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Upside Down Baseplate Appreciation Thread

In my experience, the upside down baseplate models are extremely dear to their owners. At a certain site, they are often listed for 4 times more than what you might expect to pay for their baseplate right brothers on the BST. And double even their baseplate right siblings on the auction site. This pricing structure is part of the allure. Let's face it. Finding reviews is impossible. There must be something to these rare and valuable razors only known by the cognoscenti. Curiously, all models seem to be of U.S. origin. If any of our international members run across one of these in the wild, please share!

Now, I know some of you are saying: "I could make one of those!"

Don't do it!

These fine pieces were assembled by trained professionals in a controlled setting. Attempting to do this at home could lead to injury, death, venereal warts, or all three.
So, without further ado.

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This fine specimen is listed as NOS, and available for the low BIN price of 149.99, plus shipping. I know, hard to believe such a treasure is still available. Don't worry though. With a little patience, you can find more reasonably priced examples of upside down baseplate goodness.

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The very rare open comb model. Actually the only one I've seen.

So, please share your own observations on this rare breed.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
My Gillette NEW LC was NOS. When I took it out of the box, thats how it was packaged with the spacer between the cap and the upside down base plate. I think thats how they originally shipped, but you're right, I have seen a lot of well used razors put together that way! lol
 
Here is some more recent find. The seller could not tell me what was responsible for the red-hot glow of the open comb.

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A few more observed in the wild.
Not as pristine as some of the earlier items, but solid examples of the type.
 

Esox

I didnt know
Staff member
The seller could not tell me what was responsible for the red-hot glow of the open comb.

Seeing this made me curious. I have some red....stuff between the teeth on my NEW LC and I remember cleaning some out of the crevices around the ball end. Does anyone know what that red stuff is? Wax to preserve the finish while shipping or something?

I'd put the base on backwards but I'm too lazy lol.

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R

romsitsa

The red in the corners and crevices is the protective lacquer of the gold wash.

Found once a HD Rocket with an upside down baseplate, doors fully closed with the knob in the open! position.

Adam
 
Black handle gold

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There must be a reason for the handle fitting into the diamond-shaped dent of the base plate?


Some time ago I wrote to every seller of an upside down baseplate model at that certain site a message regarding that the baseplate of their razor is mounted upside down. I kept going for two weeks, but never received an answer. There must be a silent conspiracy out there...
 
Black handle gold

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There must be a reason for the handle fitting into the diamond-shaped dent of the base plate?


Some time ago I wrote to every seller of an upside down baseplate model at that certain site a message regarding that the baseplate of their razor is mounted upside down. I kept going for two weeks, but never received an answer. There must be a silent conspiracy out there...

Did even one of them replace their photo(s) with one of the razor assembled correctly? (I guess it would have been kind of a shame if they had.)
 
Did even one of them replace their photo(s) with one of the razor assembled correctly? (I guess it would have been kind of a shame if they had.)

Not a single one changed anything... :D
I guess they all were sworn in to that secret society of upside down baseplate traders.
 
It also seems none of the razors listed ever have a blade in them. If only they had a blade, perhaps they'd notice something was a bit off...
 
My pre-war tech was originally an upside down baseplate model. I couldn't get a good a shave with it, so I modified it (probably ruined the value in doing so) to a plain old regular baseplate model. I feel bad for ruining an antique.
 
A good day, found three of them out in the wild. Will report to headquarters. We must be aware of this conspiracy...

:em3000:

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