Dating and info on Autostrop razors

[BrianK]

Reading this current thread about GEM razors gave me the inspiration to post this.
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/238686-Dating-GEM-SE-razors

In February, when I began my journey down the road of blade shaving for the 2nd time I found grandads old Valet Autostrop razor and inquired if anyone had info about it. It was a very short thread . BTW, at the time I didn't think it was an Autostrop because it didn't have "all" of the rollers in back that I'd seen pictured on the 'net. I now know it to be an AS; definitely, I think.

Since then I've aquired more Autostrops and there are even more models. Four so far that I have in possession. I think it was 4 anyway, 3 definitely, I'd need to look them over again. I like my dinosaur razors, and I'd really like to know more about them. Esp' when they were made.

Is there any information to date them? Any information at all, even about various models? Or are we stuck using ads and such as in the other thread regarding GEMs.

Thanks guys!

 

[Nicktheswede]

Can you post some pictures? I'm no Valet expert. The only thing I know is the head of Valet razors was taken on-board by Gillette and that their production stopped slightly before WWII.

 

[Mr. Flay]

Waits Compendium has a whole section on Auto Strops which is good, especially for IDing differences in models. It also has a good write up on the history of the company.

Post some pictures.

P.S. I have 14 and I'm still looking.

P.P.S. I'd post pictures except me and the wife are locking horns on how much to spend to replace our broken camera. That may take a while.

 

[alex2363]

you can id them buy the head design, but we need pics 4 that.

 

[BrianK]

10-4 on the pics. Soon.

 

[spinyeel]

The 1904 Auto-Strop's had a hollow handle and a push button release system instead of a lever. They were sterling silver coated and are very hard to find.

 

[drews50]

The 1904 Auto-Strop's had a hollow handle and a push button release system instead of a lever. They were sterling silver coated and are very hard to find.

Tell me about it. I'd love to find one. I was late in discovering the auto strops, but love them. I'm a gadget guy and AS with all it's gears certainly qualifies as a gadget. Wait's Safety Razor Compendium is a good AS reference tool. You can down load a copy from Razor Emporium or lulu for under $15.

 

[BrianK]

Sorry, no hollow handles, and there were only 3 different types, not 4.

The razor to the left takes a slide in blade, a standard SE with the spine removed and the corners broken off works fine in it. The 2 to the right require modern Feathers or Valet blades.




Thanks for any help you can give guys!

 

[themba]

It's hard to tell for sure from the pictures if the first razor is an original AutoStrop or a Valet AutoStrop but it looks like a Valet so I would say it is a VB1. All VB1 are open combs and have a blade spine to hold the blade. The Razor in the middle is a VC4. The VC3 Valets have the same blade holding mechanism as the VC4 Valets, but are open combs. The last one looks like a VC2 Valet. (It might be a VB2 but it is hard to tell from the pictures) The VC2 Valets usually have the rectangle around the word Valet.

Valet AutoStrops usually come in variations VB1,VB2, and VC1 to VC4. Withingthese variations are tons of different sets with different handles, etc. Before the Valets, the comany was AutoStrop, and there is a different set of variations for original AutoStrop razors: A1, A2, Army, B1, B2. Just like the Valets, within the AutoStrop variations are tons of different sets, handles, etc. Most of this information should be in the Waits Compendium.

 

[BrianK]

Thanks. The first I've heard of Waits Com' is now, and it's downloading as I write.

 

[natchez]

The oldest ones are hard to come by, but fun when you find them.

You can ID them by searching for Auto Strop at http://www.stropper.com/home/stropper_index.php

 

[bullriderinwranglers]

The oldest ones are hard to come by, but fun when you find them.

You can ID them by searching for Auto Strop at http://www.stropper.com/home/stropper_index.php

OK, how about any info regarding a Valet Auto Strop Model C? Got this one last week and know nothing about them. TIA

 

[spidey9]

You have a VC1 set, circa 1922-1929. Looks like you've already discovered that a modern blade can be used after removing the spine.

It looks like the blade stops are intact. This was a weak point of the VC1's - the blade stops are quite fragile, and must be intact in order to hold the blade securely.

They are great shavers with either a modified Gem blade or the Feather blades.

--Bob

 

[MicBP]

Can you not id the razor from the pat no on the underside of the head...???