post by **carrmillus** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 8:59 pm

.....I can't remember getting a razor when I joined the army, I guess I was supposed to shave with te 4 blade Camillus military knife???...............

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knife7knut · Post by **knife7knut** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 10:41 pm

jerryd6818 wrote:Ray, when you joined the Navy, were you issued a safety razor in your initial issue (Marine Corps called it "bucket issue", I don't know what the Navy called it)?

No I wasn't Jerry. When we reported to Great Lakes NTC we were required to bring our own shaving gear. I didn't issued my TL-29 and Dzus key until I started working on the Transient Line at NAS Boca Chica FL. We needed both of these tools to open various panels on aircraft when they had to be serviced.
When I was at NATC Pax River I made friends with one of the parachute riggers(always a good friend to have;that and a storekeeper)and got a leather flight jacket(which I still have but is rather tight now),a flight bag,and an MC-1.The flight bag is long gone but the MC-1 still resides in my collection.I always wanted one of those pencil flare guns but couldn't get it. They guarded those too closely.I did have an old(out of date) flight helmet but traded that off for something long ago.

jerryd6818 · Post by **jerryd6818** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:07 pm

knife7knut wrote: No I wasn't Jerry. When we reported to Great Lakes NTC we were required to bring our own shaving gear.

Interesting. We were allowed to keep NOTHING. Everything we needed, including shaving gear, was issued (read that sold) to us. We got a PX call for anything else we "needed" (like cigarettes) within the first week. I bought a hard plastic "case" for my pack of cigarettes and a carton of York cigarettes ($2.00 a carton). They were non-filtered and 120mm and it seemed like the smart thing to do since the smoking lamp was never lit for more than "one cigarette". I still had most of the carton 12 weeks later when we graduated.

gsmith7158 · Post by **gsmith7158** » Mon Apr 04, 2016 11:10 pm

All I can say to this thread I thank goodness for technology.

knife7knut · Post by **knife7knut** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:09 am

gsmith7158 wrote:All I can say to this thread I thank goodness for technology.

Here are a few more pieces of "Past-Tech".
A razor that comes with a tool to re-sharpen the blades made by Enders.
A Razorette made for shaving women's legs circa 1940.Note the blade size.
A hair trimmer that uses double edged razor blades.
Two examples of corn removers.Supposedly better than a corn razor or knife.
A Rolls Razor;basically a short straight razor blade with a handle positioned at 90 degrees.
A group of old double edged razors dating from about 1913 up.
An ingenious device known as the Shake Sharp razor.Shaking it back and forth sharpens the blade(?).
And lastly one of my favorites albeit somewhat modern: A Schick Stick;an injector razor with a 4 speed gearshift knob(in miniature of course)on the end.Made in the early 1970's.

jerryd6818 · Post by **jerryd6818** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:11 am

Greg, my maternal grandfather died in January before I enlisted in the Marine Corps in May and left for boot camp on 28 June 1962. I inherited his Norelco electric razor. When I returned from boot leave in November the razor went with me and I continued using it until it finally gave up the ghost a bunch of years later. While stationed at Port Hueneme CA, I would pawn the razor for $5 between paydays when things got tight and redeem it for $7 after payday. I've used an electric razor about 98% of the time since I first started shaving.

knife7knut · Post by **knife7knut** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:12 am

Last one for now and a favorite: A razor with a clockspring motor that you wind up to shave with. Made in Monaco of all places!

gsmith7158 · Post by **gsmith7158** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 1:52 am

jerryd6818 wrote:Greg, my maternal grandfather died in January before I enlisted in the Marine Corps in May and left for boot camp on 28 June 1962. I inherited his Norelco electric razor. When I returned from boot leave in November the razor went with me and I continued using it until it finally gave up the ghost a bunch of years later. While stationed at Port Hueneme CA, I would pawn the razor for $5 between paydays when things got tight and redeem it for $7 after payday. I've used an electric razor about 98% of the time since I first started shaving.

Jerry since you live in the midwest I know you know what it feels like to have afresh blade shaven face and walk out into wind chills of about -10. I have spent the better part of my travling career there and in New England and I just couldn't stand that raw face feel any longer. Been using an electric for about 20 years now.

knife7knut · Post by **knife7knut** » Tue Apr 05, 2016 3:22 am

One last think to post before I call it a night. This is the back of the small bar of soap pictured above in the shaving kit. Notice the price of the rooms at the hotel!
Also a couple of more modern travel kits from Germany.The Griffon kit contains a small pocket knife;a nail file;two sizes of nail clippers;safety razor and blades;and a comb.
The other kit (which for some reason has no name on it)sports a pair of nail clippers;a handle that fits both the razor and the toothbrush;a pair of scissors(probably for nostril hair);a comb and a mirror all held in a nice hard aluminum case.

knife7knut · Post by **knife7knut** » Tue Apr 19, 2016 1:19 am

Thought I'd throw this one into the mix.Just got this Sunday at an auto swap meet.Keen Kutter Junior safety razor in the original box.Has a blade box inside too but no blade. Was a bit rusty and the plated finish was flaking a little. Spent about an hour cleaning and polishing and it looks half decent now. all I have to do is find a blade for it and I'll be all set. Price was right: $3.