1905 'Quadruple' Gold Plated Single Ring - I think .

[Mark1966]

I know we have all be googling at Shavefreak's magnificent 1906 engraved single ring - if you haven't you should!

If so you would have also seen the similar set from Quailrunner in his thread. Once again a magnificent set.

You may, however, have missed this thread from Tnsplayer with his un-engraved very early gold-plated Single Ring.

Well I've received a nice little package in the mail.

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Hmm, the box is a little ordinary - why the excitement? Look at the slide clasp - that is gold plating not the normal silver. OK, have I got your attention? Want to have a look?

Not too fast there son, have a look at the base of the box - gold lettering and without the price ...

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OK, here it is -

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More gold printing on the ribbon not the usual silver. I think that this is a special set

Interesting blade boxes too!

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I've not had a chance to clean her up yet but here she is ..

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The serial number?

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G306068. Given the use of the 'G' prefix for gold this puts this serial number into 1905 and the earliest example that I've seen of a 'quadruple' gold-plated single ring.

If only it had another ring!

 

[jbradley]

What a find! Maybe you've been dabbling in the dark stars also!

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Nice Find ) I need to get me a few of those cases )

 

[elmerwood]

Score! What might one expect to pay for such a piece? I've never seen one for sale so are we talking like 4 or 5 times the price of a standard single ring set?. A funny side note, a friends sister wanted a new VW Jetta car and she's quoted as saying "I want one really bad, and if you want something bad enough it means you need it". Using her logic I need one.

 

[ras120]

Nice find, Mark. It appears we are inching ever closer to maybe seeing the elusive gold plated Double Ring someday.

 

[shavefreak]

Nice! - the gold case hardware proves it is an original set. I like the blade boxes, I like to think they are super early as the Dull Sharp is a smart improvement, and I think when they were cranking out cases and parts and had more dulls than sharps they started making or using generic "Gillette" boxes, (speculation) but then years later Gillette later goes back to just Gillette, so many strange moves and mysteries to solve.

I have talked with some incredible collectors over the past month, one who is super private and has probably the best collection I have seen, heard or read about has not come accross a Gold double ring. It is entirely possible that they never had orders for it in the first two early years. June of 06 the single came in, and we have evidence of earlier singles. I suspect gold double ring orders could have been filled as singles. Most gold and engraved gold razors would have been for wealthier people who even through a depression did not bother selling. Future family members may have them in a box as the engraving makes them less likey to toss or give away and not worth their time to sell.

 

[alex2363]

Nice! - the gold case hardware proves it is an original set. I like the blade boxes, I like to think they are super early as the Dull Sharp is a smart improvement, and I think when they were cranking out cases and parts and had more dulls than sharps they started making or using generic "Gillette" boxes, (speculation) but then years later Gillette later goes back to just Gillette, so many strange moves and mysteries to solve.

I have talked with some incredible collectors over the past month, one who is super private and has probably the best collection I have seen, heard or read about has not come accross a Gold double ring. It is entirely possible that they never had orders for it in the first two early years. June of 06 the single came in, and we have evidence of earlier singles. I suspect gold double ring orders could have been filled as singles. Most gold and engraved gold razors would have been for wealthier people who even through a depression did not bother selling. Future family members may have them in a box as the engraving makes them less likey to toss or give away and not worth their time to sell.

That is a viable theory since the transition from Double rings was very low profile and almost secretive. Gillette made no formal all out introduction to the single rings so your theory is very possible.

 

[MacDaddy]

Yeah, Gillette didn't really consider Double and Single Rings to be different models of razors at the time. There was only "the Gillette razor" in these early days before the Pocket Edition sets (that's one of the reasons they would later refer to this style as the "Pioneer"). The change from Double to Single Ring was just a cosmetic change as far as they were concerned, not a new product. And we've definitely seen other Single Rings with what we believe were 1905 serial numbers (since these early years really are just fuzzy estimates). I could very easily see retailers in the first few years being very leery of stocking what would have been quite an expensive version of a brand new, as yet unproven product.

That said, it seems incredibly unlikely that Gillette would have been making the $10 standard gold sets to order. So there have to have been some of them made, even if it was just to have a stock of them available in case someone ordered one. And assuming that were the case, it would be very "un-Gillette-like" for them not to have at least sold through that stock before moving on to the Single Ring design.

