Any thoughts on this Gillette Bostonian?

[kelly64]

Hi

If anyone has any advice or thoughts on this Gillette Bostonian then I'd appreciate it - thanks! I've posted two photos. The first is the normal, traditional inside of the box. The razor is in pristine condition and looks to be unused, but it's the second photo that brings me on to here! In all of my years of collecting I've never seen the outside of the lid with these markings! Usually it has the traditional chevron design around the edge, but this is very different indeed. A respected UK collector has suggested that it may be either a prototype or a Gillette Salesman's sample. The case is an early example because of the push-button latch. The razor itself isn't date coded and I seem to recall that that was normal for Gillette's prototypes. If anyone has any thoughts then I'd appreciate reading them. Thank you!

 

[lasta]

This is the late version New Improved with smaller inside shoulders.

I have the Tuckaway version, excellent shaver, wider teeth makes it one of the smoothest OC razors I've tried.

Yours is in great condition!

 

[Pineapple]

Could be from 1927-28 when they didn't use serial numbers. I have a Tuckaway with out the serial numbers to date it. Possibly check the blades for a date code if they are hopefully the ones that came with the set.

 

[kelly64]

Thanks, Lasta and Pineapple - appreciated! Yes, I also wondered if the lack of a date code might indicate that it was a 1927-28 razor too. I'm really after any thoughts on the actual case lid design.

Regards!

 

[SmokedStanley]

Beautiful razor and case. I have a 1928 New Standard with no date code. Gillette did skip serial numbers on certain years and while a serial number helps with the date, a lack of one can also help date it.

 

[garyg]

Great looking razor & I'm not sure but the prototype idea makes sense. I'll be interested to read further. The case latch matches my own 1924 dated version.

 

[Dyllern]

I suggest that you sit down, maybe find a cup of coffee and put on the seatbelt because you need to be a bit sharp to follow all this information

Here goes!

So the "elevator"-case as a base was used for quite a few different models and more than most people in this community are aware of.

Let's cover the basics:

'Bostonian' = http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/New Improved/1922 Bostonian silver.JPG
'Chippendale' = http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/New Improved/1922 Chippendale.jpg
'Algonquin' = http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/New Improved/1928 Algonquin.JPG

All 3 models consisted of a case, a New Improved razor and a blade bank. Each item being more and more fancy for each model, so the 'Chippendale' and 'Algonquin' were basically two times the price of the normal 'Bostonian' set although in different time periodes it seems since no ads are showing the 'Chippendale' and 'Algonquin' model being sold at the same time to my knowledge:



That's the basics, so as you can see from the information above your specimen is basically a fancy 'Algonquin'-case, but with normal 'Bostonian' parts inside which is very weird.

That being said Gillette reused razors and cases again and again for different models throughout the years. I will give you some very specific examples with exactly these "elevator"-cases, but it happened with a lot of other different sets too from other time periodes.

Example 1

The fancy 'Algonquin' case was reused/stripped of the inside and filled with some basic material to house a basic 'Commen Bar'-razor in the NEW-period:




Example 2

The fancy 'Algonquin'-case was also reused in another way in the NEW-period. The set this time with the elevator system intact but housing a 'Commen Bar'-razor and a normal blade bank:




Example 3

The 'Chippendale'-case was similarly reused. Also with a 'Commen Bar'-razor but another blade bank.




Hopefully the above makes sense to you in the sense that your specimen is a weird combination no matter what, but it's not totally unrealistic that it was sold like that back in the day by Gillette when they used up stock in all kinds of different ways...

 

[BigJ]

I suggest that you sit down, maybe find a cup of coffee and put on the seatbelt because you need to be a bit sharp to follow all this information

Here goes!

So the "elevator"-case as a base was used for quite a few different models and more than most people in this community are aware of.

Let's cover the basics:

'Bostonian' = http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/New Improved/1922 Bostonian silver.JPG
'Chippendale' = http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/New Improved/1922 Chippendale.jpg
'Algonquin' = http://mr-razor.com/Rasierer/New Improved/1928 Algonquin.JPG

All 3 models consisted of a case, a New Improved razor and a blade bank. Each item being more and more fancy for each model, so the 'Chippendale' and 'Algonquin' were basically two times the price of the normal 'Bostonian' set although in different time periodes it seems since no ads are showing the 'Chippendale' and 'Algonquin' model being sold at the same time to my knowledge:

View attachment 1763799View attachment 1763800View attachment 1763801

That's the basics, so as you can see from the information above your specimen is basically a fancy 'Algonquin'-case, but with normal 'Bostonian' parts inside which is very weird.

That being said Gillette reused razors and cases again and again for different models throughout the years. I will give you some very specific examples with exactly these "elevator"-cases, but it happened with a lot of other different sets too from other time periodes.

Example 1

The fancy 'Algonquin' case was reused/stripped of the inside and filled with some basic material to house a basic 'Commen Bar'-razor in the NEW-period:

View attachment 1763802View attachment 1763804View attachment 1763803


Example 2

The fancy 'Algonquin'-case was also reused in another way in the NEW-period. The set this time with the elevator system intact but housing a 'Commen Bar'-razor and a normal blade bank:

View attachment 1763805View attachment 1763806


Example 3

The 'Chippendale'-case was similarly reused. Also with a 'Commen Bar'-razor but another blade bank.

View attachment 1763807


Hopefully the above makes sense to you in the sense that your specimen is a weird combination no matter what, but it's not totally unrealistic that it was sold like that back in the day by Gillette when they used up stock in all kinds of different ways...

Great summary!! Thanks!!

 

[Tanuki]

My thoughts:

@Dyllern is both credible and INCREDIBLE!!

I'm jealous of that pristine Bostonialgonquin. I own its evil twin, a 1922 silver Bostonian New Improved whose owner habitually knocked it on the counter (to clean/dry it?). The corner teeth are all severely bent.

The elevator case by itself is worth the price of admission. Your brocade model is gorgeous.

 

[mr-razor]

nice Algonquin case, used for a Bostonian set