Sorry to start a new thread, but where can I get a Canadian dating chart? I know where to locate American dates for Gillette's, but not Canadian. I picked up a Made in Canada Big Fellow and would like to date it. I think it's stamped D61622 or D616ZZ.
Dating charts
- Thread starter jbradley
- Start date
http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/305787-Gillette-Canada-serial-numbers has the meagre data that I am aware of. You might post a photo there. I guess yours is the Old Type style? Or is it a New Improved?
The D prefix is interesting. The Big Fellow was advertised as early as 1918 and the New Improved version as late as 1928. Of course a USA D-series would be 1916-17.
The D prefix is interesting. The Big Fellow was advertised as early as 1918 and the New Improved version as late as 1928. Of course a USA D-series would be 1916-17.
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- #4
It is a New Improved. The handle has PAT ENTERED 1920 on it, which is odd to me. Here are the pics I have, but I will try to get some better ones tomorrow.
View attachment 325757View attachment 325758
View attachment 325757View attachment 325758
Where are the numbers at? Could it be a mismatch barrel post ?
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- #6
Numbers are on the head. Hard to read. Maybe my good camera will make them clearer.
How are other Canadian Big Fellows dated?
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- #8
I can't figure out how to make my wife's camera take a good picture close enough to see the serial number. After looking at it again though, I think I had it upside down and the serial number is ZZ0696. Does that make more sense? I'll read the instructions on the camera and try again.
Look for a "macro" setting on the camera.
Those folks at Gillette Montreal did some odd things. "ZZ" does not make much sense to me. "D61622" made more sense, even though USA New Improved have serial numbers with letters at the end, like this 339221A New Standard.
Those folks at Gillette Montreal did some odd things. "ZZ" does not make much sense to me. "D61622" made more sense, even though USA New Improved have serial numbers with letters at the end, like this 339221A New Standard.
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- #10
SWMBO says it's 963022 or 96302Z. I'm downloading a manual for the camera, maybe I can find the Macro setting.
Ending in Z would be right for a Canadian New Improved era serial number. During that time, Gillette used letter suffixes to denote the country of origin: Z = Canada, Y = England, W = France, and V = Spain according to Krumholz, though I cant say that I've ever seen a V or W firsthand. He also says that X was used to suffix secondary repair serial numbers, like the "L" series during the Old Type era.
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- #12
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- #13
A better picture of the serial number.
Yup, I'd go with 96302Z, too. I don't think that anyone really knows how many New Improveds came out of the Canadian plant, but it would have been fewer than a million (and realistically, probably far fewer, though that's just me talking). Being under 100K, I'd guess yours is probably in the first couple years of the run at the latest. If you look at the American plant, they came out of the gate with nearly a million razors in the first year and then slowed way down (as demand lagged, presumably). Even if they weren't operating on quite the same scale, it's reasonable to think that the Canadian plant might have followed the same approach and made a larger number up front than they did in subsequent years.
Ah, the (Canadian) penny just dropped. We do not have it on the wiki, but I remembered seeing Z somewhere else. The claim was that for New Improved serial numbers: V=Spain, W=France, Y=Britain, Z=Canada. But I have no idea if they ever got to a million in any of those areas, or what happened when they did.
I agree with Porter that 96302Z was probably early in the New Improved run: 1921, or 1922 at the latest.
I agree with Porter that 96302Z was probably early in the New Improved run: 1921, or 1922 at the latest.
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- #16
So it'll fit right in with the Bulldog I have on the way, circa 1920-21. 
Are you going to update your Canadian date chart? So would start at 0001a to 11111z?
No, it was just the Z suffix for Canada, according to Krumholz. So 1Z - 999999Z is the possible series, but we don't know how far into that series they got.
Oh, i see. Thnx Buddy.
McDetective! great information
