Super Speed Razors: The Post World War II Shaving Culture in America to 1955

[mgbbrown]

It was common for a man to have one, or at most, a couple of shaving mugs during the transition to the 1950’s, as these were subject to breakage, or commonly passed down from father to son to continue a shaving tradition. Having more was seen as excessive and wasteful, as this was the time immediately following the austerity of the Great Depression. Promotional mugs such as an Old Spice shaving soap mug were quite popular and relatively inexpensive. Another desirable shaving soap mug of thist ype was one offered by Alfred D. McKelvy, who quit his advertising career and started making men’s toiletries from his garage. Seaforth, named after the famous Seaforth Highlanders of Vancouver, became the brand name of the Alfred D. McKelvy Company, which he founded in 1939. His was the first North American company to exclusively target men, and was purchased by Vicks in 1942. A waterslide decal advertised its contents on the earlier mugs- look for mugs which have the Seaforth decal intact. As the decal wore off under use, it was common to scratch it off altogether. Mug production was commissioned by McKelvy using the famous McCoy Pottery of Roseville, Ohio. The McCoy maker’s mark appears as a squared-off USA stamping, closely inset within a rectangular block. They were well finished, and slightly smaller than the earthenware Hull Old Spice mug- three inches tall, and a diameter of three and one-quarter inches. The depth of both mugs was shallow, making them well suited for swirling lather with a shaving brush. It appears that McCoy continued to produce a shaving soap mug similar to the one used by McKelvy, which was much coarser in glaze finish and somewhat utilitarian in its appearance. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

I love these mugs! Very heavy duty and imperfect. Mine is the third release Shulton denoted by the glaze pooling on the base. Do I have that right, Tony? My Dad was a Sailor and an Old Spice Man, just as Tony's was. Tony helped me locate this one after I caught sight of his!This mug holds a sentimental value to me for those reasons.
The mug holds heat really well and is a great representation of mid century pottery in America. It's my favorite mug and probably always will be.

 

[mgbbrown]

Keen Dog; It appears that your Old Spice mug is indeed from the third contract series that Hull produced for Shulton. These imperfections also led to other problems, such as leaking aftershave or talc bottles-so much so that their contract was ended and their famous earthenware shaving mugs and toiletries containers were from that point, manufactured in milk glass, or pottery glass, that still retained the heavy look and feel of those made by Hull Pottery. These were manufactured by the Wheaton Glass Company in Millville, New Jersey, who were able to meet consumer demands and those of Shulton with precision. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

John Hudson Moore, a division of the Lambert Company, also offered a series of porcelain shaving mugs as a part of their Sportsman line of men’s toiletries. Shaving mugs from the Limoge area of France were made famous during the height of the Victorian era, largely due to the influence of Haviland China, which produced fine white porcelain there for theAmerican market, growing in popularity until it became the most famous of the Limoge brands. Limoge style shaving mugs were also produced in England, the United States, and occupied Japan following World War II. Occupational mugs depicted a wide variety of work activities or professions, either as hand painted and glazed scenes on the sides of the mug, or painted directly onto the porcelain, as were those sold by John Hudson Moore, beginning in 1953. The company initially offered eighteen different shaving mugs for $4.95 each, and would also hand paint your name on whatever mug was ordered for an additional $7.50. The Sportsman series of occupational shaving mugs were also quite large, and soon became popular gifts for both career professionals and craftsmen during the early Super Speed period. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Betty Cleminson’s Monterey Park, California based pottery hobby blossomed into a thriving business in the early 1940’s, and featured a whimsical collection of slip cast porcelain razor banks that became popular during the late 1940’s and throughout the 1950’s. These razor blade banks are small. I was able to obtain a green and cream razor bank depicting a green haired man shaving- and with shamrocks bordering the base, appearing perhaps as most fathers do to their sons who practiced alongside with their toy razors. Other versions of the same man shaving were available with brown or black hair. The underside is unglazed, and features an ink hallmark stamp of two children holding a shield with a large C, small b, and the words THE CALIFORNIA CLEMINSONS bordering the C in an arc across the top section of the shield. Cleminson razor banks are desirable and a nice addition to any early Gillette Super Speed vintage shaver kit. The razor slot is large, and the razor blades deposited inside can be easily removed as the bank fills. Good examples are still around- look for ones that are devoid of chips and glaze crazing. The Cleminson hallmark on the base is only an ink stamping- take care not to remove it with aggressive cleaning. Hand dish washing detergent is recommended here. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[KeenDogg]

I love that!!!!

