1913 Gillette ABC Pocket Edition

[GeorgeSa19]

Hello gents! Hope you and your family are staying safe.
In this period of quarantine I managed to acquire two beautiful razors: one being a 1950's Gillette Rocket HD and the other is the topic of this thread.


I'm sure the box had a gun metal finish but it looks like it's been worn off by the time.
Notice there is also no Gillette diamond logo on the head.
This is my first ABC razor that I got and I'm very happy the condition I found it.
So, here is a picture of my latest acquisitions:



Hope you enjoy my pictures. Cheers!

 

[Tanuki]

Beautiful razor! I have a silver shell pocket edition, but no case or blade box, and it is not nearly looking so nice. Mine is the double ring version.

Your case lining looks great for a case that appears to be well traveled. I tell myself that my pocket edition was well loved, but yours was both well loved and well cared for. Congratulations!

 

[GeorgeSa19]

Beautiful razor! I have a silver shell pocket edition, but no case or blade box, and it is not nearly looking so nice. Mine is the double ring version.

Your case lining looks great for a case that appears to be well traveled. I tell myself that my pocket edition was well loved, but yours was both well loved and well cared for. Congratulations!

Hey, you have a great razor as well!
I've only seen a few of those double ring rings around, not easy to get.
The only thing bugging me off is that the tiny Gillette logo that goes inside the case is gone lol but other than that it's been well preserved.

 

[Tanuki]

It also looks like your case latches solidly. I have a Gillette (not ABC) floral case that came to me with a New LC on a ball end handle. The razor looks pretty good, but the case is a bit beat up inside and out and won’t latch at all. So that’s what bugs me about that set. I would trade the Gillette logo for a latch that works.

 

[romsitsa]

Hello, the case is silver, gunmetal is an almost black layer (like black chrome) over nickel. The only thing missing is a vesta type blade box. Nice.

Adam

 

[ajkel64]

Nice razors, congratulations and thanks for sharing them with us.

 

[BigJ]

WONDERFUL!! Congratulations!

 

[Morman Bridge]

Hello gents! Hope you and your family are staying safe.
In this period of quarantine I managed to acquire two beautiful razors: one being a 1950's Gillette Rocket HD and the other is the topic of this thread.

View attachment 1086547View attachment 1086548View attachment 1086549View attachment 1086550View attachment 1086551
I'm sure the box had a gun metal finish but it looks like it's been worn off by the time.
Notice there is also no Gillette diamond logo on the head.
This is my first ABC razor that I got and I'm very happy the condition I found it.
So, here is a picture of my latest acquisitions:

View attachment 1086553

Hope you enjoy my pictures. Cheers!

Great score. Excellent photos as well. On a side note, these old ABC sets have gold plated razors and blade safes in them if they have a gunmetal coating. But that case will look fantastic if you polish it.
Something else I noticed, your case shows the patent numbers rather than the patent dates. Cases like yours were considered to be later in the ABC run, towards the last couple of years of production. Just an FYI factoid.

But anyway, great score. Congrats man. You will certainly enjoy the shaves.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Nicholas]

Gents, this is a more than a hundred years old razor and it's still going. It survived two World Wars and so many other historical events. How cool is this?

Great purchase, I hope you enjoy it in good health!

 

[GeorgeSa19]

Great score. Excellent photos as well. On a side note, these old ABC sets have gold plated razors and blade safes in them if they have a gunmetal coating. But that case will look fantastic if you polish it.
Something else I noticed, your case shows the patent numbers rather than the patent dates. Cases like yours were considered to be later in the ABC run, towards the last couple of years of production. Just an FYI factoid.

But anyway, great score. Congrats man. You will certainly enjoy the shaves.



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for commenting man! Yes, it's 107 years old...it's just crazy how still is holding up fine. Do you think it's safe to use some brasso to polish it? I know it's a safer to use a dremel with a polishing cloth but I don't have one yet.

 

[GeorgeSa19]

Gents, this is a more than a hundred years old razor and it's still going. It survived two World Wars and so many other historical events. How cool is this?

Great purchase, I hope you enjoy it in good health!

This...this is exactly what I think when I purchase vintage razors. I also like to wonder who it belonged to (if I don't have the opportunity of asking), what was the owner doing at the time, the places it's been. Sometimes I'd like to know the owner's whereabouts, If he's still around or long gone. Unfortunately, I'm aware that most of the people who owned my razors before me are not longer among us.
I know in this case it had two owners before me and I'm sure today they'd have been older than the razor itself. It's just crazy, so much nostalgia and history.

 

[Morman Bridge]

Thanks for commenting man! Yes, it's 107 years old...it's just crazy how still is holding up fine. Do you think it's safe to use some brasso to polish it? I know it's a safer to use a dremel with a polishing cloth but I don't have one yet.

Hi, whatever you do, do not use bras so not a deemed on your razor case nor the razor itself. Either the deemed or the brassy are far too abrasive to use on any coated metal surface. Just get some simichrome metal polish and polish it gently with that.

[emoji3522]


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[cryhavoc]

Congrats, that is a beautiful ABC!

 

[KeenDogg]

Beautiful find! Stay away from the Brasso though. It will destroy that plating in a heartbeat.

 

[Morman Bridge]

Hi, addendum to my previous posts.
A few years ago I did extensive research into the best polish to use on diver and gold plated objects. The following is what was recommended for Silver plated stuff-

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[GeorgeSa19]

Hi, addendum to my previous posts.
A few years ago I did extensive research into the best polish to use on diver and gold plated objects. The following is what was recommended for Silver plated stuff-

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ah yes, blitz. I've heard it's good and not too abrasive but I can't seem to find this product in my country. Are they made in the USA?

 

[nemo]

Please don't a dremel tool with a buffing wheel. That would be a big mistake. If you really feel the need to use an abrasive cleaner of any sort, apply by hand.

I'd leave it alone but that's me.

 

[Morman Bridge]

Ah yes, blitz. I've heard it's good and not too abrasive but I can't seem to find this product in my country. Are they made in the USA?

Hi, it says it’s made in USA, but where exactly I don’t know. I bought this 4 or 5 years ago at Home Depot hardware store. I am certain if you have access to any hardware stores at all, if they don’t stock it, they can probably order it for you. There is at least 2/3 of the bottle left, and I have probably polished at least 50 razors and cases with the 1/3 I used.

[emoji3522]
Alan.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[Haiku]

I agree that you should never use a power tool to polish a razor. Never. Use a gentle polish, not Brasso. I've used MAAS on nickel plated razors but not on silver so I don't have an opinion on that, but you might want to check out MAAS. I do know that they have a jewelry polish that might be suitable on silver plate.

Beautiful razors. Enjoy!

 

[romsitsa]

Strip the liner and put the case, together with the disassembled razor, into a plastic container lined with aluminum foil. Sprinkel in some baking powder, maybe two small packs/5-6 spoons. Heat some water and when it boils pour it into the container so it covers the case and razor. Let it completely cool.
It will bubble up and slightly smell like foul eggs, but don’t worry.
This will remove 95% of the tarnish and you will use less polish (less time, effort and plating loss).
Adam