 

[Mark1966]

What a find! Maybe you've been dabbling in the dark stars also!

LOL - no, mine are not as pristine as Jakes!

Score! What might one expect to pay for such a piece? I've never seen one for sale so are we talking like 4 or 5 times the price of a standard single ring set?. A funny side note, a friends sister wanted a new VW Jetta car and she's quoted as saying "I want one really bad, and if you want something bad enough it means you need it". Using her logic I need one.

I like the logic! What would you expect to pay? Well lets just say that I considered this fairly priceless and we will not mention any numbers around my wife ...

Nice find, Mark. It appears we are inching ever closer to maybe seeing the elusive gold plated Double Ring someday.

Maybe one day - but see below

Nice! - the gold case hardware proves it is an original set. I like the blade boxes, I like to think they are super early as the Dull Sharp is a smart improvement, and I think when they were cranking out cases and parts and had more dulls than sharps they started making or using generic "Gillette" boxes, (speculation) but then years later Gillette later goes back to just Gillette, so many strange moves and mysteries to solve.

I have talked with some incredible collectors over the past month, one who is super private and has probably the best collection I have seen, heard or read about has not come accross a Gold double ring. It is entirely possible that they never had orders for it in the first two early years. June of 06 the single came in, and we have evidence of earlier singles. I suspect gold double ring orders could have been filled as singles. Most gold and engraved gold razors would have been for wealthier people who even through a depression did not bother selling. Future family members may have them in a box as the engraving makes them less likey to toss or give away and not worth their time to sell.

Yes, the case was what caught my eye originally. I'm eagerly awaiting further results and pics from your discussions with them - that 1906 engraved one is sooooo sweet!

The DRs being replaced by SRs could have been the case, the gold plated DRs have an almost mythical quality!

Yeah, Gillette didn't really consider Double and Single Rings to be different models of razors at the time. There was only "the Gillette razor" in these early days before the Pocket Edition sets (that's one of the reasons they would later refer to this style as the "Pioneer"). The change from Double to Single Ring was just a cosmetic change as far as they were concerned, not a new product. And we've definitely seen other Single Rings with what we believe were 1905 serial numbers (since these early years really are just fuzzy estimates). I could very easily see retailers in the first few years being very leery of stocking what would have been quite an expensive version of a brand new, as yet unproven product.

That said, it seems incredibly unlikely that Gillette would have been making the $10 standard gold sets to order. So there have to have been some of them made, even if it was just to have a stock of them available in case someone ordered one. And assuming that were the case, it would be very "un-Gillette-like" for them not to have at least sold through that stock before moving on to the Single Ring design.

Really, not made to order on the gold plated sets? They seemed to fade quickly from the adverts if I remember correctly, could they not have been made to order. Alternatively if there were a few around maybe give them to staff or special VIPs - but they seem to have done that with the engraved ones. Hmmm, all speculation really.

At least now we have a very early gold plated SR we can verify.

 

[Jake]

Great pickup Mark. Our friend tnsplayer has access to such a great collection of rarely seen razors. Or had a collection. Thanks for posting these photos & congratulations.

 

[PFP_Dad]

Great addition, with the original box no less. Congrats!

 

[MacDaddy]

Really, not made to order on the gold plated sets? They seemed to fade quickly from the adverts if I remember correctly, could they not have been made to order.

I could believe the $50 and $75 sets being made to order, though even then it makes more sense that they'd just have been keeping a stock of them on hand and monogramming them to order. But it just doesn't seem like it would have been cost effective for a $10 item. Making a run of them and then holding off making more till you sold through those seems like a much more "Gillette" thing to have done. Also, I would be willing to bet that Gillette was not making those cases themselves at that point, but instead were likely contracting with another company to have them made, and since the gold ones were unique again it seems more likely that they'd have had a supply of them on hand.

As for the print record, I don't know that they ever really "faded away." They're offered in all of the early catalogs that we have scans of, and the ads seem more to just shy away from listing out all the options available (in favor of recommending that people see a local merchant or write to receive an illustrated brochure) than they appear to indicate that silver was the only option available.

 

[Mark1966]

I could believe the $50 and $75 sets being made to order, though even then it makes more sense that they'd just have been keeping a stock of them on hand and monogramming them to order. But it just doesn't seem like it would have been cost effective for a $10 item. Making a run of them and then holding off making more till you sold through those seems like a much more "Gillette" thing to have done. Also, I would be willing to bet that Gillette was not making those cases themselves at that point, but instead were likely contracting with another company to have them made, and since the gold ones were unique again it seems more likely that they'd have had a supply of them on hand.