 

[mgbbrown]

Thank you Keen Dog! She also made a barber head slip cast porcelain blade bank as well. Her ceramic business was first a regional affair, then it was retailed nationally and became quite popular overall. Thanks for your interest in all of this! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Prior to World War II, Listerine offered a series of small, cast porcelain blade banks as a mail-in premium for using their shaving mug soap. Their Art Deco styled frog was available from 1936 through 1937, and could be chosen along with an equally small stylized Donkey, representing the Democratic Party, and an elephant for the Grand Old Republican Party’s mascot. These were designed to be thrown away when full, but large numbers survive today, and perhaps found their way into use during the period relative to the early post-war Super Speed razors. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

During the Great Depression, Hazel Atlas produced a slotted Zinc top that was combined with a half-pint canning jar to make a razor blade bank. A similar version was produced by them as a Burma-Shave blade bank, with a slotted, twist-on lid with directions on how to use Burma-Shave brushless cream, stenciled onto the top of the lid. Burma-Shave contracted with Hazel Atlas to manufacture a three piece, one and one-half ounce clear jar, with Burma-Shave cast into the glass. These are quite small- 2 &1/4 inches tall, with a diameter of 1& ¾ inches. The example pictured, retains its lid liner, suggesting that a sample of Burma-Shave cream was also provided by Burma-Shave, not just the used razor blade bank jar and slotted lid. The lid liner was removed to access the lid slot after the sample of cream was exhausted. Due to its diminutive size, discarded razor blades will not lie flat inside the jar. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Many shavers however, made their own blade banks using various tins and screw-on lidded jars in period, generally disposing of the full bank with all of the used blades inside. During WorldWar II, discarded razor blades were saved for their steel content in razor blade banks, and when full, recycled for the war effort. The life of razor blades was also extended by honing the blade edge. Double-edged razor hones were made of pressed glass or corundum, curved to uniformly hone the blade edge at the proper angle when laid flat against the arc, with only the edge of each side of the blade touching the glass. Hone sharpening could extend the life of a razor blade dramatically- as many as fifty additional shaves from a single blade was advertised. Razor blades, like many other household commodities, were rationed during the war, as production was channeled for military use. Razor blade hone manufacturers included theMcKee Glass Company, Curtiss, Clix, Goodrich, and Kwiksharp. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Throughout the period, McCoy produced a popular brown, cobalt oxide, glazed stoneware coffee mug with a smiling face- one once held my1954 and 1955 Super Speed razors when not in use, as it is now relegated to early morning coffee duties during work-week days. It features a D-type handle which often appears on brown drip glazed stoneware, a handle design that featured predominantly during the Art Deco period and was designed by a potter at McCoy. Production quality varied widely, and it was common to find pieces missing glaze in spots or even having fingerprints fired into the finish. Look for an absence of glaze crazing and overall production quality. This whimsical mug was chosen as a compliment to the Cleminson’s blade bank. It is admittedly quite unsettling to have this cast face smiling at you in the wee hours of the morning. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

