An unusual variable-pitch DE razor

[moshulu]

This vintage French razor carries the Péroni brand (no relation, I hope, to the vile Italian beer of that name). The head is mounted on a short stem that is joined to the handle via a universal ball joint, allowing motion in roll, yaw amd pitch.

The first two degrees of freedom serve no purpose that I can discern. But canting the handle as shown in the photo did noticeably improve comfort when I put this razor through its morning paces. There really is a good idea here, and I'm suprised it wasn't followed up (at least to my knowledge).

It seems pretty clear that the head was made by Gibbs, although the Peroni has the standard alignment pins and accepts regular blades.

This particular design is not a success. Loading the razor and keeping roll and yaw at zero while tightening the threads is unpleasant and dangerous. If I was designing a new razor, I might include this feature, even if it means using only one side of the blade before flipping the whole thing over. Tightening the blade down would also require some thought - perhaps an improved version of the brain-dead system used in the Merkur Futur.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Looks pretty cool but I like the Gibbs adjustable looks

 

[KM-instructor]

I could see that being somewhat problematic to load and use, but still a very cool looking piece.

 

[ras120]

Pretty cool looking. Is it a normal sized razor? It looks like a travel razor in your hand.

 

[moshulu]

Is it a normal sized razor? It looks like a travel razor in your hand.

Good point. It is a smaller razor than most. Here it is next to a more familiar model. I wouldn't call it a travel razor, though. The case is not made for travelling, and the razor weighs in at a respectable 53 grammes.

 

[ras120]

Good point. It is a smaller razor than most. Here it is next to a more familiar model. I wouldn't call it a travel razor, though. The case is not made for travelling, and the razor weighs in at a respectable 53 grammes.

Ah, that's better perspective. It looked like a Tuckaway in your hand.

What's the construction? Some parts look plated, some look like stainless steel, and the handle looks like it could be aluminum.

 

[Copierguy]

What an interesting piece, thanks for sharing it here.

 

[Habemeajaja]

Really interesting, tnx for sharing

 

[Jake]

Very cool design -- any idea of its age? And what about the history of the maker? Too bad it didn't evolve or provide a better shave. But a great score & adds to the history of unusual and creative designs.

 

[moshulu]

Very cool design -- any idea of its age? And what about the history of the maker? Too bad it didn't evolve or provide a better shave. But a great score & adds to the history of unusual and creative designs.

Jake,

I can only guess that this razor dates from the 1950s. The trouble is, there was a huge diversity of razor sellers and manufacturers in Europe at that time, especially in France and Germany. Many razors are marked with the brand name of a distributor, for example, a shop that sold luxury items to the upper middle classes. In the US and UK, the situation was much simpler, with Gillette dominating the market. I suspect we will never know the histories of the many companies that sold and made razors on the continent. Unless the hobby of razor collecting takes hold here soon, as it has in the US, I fear that all the information will be lost forever.

 

[Mako72]

2 ideas come to mind.

A training razor sort of like the golf clubs that break if you swing wrong. Maybe if left just a touch loose if you use to much pressure it bend to prevent cutting.

Or for barbers. I could see where if you had to shave someone in a barbers chair how you might want to be able to change the head angle.

Jay

 

[mdunn]

Awesome!

Never seen one like that

 

[dpm802]

I've seen that ball and socket before ... one member posted a pic of his collection of Slant razors, and there were several with that design.

I'm not really sure how its supposed to work, or why it was made that way.

It seems like a great idea, but if it were that great, we would see more of them.

Can you post a pic of the entire pamphlet? Perhaps someone can translate the French directions for us.

 

[jsj_297]

Cool, I'd like to give it a run!