It sounds like you've got a mismatch there. All of the ABC pocket editions would have been serial numbered. From your description it sounds like you've got later 1921-1929 Old Type heads with earlier ABC handles.
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Guide to American Button Company Pocket Edition Sets: Part One - Razors
- Thread starter Blue-EyedSon
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It sounds like you've got a mismatch there. All of the ABC pocket editions would have been serial numbered. From your description it sounds like you've got later 1921-1929 Old Type heads with earlier ABC handles.
I'm not sure if this question has been asked specifically; though I read in passing " around or during WW1" ABC stopped making these beautiful razors. Is there a exact year they stopped production ? I just finally aquired a scroll type in gold with the gunmetal basket weave case near mint I believe based on serial number it is from 1909. I have a huge fascination in the ABC sets and it is amazingly hard to win bids on these, it took me three months and I was bidding on 4 seperate ABC sets and of the four which where empires ( which was an amazing set ) and two shells and the scroll I won. So what if any definitive date was there for ABC's cutoff ? Thanks !
I don't think we know definitively, but my own best guess would be that they tapered off during 1914, maybe into 1915. That's when you start to see the ball-end handles in ads, and it's also the point where Gillette came out with a wave of new models.
I'm pretty sure that the American Button Company had a huge factory fire right around that time or a bit later, too, but I'm standing in line waiting for an REI garage sale right now, so maybe someone else could help there before I get home.
I'm pretty sure that the American Button Company had a huge factory fire right around that time or a bit later, too, but I'm standing in line waiting for an REI garage sale right now, so maybe someone else could help there before I get home.
From what I've dug up so far I have a month and date but I may have missed the year. It was on September 17, but 1917 or 1918 is what I can't find. In the reports it says they were orderd to comply with new fire safety standards like fire retardant doors and new staircases but never did as of November 1917, "That the condition of the factory had not been inspected since November,1917".
Ive done a little snooping but must be off as well. Porter when you're done buying carabiner and kayaks maybe you can find the year. Good luck at the sale.
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So with the final verdict did the ABC company go bankrupt or were they forced to close? The ABC company did not follow fire codes, but it seems that the Commissioner of Labor did not have enough manpower to do yearly inspections which may have helped ABC to put up the proper fire safety procedures in place.
Wow thanks for the replies ! That is really helpful so 1917-18 appx. And I think I can add to this as well. The ABC or American Button Company exists I believe even today. They continued to make as their name implies buttons of which I own several from the 40's- 70's mostly union and fraternal order insignia. Though have seen coca-cola, Pepsi , etc abc buttons as well. I believe they are still around I will do some digging today.
Without purchasing the book I'm not sure any other ways to read it in print, but I pulled this from another forum on buttons.
"The book by McGuinn-&-Bazelon on button backmark dating says the American Button Co. began making buttons in 1901, its factory burned in 1917, and it ceased to exist in 1920.". The thread also says that the American Button Company was purchased by the Waterbury Button Company at this time.
"The book by McGuinn-&-Bazelon on button backmark dating says the American Button Co. began making buttons in 1901, its factory burned in 1917, and it ceased to exist in 1920.". The thread also says that the American Button Company was purchased by the Waterbury Button Company at this time.
I believe this to be true..., but I believe they still for a undetermined time operated under the ABC trade name for buttons the only reason I am sure of this is that I have my grandfathers 50 year union IBEW buttons and pins and they are stamped with the American button company on them..... this was circa 1980. Though your probably correct it was owned by a "parent" company.
Congrats on your acquisition! The gunmetal cases are very, very rare so you scored big time! Would you be able to post a picture of your acquisition?
Interesting read. You're good at this!
Sure as soon as it gets here I just won it Friday night so it wont ship until tomorrow. I could post the pictures from the purchase but I would be breaking forum rules ( they made me re read them) so I cannot post auction related photo's but as soon as it is in my home absolutely I will take pics and gladly post many. of the Gold plated scroll razor and blade bank as well as the gunmetal case.
If the auction is over it is OK.
ok Alex I trust you your a steward so if you say it's good it's good.... I am walking lightly for very good reasons so I wasn't sure if I was being tested. yes this paranoia but for good reason. Long story I wont hash out but I am now playing every post ultra conservatively which honestly makes me feel a bit out of the community, I leave it there. if you want to know why PM me. Pics will be in the next post as I need to save the pictures to my hard drive then upload.
Here she is folks and yes I can't wait to receive it !!!
That would be the fire, but I believe Gillette switched over to the ball-end Old Types in the Pocket Editions earlier than that. Below is the Christmas ad they ran in The Saturday Evening Post on Dec 11, 1915, and you can see there the Pocket Edition is shown with the ball-end handle. (Click the image to view it in Google Books where you can zoom in further.) I think it would make sense to assume that they would have taken over the full manufacturing at the same time that they came out with the Milady Décolleté, which has a handle that's basically the same construction as the ball-end's.
I finally won what I believe is a true ABC set on the 24th of Dec. I have been looking for one for a while now, and in the process, scored a couple of Gillette sets with the ball end too. But I finally scored on Xmas eve. Anyway it was EBay item number 291044002843 ( I don't know how to make a link to the auction) and my question is since the blade bank that comes with this set is different than the one that is with it, can I assume the rest of the set is correct? ( the set is still undelivered) Can someone post the photos for me?
It's just "www.ebay.com/itm/" followed by the item number, like this.
Yes, that blade case is definitely a later one. The seller doesn't mention the razor's serial number, but the latch closure on the case would suggest that it's one of the older ABC sets, so it should date from 1909 or 1910, most likely. The original blade safe would have been one of the match-strike style ones rather than that sandwich-style one that's there.
Oh! In pulling some of the photos down for you I noticed the shot that shows the serial number -- looks like A931606, which would make it 1909. Also, the fact that the lid of the blade case is plain rather than decorated is somewhat unusual, so even though it's not original to that set it's interesting in its own right. And it looks like it's jammed full of old blades, including at least one Probak blade there on the bottom of the stack, so there might be more fun stuff there to find, too.
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