Adding another to my favs list. A curious one.

[HDSledge]

Pulled this 1927-1936 French Famex out last night for a spin. I decided to try it with the cap screwed down more tightly than usual, figuring that the spring-like base may allow for adjustment of aggression. It did. Wow. Nice. Smooth as any of my other favs. But...

I recall some discussion when I acquired it about which side of the base is up. Can't recall if I found them or someone here provided them but there are 3 patents a few years apart that show both orientations. Patents are all filed by different people. Not much else is different beyond base orientation. I can't tell which one is mine from the handle so not sure which way is up.

Apparently the maker decided that they could get another patent with the base flipped, perhaps to protect against infringement, or maybe because they discovered it shaves better that way. No matter though, the shave I got from the earliest patent drawings config was stellar. I will try again in a couple days with the base flipped to see if there is any appreciable difference. One thing is for sure: It seems to have adjustability one way but not the other.

 

[BigJ]

Excellent report on a most interesting razor!! Thanks for sharing!

 

[Iridian]

Makes me wonder if the comb is flexible like a spring or fixed?

Nowadays I would suspect the upper context point to be widened for "clamping".

The huge cavity below the comb or gills... it looks like that... seems to be for lather flow or collecting soap and gunk!

It looks quite unique and even futuristic!

 

[gdawg55]

Wow, interesting looking razor. Thanks for sharing.

 

[JayFromBrooklyn]

Not much else is different beyond base orientation. I can't tell which one is mine from the handle so not sure which way is up.

Apparently the maker decided that they could get another patent with the base flipped,

Looking a the pics, it's not just the base orientation/flipping that's different. The bases/combs each have a different number of teeth. Not counting the corners, yours has 11, like the 1932 patent....the 1927 has 12, and the flipped 1936 has 5 large teeth

 

[HDSledge]

Makes me wonder if the comb is flexible like a spring or fixed?

The huge cavity below the comb or gills... it looks like that... seems to be for lather flow or collecting soap and gunk!

The comb is slightly flexible. The cavity is by design and is the feature of razors called "lather catchers". Not certain why catching the lather was a thing but this info may support my theory:

Back in the 1930s, most rural parts of the United States didn't have indoor plumbing -- decades after this was standard in cities. … Because rural areas didn't have electricity, and without power, there was no way to pull water up from wells and pump it through homes.

My theory of why lather catching razors were designed that way: Since a lot of people still had to shave in a wash basin (bowl) without running water, the lather was worth catching. It could be reapplied in spots instead of using more water to make more lather. The bowl of water they would wash with stayed clean. I experimented with this theory when I shaved with the Famex. I filled the sink with water, then used a bit of it to make lather. I shook the lather out in my hand to reapply in other areas every few strokes. The water in the sink I used to rinse my face stayed mostly clean and the small amount of lather I made got the job done nicely, none was wasted.

Back then filling a tub bucket by bucket from a well took some time (not to mention heating it from ice cold) and most folks washed up with nothing more than a bowl or wash basin full of water. An old phrase fits: Saturday Night Bath. A real tub bath happened only once a week for many folks.

I wish I had owned a lather catcher razor after Katrina, when we had to collect rainwater to bathe and shave with for weeks. Being without running water or power sent us back in time for a while. We got a taste of the trials of days gone by and don't take anything for granted now. Oh, and MRE's will make you gain weight, believe it or not. It is all we had to eat for a while.

 

[Ugmug]

This is a very interesting looking razor and a unique concept. Do you have any trouble shaving your upper lip with that thick razor head?

 

[HDSledge]

This is a very interesting looking razor and a unique concept. Do you have any trouble shaving your upper lip with that thick razor head?

I have no idea, I've had a moustache since I was a teenager. Full beard most of my life. No more though, only the stache remains.

 

[Ugmug]

I have no idea, I've had a moustache since I was a teenager. Full beard most of my life. No more though, only the stache remains.

Mustache shave... for science?

 

[HDSledge]

Mustache shave... for science?

No way man!