Favorite Appearing Razor?

[Rwoodreno]

I am placing this in the SE razors area due to IMO the SE razor has been around longer and has had more variations in design, from Lather Catchers and wedge blades to a wide variety of Gem compatible razors and oddities like the early Schick blade magazine razors.

IMO one favorite of mine is the Gem Micromatic. The pre-bullet handle ones with the two rings on the handle. To me that is the epitome of Art Deco design in an American razor. I also love the old lather catcher razors with their fancy embossed designs on many of them. The way many of them left the blade 90% exposed made them look like torture devices rather than razors. The same for the Henclels Rapide and many so called French Hoe designs.

Below are some of my favorite appearing designs, lets see yours. The first two are a pair of CV Heljestrand razors, one chrome plated and the other gold. Note that one has a Gem blade and the other has a wedge blade. The CV Heljestrand is so far as I know the last of the lather catcher design razors, lasting into the 1930s I have read. Based on two of my personally owned samples it is also one of the first safety razors ever made in stainless steel. I also have brass versions of the same model.

 

[Rwoodreno]

Another excellent shaver and European classic is the Henckels Rapide. Again a classic European exposed blade razor and one of the first safety razors, the original dating back to about 1892 under the name Scharff Rapide. Ernst Scharff was the original designer. Here is a gold plated cased one complete with gold plated protective sheaths for the wedge blades.

 

[Rwoodreno]

Here is a favorite of mine, the Gem Micromatic. As mentioned above to me the epitome of an Art Deco design. Two photos of a Gem Micromatic Open Comb in a red Bakelite case, another classic item in a materiel used for both razors and cases. A couple of razor makers are still making razors of Bakelite. Sadly no more cases made of it.