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Going back in time .

Well I am starting this blog to record my return to an older type of shaving . Like most of us I at present use the ubiquitous supermarket disposable razors , and have done so for , well I don't really know how long . When did these disposable and cartridge type of razors come about ? I guess I have been shaving regularly since I was around 16 which ,as I was born in 1953 , make it around 1969 when I started . I have a memory a very faint one I admit , to having a razor that twisted to open and receive a double edge blade of the kind that came in little rectangular boxes . I remember that the blades came wrapped in paper and the used blades were posted into a slot in the back of the box . Now that is all I actually remember of these things and as soon as the more modern types , disposables came out I started using them. Well you would wouldn't you how many teenagers want to do things as their Fathers do most of us wanted to look modern I guess , well I did anyway .

So where is all this rambling leading to , I am glad you asked ! As I am getting somewhat better at sharpening knives My poor weak mind seems to be taken with the idea of buying a straight razor from an antiques centre ,something from the 1880's to around the demise of the Old Queen , in 1901 I think . I admit that I only knew the date of Queen Victoria's death from watching my favourite John Wayne film The Shootist . So the thought of going from a modern razor to an inexpertly sharpened cutthroat is for me a daunting prospect and unusually good sense has prevailed and instead of leaping straight back to the end of the nineteenth century perhaps the 1950's may be a better place to start .

I have now checked out a few video's on YouTube and have found that the razors that I remember from my youth are indeed called DE or double edge . In fact this whole retro shaving lark is alive and kicking without me knowing anything about it . Youtube is awash with helpful young fellows scraping the whiskers off their finely honed chins with razors that they certainly don't remember from the first time round . Mind you I have learned an awful lot more about shaving than my Father ever taught me ,I guess it must have been him that showed me the ropes though I don't remember the lesson .

So I now have an Edwin Jagger DE89 razor and am waiting for those fine folks at Amazon to deliver the rest of the not inconsiderable amount of gear that it seems I must have . A styptic pencil ,what a word from the dawn of history , anyway I have forgotten to order one so in the short term things may get bloody !! The razor looks nice and I am thinking that it is probably of a lot higher quality than I would have had in the late sixties. I would likely have had an old one of my Dad's to start .

I hope to return to this blog in the future , blood loss allowing , and record my return journey to the shavings of my youth and hopefully back in time to the days of the Old Queen and a wonderful straight razor . Got to get through my lack of a styptic pencil first , can't imagine what a young girl in the chemist will think if I ask for one of those .

Tags: ., DE, Ramblings, Razors, Shaving, Time, Travel

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Comment by John Bamford on July 12, 2016 at 7:17: Thanks for the Info Allan I will have to have a look at wickipedia . I was keen to have a razor from the States as at the moment I don't have one , course my collection is still kind of small though Sue doesn't think so !

Comment by allanm on July 12, 2016 at 7:06: Interesting John - the razor you're looking at - Clauss, Fremont O. USA immediately meant something to me. A quick check on the internet confirmed that - Fremont, Ohio - just a little South East of Toledo Ohio where I lived for the first 10 1/2 years after I moved to the US. Toledo is the original home of the Jeep, and Toledo Scale.

Fremont is in Sandusky COunty a bit under an hour South East of Toledo - and according to wikipedia, the Clauss company mobed from Elyria Ohio near Cleveland, to Fremont because of a supply of natural gas that had been discovered, whcih was suitable for firing their forges.

Comment by John Bamford on July 12, 2016 at 6:40: Thanks Dale I have sent you a message on here along with a friend request , I didn't know we weren't .

You are like my brother he retired to New Zealand and got bored so he started a business from his hobby of collecting fountain pens,

http://www.penclassicsnz.com/index.html

I on the other hand am intrinsically lazy and can become interested in watching clouds and other stuff that just passes by . I am off work at the moment due to a leg that has ceased to function but as soon as I can retire officially then I will be happy with a shed and a bunch of wood to whittle .

I would love to see some pics of the stones you have , now they can be worth more than the razors old Eschers seem to be particularly popular and Coticles even old barber hones go for a few quid now . This shaving business has been quite a big thing for a while now . I was reading that a lot of the razor makers gave up in the 80's or there abouts and had to rapidly re start production when demand took of again .

I am in no rush for the razor Dale just whenever your schedule permits my friend .

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on July 12, 2016 at 6:18: John,

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Thanks for the link .. I'll do some checking tonight .. time permitting. Beyond the fairly quick look @ E-bay ..and falling off my chair.. I had little time for research last night.

Note: That was just one box I opened up .. and not all of those in that. I picked up most of these back in the '80's for ...not much !!! You may have noticed the original price tag of $5 on one of the Joseph Rodgers. Again, my interest in collecting is primarily in "old stampings".

I'll take some close-up pics of the Wade & Butchers.The etchings on many of the W&B are quite intricate & beautiful. Re: the W&B you mentioned ..yes.. those are masonic symbols. Being a mason .. It is a favorite.