It was not uncommon for the period shaver to use coffee mugs, or heavier diner style mugs if that was something fancied- personal preference was as much a factor as choosing a dedicated style of shaving mug. Thick restaurant ware plain or banded mugs, with colored glaze stripes along the lip and base were common, with bands appearing in green, blue, red, or dark brown as examples, usually featuring a slash mark towards the center of the handle. Bands could also be centered along the sidewall, as the location of the band was chosen by the original diner or restaurant proprietor before acquisition by the period shaver. My hope is that these were secondarily obtained by asking for one from stock- but I am sure that a more spurious or illegitimate means was used for these to fall into use as a shaving mug. Tan was a defining color of the Art Deco period, with pottery houses such as Shenango China or Carr China having popular lines of tan restaurant ware as a part of their offerings. Shenango China manufactured Inca Ware, and Carr China produced their line of Glow Tan commercial dinner ware during the period just before World War II, and resumed production immediately following US involvement, as both of these potteries were devoted to producing contract ceramics for the US military. Restaurant ware mugs used for shaving are virtually unbreakable and childproof (or wifeproof in my case). The C on the backstamped foot was Sterling China's date code for the fourth quarter production, 1950, making it a contemporary of my early Gillette Super Speed razors. Pen striping was done by hand on a revolving glazing stand, and although partially automated, was arguably as good as anythingVon Dutch could have painted on a '32 Highboy. It is tailor-made for a cake of William's shaving mug soap. Restaurant ware mugs from the early 1950's are becoming less common despite their survivability. I was able to acquire a Pre-War Carr China Company of Grafton, West Virginia coffee mug, which is a piece in what was then their premier line, Glow-Tan. The mug is virtually unused,which is quite remarkable. Carr China offered these primarily from the late1930's until wartime production commenced following Japan's attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941. The line was discontinued in 1952. It is noticeably smaller than the Sterling China coffee mug pictured above, perhaps an early form of portion control. The backstamp contains only a partially glazed production month designation, which appears to be an I, used by Carr China to indicate ware produced in September. The concave sides do not permit a bar of Williams mug soap to rest on the bottom unless cut-down to fit, so this cup will be relegated for my customary weekend morning coffee, and the Sterling mug as my primary shaving mug. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Small bowls, or custard cups, were used by many shavers to produce lather. These were not specialized for shaving, but pressed into service for that particular function, and could be made of a variety of materials and styles. Choices were based on personal preference and availability. Brown, cobalt oxide drip-glazed bowls were common. The World War II United States Navy watch cup often found its way into such use, as it was an ideal size for swirling a shaving brush inside the container, and fit easily in the hand. Examples were always white, either appearing later in the war as Pyrex, a trademark of Corning Glass, or thicker porcelain made by a wide variety of potteries throughout the war to military specification. I use one made by the Onodaga Pottery Company, known as O.P.C.O. or the Syracuse China Corporation of Syracuse, New York, who also produced a non-detectable anti-tank land mine that won them and “E” Award for their excellence in wartime service. I use a watch cup for making lather with a boar hair or banded badger and boar hair shaving brush. These watch cups are substantial, as they were specified by design and weight to withstand the abuses of war, such as being dropped accidentally onto the deck of a ship. The inside diameter was three and one-eighth inches; the rim thickness- five-eighths of an inch and each cup stands three and a half inches tall. Both the Navy watch cup and the custard bowl hold the temperature of heated water easily for warm lather. The cobalt oxide glaze on the custard bowl that I located, was popular in period and used by virtually every commercial pottery. My example is by an unknown maker, but features a cobalt oxide exterior body and interior glaze,with a flared rim splashed with light blue glaze. No hallmarks are present on the underside, but the foot rim shows unglazed red clay, suggesting a North or South Carolina origin. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Ceramic shaving mugs and lathering bowls were not carried by GI’s during the war of course, as they were issued shaving cream in a tube, or shaving cream powder. Barbasol became the standard Army issue during World War II; many soldiers liked the convenience of shaving cream in tubes which factored into the company’s continued success following hostilities. Barbasol was founded by MIT chemical engineering student and sometimes teacher-Frank Shields,who developed his product as a response to his lathering frustrations and the effort needed to produce an adequate lather from the then available shaving creams and soaps. Partnered with advertising genius Lou Wasley, historical sources indicate that the name Barbasol was blended from the Latin word for BEARD and the first syllable of the word SOLUTION. Wasley made the brand famous with celebrity endorsements, ads depicting sexy women admiring the “closeness of a Barbasol shave;” free samples, testimonials, and his point man “SingingSam, the Barbasol man,” Henry Frankel.To further promote its popularity, Shields purchased North Cat Cay in the Bahamas, where he played host to a yearly SPORTS ILLUSTRATED fishing tournament and frequent visits by such notable figures as Ernest Hemmingway. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[tankerjohn]

Great threads! I didn't realize that shaving mugs and blade banks were a thing back then. I bet they were popular Christmas and birthday presents for the discerning dad back in the day.

I read somewhere that the Barbasol "moisturizing cream" or whatever it's called in the tube (not the can) still sold today is basically the same formula from WW2. Anyone know if that's true?

