De Haven SE razor

[Jake]

I located this beautifully designed and well-made De Haven. The basic razor is pretty well described in this thread, but I had never seen one in the flesh -- or in gold=plated metal. There are 2 blades but none of the sharpening compound. Anyone ever see these blades -- or find a way to retrofit regular SE or DE blades in this razor?

In any case -- quite a beaut...

 

[GentsInstinct]

Yes, the De Haven's are very nice. I've got a mint cased De Haven Diplomat which was the first razor they made in 1930 when the company was initially called Kempf Mechanical Laboratory (changed to De Haven Razor Company in 1933). Mine has a box of blades and a small round tin that contained the stropping paste. I don't see being able to use any modern blades with it has the blade as 2 cutouts which fit the brass detach-able spine that's on the blade itself.

Mine:

 

[Telecaster52]

I'd say the closest you're gonna get with that is an injector blade.

 

[Jake]

Eli -- Are your blades for this razor usable? Have you used them to shave with this razor?

 

[GentsInstinct]

Eli -- Are your blades for this razor usable? Have you used them to shave with this razor?

I've used one of the blades, the one that came already in the razor. I took it out and sharpened it on a Kriss Kross disc sharpener and then on a glass sharpener. It shaved pretty good but it's too much trouble, for me anyway, to deal with because the part that flips in and out when you shake it, likes to come out once it's lubricated with soap and water.

 

[poonjaji]

Beautiful razors, Jake and Eli. It is too bad they do not take modern blades of one type or another, though I guess I can be grateful since it will be on less SE I will need to seek out and shave with.

Thanks for sharing!