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I also have 2 boxes of rocks .. whetstones specifically for straight razors. Most with manufacture's stamps molded into them ..or.. very unique shapes. I'll try to get some pics of those too.

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The Clauss is yours. You may wish to run some steel wool over portions of the surface ..as.. some tarnish is present in spots. Other than that .. it truly appears to have seen very little use !! And .. I'm not too worried about payment .. I simply need an address .. (PM me .. here or on fb .. whichever is most convenient). Do please understand .. it will not be till the week-end that I'll be able to arrange shipment ..as.. my week days can be bothersomely busy :) I retired once ..&.. found sitting @ home not healthy for me. After doing a 9~5 for 27 yrs .. I NEED something to get up for. I now mange a smokeshop .. M~F .. 7:30~3.30. It gives me a reason to get up & get going ea day ..but.. does keep me busy.

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Enjoy the day.

D ale

Comment by John Bamford on July 12, 2016 at 3:37: I have been having a closer look at those Wade and Butcher blade stamps Dale . They are very attractive and I can understand why you like them so much . I know little or nothing about Masonic stuff but the third one down seems to have Masonic symbols on it and I would guess that would add a lot of value to the blade . As I say I have not studied the history of razors but when you see these old blades it does make you more interested in that area . I would think that a man with your skills would be able to put new scale on those old blades and bring them back to life again . It also appears that you have seven W/B's , revived and fitted in a nice box you would have a wonderful "seven day set" !!

Comment by John Bamford on July 12, 2016 at 2:30: What a collection you have there Dale , those old Sheffield razors are very popular over here and sell for lot's and lot's . How can you have these lovely razors and not want to try one out , I guess I am not really a collector as I couldn't have a knife or razor that i didn't use ! I will admit to having some knives that are a little less carried than others .

Anyway you are a generous man and if you are sure about this then the razor that you mentioned in the second pic , if I have got it straight , " Third from left , translucent violet .. stamped on mark side … Clauss (in script) <over> FREMONT O. U.S.A. " . That is the one that I would like best because all the razors I have at the moment are round nose and that is not and I would like an American Razor . I was reading last night that Dovo made razors for Case and I have a Dovo .

I guess that you will have found that Straight Razor Place is a good source of info if you want to check out your collection. Also this site has a lot of detail on various makers ,

http://strazors.com/

I will send you a message with my address and we can discuss payment .

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on July 11, 2016 at 18:56: ... or any of the CASE .. RED IMP in the top pic, John.

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on July 11, 2016 at 18:42: Left side … all Wade & Butcher .. which I am particularly fond of.

Middle row … top 2 =(stamped on mark side) JOSEPH RODGERS & SONS, CUTLERS TO THEIR MAJESTIES, No. 6 NORFOLK STREET, SHEFFIELD, ENGLAND , (stamped on pile side) GROUND IN SHEFFIELD

(thought those might be of particular interest to you)

… bottom 4 = Case. (Btm 1, clear = TEMPERITE .. other 3 = RED IMP).

Right side … Union Cutlery Co., Olean, N.Y. (later became KaBar) = SPIKE.

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As I collect “old stampings” .. I also have a Marshes & Shepard, Sheffield, Pondworks, circa 1840~1850. Also, a B.J. EYER & Co. Challenge Razor Circa 1852 ~ 1857.

I did a reality check on e-bay. That's RIDICULOUS .. what they're listed for. I know what I originally paid for them. OUTRAGEOUS !!! I had no idea.

Left ~ Right

Extreme left in black .. stamped on mark side .. EXTRA <over> Clauss (in script) <over> BARBERS SPECIAL <all to the left of> FREMONT <over> OHIO (both @ an angle)

Second from left , ivory colored .. stamped on mark side … Clauss (in script) <over> FREMONT O. U.S.A. <both to the left of> 7202.

Third from left , translucent violet .. stamped on mark side … Clauss (in script) <over> FREMONT O. U.S.A. <both to the left of> 27. I believe this one has seen the least use.

Extreme right , faux wood , metal ends / bolsters .. etched on mark side … LAKESIDE <on the blade>. MONTGOMERY WARD & CO. <over> CHICAGO.

John , I would part with any of the ones in the second pic for the cost of shipping. They would all require some level of cleaning ..however.. are all in quite usable shape. I believe the translucent handled one has seen the least use based on the sharp corner still present @ the leading edge of the blade.

Comment by John Bamford on July 11, 2016 at 6:41: Thanks Dale .

In Memoriam Comment by D ale on July 11, 2016 at 6:25: John,

I've 4~5 of the Case ACE & 3~4 of the Union Cutlery Co. (orig KaBar) SPIKE or GOLDEN SPIKE models & quite a few others (2 cigar boxes full) of old straight razors.

Since I've multiple units of the Case ACE .. shipping is all that would be required.

As time permits .. I'll dig them out.

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Enjoy your day !!

D ale