 

[tankerjohn]

Alibi fire...I love that Barbasol ad on so many different levels. LOL! It's probably racier than anything I've seen Beyoncé in. Reminds me of something I read a while back - every generation is surprised to learn that their parents actually had sex.

 

[mgbbrown]

Burma-Shave, introduced in 1925, was a brushless shaving cream purchased in tubes or jars. It was perhaps best known for their roadside series of six red signs with white letters, spaced for sequential reading by the car’s occupants passing by- the last sign in the series always read “Burma- Shave.”A six-sign series might read:

Your Shaving Brush Has had its day So why not Shave the modern way With Burma-Shave


Every shaver Now can snore Six more minutes Than before By using Burma-Shave


If you dislike Big traffic fines Slow down Till you Can read these signs Burma-Shave


Let’s make Hitler And Hirohito Feel as bad as Old Benito Buy War Bonds Burma-Shave
​

Burma-Shave’s use among the shaving masses peaked in the late 1950’s, but in its heyday was the second highest selling brushless shaving cream in the United States, surpassed only by Barbasol in popularity. The traditional navy colored tube was replaced around 1954 with a yellow tube. Every opportunity to advertise their products on the tub’s box was taken- merits of their aftershave lotion was printed on one box flap; the other flap extolled their razor blades for that perfect shave! God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

John; That was one of Barbasol's more conservative advertisements... Pretty women have always influenced the advertising marketplace for manly consumer goods, be it sports cars or shaving cream. Shaving mugs and blade banks were indeed popular then, as the tradition of using a shaving brush and mug remained popular, finally becoming overwhelmed by the ease of using aerosol shave cream developed by design engineer Robert P. Kaplan of Rochester, New York during the early 1950's. Shaving mugs were a perennial gift to husbands and fathers, with sales peaking on Father's Day and Christmas as one would expect. During the Victorian period, a shaving mug was used as a remembrance token by a sweetheart, often presented prior to being drafted or upon enlistment into the armed services. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Despite the popularity of brushless creams and newly introduced aerosol cans, shaving mugs and lathering bowls held their ground among post-war shavers. Many preferred to continue the routine that was taught to them by their fathers, or simply saw the process as relaxing and a time to reflect on their course for the day. Williams shaving mug soap was a staple then and is still easily available, with high lathering characteristics due to having tallow as part of its formulation- something lost in its modern composition. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown

 

[mgbbrown]

Brushes

Generally, shaving brushes were inexpensive items found at the local five-and-dime department store, or available through such mail-order firms as Sears, Montgomery Ward, or door-to-door through Stanley Home Products or the Fuller Brush Company. The array of manufacturers and styles was almost endless. Brush hair was generally boar bristle, as it was the least expensive and available to most shaving brush consumers locally; but badger hair brushes, or brushes containing a mixture of boar and badger hair, were also purchased as an upgrade. Badger hair was imported from Manchuria in northern China, and was not available for export following the Japanese invasion prior to World War II, and throughout the second World War. Horse hair brushes were still common, offering a go-between to the coarser boar hair and silkier feeling badger hair, and like its boar hair counterpart, easily agitated the surface of the soap in a shaving mug to produce a thicker lather, particularly useful when lathering in your palm, a lathering bowl, or a shaving mug. Nylon was used by some companies and seen as a more modern alternative to traditional animal hair offerings. The horse hair example I use was made by Fuller, and is butterscotch Catalin with a stepped motif common during the Art Deco period leading into the Second World War. Fuller brushes were also available by catalogue or most commonly through their famous door-to-door sales force, as were the shaving brushes offered by Stanhome, or Stanley Home Products. Both Stanley and Fuller made exceptional brushes, and had a widespread following; both companies offering a brush stand that could be purchased separately, on which to air-dry the brush upside-down after use. Just as popular then were brushes with a greater loft height. I was able to locate two new-old-stock boar brushes in this particular style; one made by Stanhome and the other by Fuller. Both were a tan or light butterscotch in color; early plastic or Catalin brush handles can be discolored by prolonged nicotine exposure. Nicotine stains can be easily removed with Mother’s Polish or Novus Number 2. Smoking was a widespread practice at the time, and lighting-up during a shave was not uncommon, albeit unsafe. God Bless! Tony Brown RN mgbbrown