Yeah I suppose, I just wonder what happened to them then. This is only the second ordinary gold plated one I've seen around.

As for the print record, I don't know that they ever really "faded away." They're offered in all of the early catalogs that we have scans of, and the ads seem more to just shy away from listing out all the options available (in favor of recommending that people see a local merchant or write to receive an illustrated brochure) than they appear to indicate that silver was the only option available.

I will defer to your better memory. I recalled seeing the early adverts mentioning both but I thought the later ones tended to focus just on the 'Gillette Razor' without specifying the varieties.

As an aside if the serial numbers are still in sequence with just the 'G' added this would make these prior to the end of the DR run according to a couple of serial numbers in the DR database

 

[MacDaddy]

Yeah I suppose, I just wonder what happened to them then. This is only the second ordinary gold plated one I've seen around.

It breaks my heart to think of how many thousands of these ended up in a landfill...

I will defer to your better memory. I recalled seeing the early adverts mentioning both but I thought the later ones tended to focus just on the 'Gillette Razor' without specifying the varieties.

No, I think you're right; however, I would attribute that shift more to their line becoming more substantial than would easily fit in an ad that's aiming for impact, rather than because it was shrinking. Also, that change in the ads happened, more or less, right around 1906 to '07, and not long after that you've got the new blades taking the spotlight and then the release of the Pocket Editions. There was a lot going on, and only so much room to advertise.

As an aside if the serial numbers are still in sequence with just the 'G' added this would make these prior to the end of the DR run according to a couple of serial numbers in the DR database

I really dislike that we've not done a better job keeping proper references for those entries. I'm highly suspicious of those two 400K and 500K numbers that are on there, and would love to find where they actually came from. The inner barrels on the early Double Rings weren't interchangeable with the Single Rings', but it's certainly possible that a later one could have been found with one that originally came from a Single Ring.

 

[Mark1966]

I really dislike that we've not done a better job keeping proper references for those entries. I'm highly suspicious of those two 400K and 500K numbers that are on there, and would love to find where they actually came from. The inner barrels on the early Double Rings weren't interchangeable with the Single Rings', but it's certainly possible that a later one could have been found with one that originally came from a Single Ring.

Well I don't know about this one:

Feb 26, 2011

1904

Pat. Nov. 15.04

589850

Quebec, Canada

But I'm pretty sure that I know the member who owns this

Jun 28, 2011

1906

Pat. Nov. 15.04

458142

Dongguan, China

I'll send him a PM

 

[alex2363]

Well I don't know about this one:

Feb 26, 2011

1904

Pat. Nov. 15.04

589850

Quebec, Canada

But I'm pretty sure that I know the member who owns this

Jun 28, 2011

1906

Pat. Nov. 15.04

458142

Dongguan, China

I'll send him a PM

Jun 28, 2011

1906

Pat. Nov. 15.04

458142

Dongguan, China

this one is from Shekoujay http://badgerandblade.com/vb/member.php/41325-shekoujay

 

[alex2363]

Feb 26, 2011

1904

Pat. Nov. 15.04

589850

Quebec, Canada

this one may be, jeff http://badgerandblade.com/vb/member.php/30915-JeffJ or B&B/ incuso http://badgerandblade.com/vb/member.php/44270-incuso

 

[mblakele]

I went looking for 589850 - no luck. Most mentions seem to be just copies of the wiki table by Alex.

We lost a lot of wiki history in the 2010 upgrade, but I can see 589850 appeared between 2010-07-27 and 2011-02-26. I cannot tell who added it, because those older edits all show up as if SpecialK made them.

But how about 589068 instead? It showed up around the same time, in a thread that mentions quite a few other double ring numbers that are not in the wiki table.

I just found one more Double Ring that I forgot I had.
589068- 1906

I have two Single Rings with numbers before my 1906 Double Ring.
Single Ring
544963- 1906
584608- 1906

 

[Mark1966]

Jun 28, 2011

1906

Pat. Nov. 15.04

458142

Dongguan, China

This number is confirmed

 

[rxonmymind]

Mark,
Congrats on your newest acquisition! That's a beauty. But...where are you going to PUT it? Do you have any room left?