Gillette single ring wannabe???

[Sled Dog]

Picked up this razor in the antique store junk box...
Thought it was a Gillette single ring but after having a good look, I'm not so sure..
No markings at all, no patent date, no markings on the head, no serial number on the head or inner barrel.
I dont have another one to do side by side comparison with..but something doesnt seem right..

Is it a Gillette single ring or something else?

Here it is in as found condition...

Some plating wear on the edges of the cap

This razor seems to have a lot of miles on it, the knurling is quite worn on the handle

The bullet pins are fairly pointy...

It cleaned up ok

 

[chongo gordo]

The teeth look too well milled to be anything else. A mis-matched single ring, repaired with the handle from a ball-end old-type?

 

[Leopold Bloom]

It's a German clone of an old type, I have one exactly like it. How did you clean yours up so nice by the way?

I didn't enjoy the shave too much, a bit irritating I have to say.

 

[nemo]

Reminds me of my German clone, although mine does have Germany engraved on the base plate. I must say the cap doesn't seem to align itself very well (from the third and fourth pic) with the comb.

 

[InfernoOrangeSS]

How does one keep from buying a German clone advertised as a Gillette single ring?
Is there anything that can be distinguished in a photograph?

 

[Sledgehammer39]

The Razor looks awesome!

 

[MacDaddy]

How does one keep from buying a German clone advertised as a Gillette single ring?
Is there anything that can be distinguished in a photograph?

It can be tough sometimes if all you've got to go on are a couple of photos. Looking at Sled Dog's original photos none of these are "dead giveaways" by themselves, but these are the things that seem "off" to me: The general finish of the razor is a bit coarse, particularly on the neck and cap studs where you can see milling marks pretty clearly. There's a visible seam on the cap studs where the bullet end should taper smoothly into the cylindrical portion. The guard comb just doesn't seem "right" -- that one's harder to put into words why; it's more of a general sense just from having looked at many, many proper ones.

Beyond the visuals, though, the biggest issue really is that there are no markings of any kind on the razor. There was never a time when a Single Ring should have been made without some sort of stamping on it. Older ones should have at least a patent date and serial number, later ones should have at least the diamond logo and "Made in..." stamps. So while it may be theoretically possible for some sort of mistake to have happened that left a genuine Single Ring unstamped, I've personally never seen one. And not having any markings at all should be a big red flag to be extra careful looking it over for inconsistencies.

 

[oakeshott]

My personal preference for razors has evolved toward the two and three piece open and closed comb razors made in Europe. I've bought a fair number without any markings and for the most part they've been a disappointment. It seems to have been a commonly copied style and the razors appear at first to have been well made, but after usage it's clear that the the tolerances and design are just not as well done as what better manufacturers put out. It's still worth chasing some of these down because once in a while you get lucky and find a really good shaver cheap and I find it edifying to learn what other people were using who weren't buying Gillettes or Schicks or EverReadys.

As MacDaddy says, if there's not a makers mark on it, then it almost certainly is not a Gillette though all the big makers (Gillette, Merkur, Leresche) made razors for other companies and private labeled them. It's doubtful that they would have made them for others, however, without putting some kind of branding on them. My suspicion is that the unbranded razors were made by second tier manufacturers cheaply. I have several of these and they're the most aggressive OC's i've used. Interestingly, the handles are great. Solid brass and heavy but slim. It's the head that lets one down.

Btw, your example is actually one of the better ones I've seen and much better looking and constructed than the unbranded ones that I own.

 

[Leopold Bloom]

The Knurling is also a barely there, a lot weaker. As oakeshott said the handles are much better than the Gillette and don't crack like the Gilletes do, but they are comfortable shavers. They easily irritate and are very aggressive.

Interestingly mine has a case (shown above) that is also an exact copy of the Gillette case and is made very well, not on the cheap at all, and was personally engraved for the owner, so not a cheap item at the time I'd venture.

 

[Sled Dog]

I have shaved a few times with the above clone now and it works well.
As you can see in the 'before' pics, someone has used this razor alot through out its life

Other than the no makers markings, one of the first things I noticed was the milling marks on the inner barrel, comparing it to a Gillette single ring which are very smooth and sometimes have the serial number stamped on it.

It may not have quite the 'attention to detail' of a Gillette, but it is still a decent razor that gives a good shave

 

[oakeshott]

I have shaved a few times with the above clone now and it works well.
As you can see in the 'before' pics, someone has used this razor alot through out its life

Other than the no makers markings, one of the first things I noticed was the milling marks on the inner barrel, comparing it to a Gillette single ring which are very smooth and sometimes have the serial number stamped on it.

It may not have quite the 'attention to detail' of a Gillette, but it is still a decent razor that gives a good shave

I think many of them do and that's one of the reasons I still pursue either unbranded or unknown razors. It's the thrill of the hunt. Right now, possibly my best shaver is a vintage german slant that no one on the board has ever heard of. NOS for about 50 bucks.

Hope you didn't take my observations as negative. Had I seen your razor, I would definitely have bought it.

 

[Sled Dog]

Hope you didn't take my observations as negative.

Not at all, agree 100%, was just pointing out that this one seems to shave pretty good
For less than $10, how can you go too wrong...unless it peeled my face off

 

[alex2363]

Even the clones are great functional copies, unless your spending a fortune it shouldn't really matter. For few dollars your getting a great replica shave. ( Merkurs 1904 razor is a great example)

 

[alex2363]

Not at all, agree 100%, was just pointing out that this one seems to shave pretty good
For less than $10, how can you go too wrong...unless it peeled my face off

This times a Gazzilion

 

[cb91710]

I'm not convinced that it's a German clone.
The teeth are definitely different than the Emil Breck in Leopold's image.

 

[Sled Dog]

I'm not convinced that it's a German clone.
The teeth are definitely different than the Emil Breck in Leopold's image.

Maybe its an unmarked weird Canadian version..like this one I found (it does have a serial number though)

 

[MacDaddy]

Maybe its an unmarked weird Canadian version..like this one I found (it does have a serial number though)

Beyond the serial number, the Canadian Single Rings would have also had the patent date on the handle.

 

[MicBP]

Picked up this razor in the antique store junk box...
Thought it was a Gillette single ring but after having a good look, I'm not so sure..
No markings at all, no patent date, no markings on the head, no serial number on the head or inner barrel.
I dont have another one to do side by side comparison with..but something doesnt seem right..

Is it a Gillette single ring or something else?

Here it is in as found condition...

Some plating wear on the edges of the cap

This razor seems to have a lot of miles on it, the knurling is quite worn on the handle

The bullet pins are fairly pointy...

It cleaned up ok

It cleaned up ok ??? wow you have high standards cause to me that looks awesome..

 

[MicBP]

is this a single ring clone???

 

[nemo]

is this a single ring clone???

I would say no, but close ... yours has a distinctive non-Gillette neck. The cap also seems kind of narrow and the teeth long.

A true "clone" looks almost indistinguishable from the original. You've found clone wannabe!