Guide to American Button Company Pocket Edition Sets: Part One - Razors

[Caydel]

We've had another sighting of a Canadian set with the funny "nut-end" handle. Cross-linking the thread and just one of the photos here for future reference.

I'm holding one of these in my hand right now trying to figure out what it is. Serial number PC 26891:



Now, it's clearly not an ABC razor given the Canadian 'PC' serial number code, so off-topic to this thread in one sense. However, because there are other instances of this razor in this thread, I feel it's a good place to advance the following theory:

The Montreal factory was set up in 1906, only a year before the ABC contract was put out. I think the reason we see a similarity in the head designs is that the tooling sent to the Montreal factory was similar or made at the same time as that sent to the ABC factory, reflecting several years of refinements over the presumably older tooling used in Gillette's USA factories.

At least one implication is that the short, rounded bladed positioning posts are not ABC-specific as indicated in the first post. They are reflective of this generation of tooling which would appear at ABC & Montreal.

Edit: Another theory I have seen put forward is that ABC produced the parts that were sent to the international factories for assembly there. This is a possibility, except for the fact that the Montreal factory appears to predate the ABC contract as far as I know. Note that by manufacturing or assembling the razors in Canada, they could be exported to the UK and the rest of the colonies without paying tarriffs that were being charged for American exports at the time. In this era, many other manufacturers did the same.

 

[ERVARGASNY]

Yes very nicely put, Thanks all i need now is one or 2 sets to complete my ABC sets Gold and Silver, does anyone know if the Empire set in Gun metal and Basket weave were the only Cases that came in Gun Metal ?

 

[MacDaddy]

Yes very nicely put, Thanks all i need now is one or 2 sets to complete my ABC sets Gold and Silver, does anyone know if the Empire set in Gun metal and Basket weave were the only Cases that came in Gun Metal ?

No, all the case designs were available in all three finishes.

 

[MacDaddy]

The Montreal factory was set up in 1906, only a year before the ABC contract was put out.

I'm interested in what you're referring to here regarding ABC and a 1907 contract. The earliest advertising I've seen for the Pocket Editions so far is from mid-1909, so it's conceivable that something might have been happening in 1908, but 1907 seems a bit early to me just going with what I've seen so far.

I think the reason we see a similarity in the head designs is that the tooling sent to the Montreal factory was similar or made at the same time as that sent to the ABC factory, reflecting several years of refinements over the presumably older tooling used in Gillette's USA factories.

I think that it's reasonable to assume that the shape of the cap studs came from the Gillette Boston plant being a common source for the tooling. We know that after the fire in the first Canadian plant in January of 1907, the Boston plant had replacement machinery shipped to Montreal to get a new plant up and running as soon as possible. I don't think it's unreasonable to guess that Boston provided the equipment to make the heads to both, but because it was ABC who made the handles in the States the Canadian plant had to come up with their own designs.

That the heads were different from the Single-Ring-style heads probably has more to do with the fact that these were the first razors of this style. It seems a stretch to call it a "refinement" when Gillette reverted back to the bullet-style studs once they switched over to the standard ball-end Old Types.

Edit: Another theory I have seen put forward is that ABC produced the parts that were sent to the international factories for assembly there. This is a possibility, except for the fact that the Montreal factory appears to predate the ABC contract as far as I know.

The existence of the Montreal plant does predate the ABC Pocket Editions, but we don't have any reason to believe that they were producing Pocket Editions on day one in Canada.

Note that by manufacturing or assembling the razors in Canada, they could be exported to the UK and the rest of the colonies without paying tarriffs that were being charged for American exports at the time. In this era, many other manufacturers did the same.

This is certainly one benefit of localized production. Another one is that, at least in parts of Europe, there were laws being put in place that made it so that international patents would only be recognized if products covered by the patents were being produced locally. I don't know if that was the case in Canada, but it appears to have contributed to the incentive to get the British and German plants producing, at least.

 

[tda003]

Can you help? I have an ABC, 1 ring shell, uniform diameter, silver. The serial number on the head is G361160. Is this possible? The letter is definitely a "G" as it holds up under 16x magnification. Thanks.

 

[MacDaddy]

Can you help? I have an ABC, 1 ring shell, uniform diameter, silver. The serial number on the head is G361160. Is this possible? The letter is definitely a "G" as it holds up under 16x magnification. Thanks.

Doesn't seem likely. Someone may have swapped the head onto the handle, or even just the guard plate. Pics?

 

[alex2363]

Doesn't seem likely. Someone may have swapped the head onto the handle, or even just the guard plate. Pics?

pics, really...

 

[tda003]

Here are some pics:View attachment 285247View attachment 285249

 

[MacDaddy]

Hmm... That looks like a frankenrazor to me. As far as I'm aware, the ABC-handled razors always came with the stubbier rounded cap studs on the head, and yours look to be the later bullet-shaped style that came with the ball-end handles.

 

[tda003]

MacDaddy,
Thanks. I thought I had a frankenrazor based upon the studs, but had nothing to compare it to.

 

[alex2363]

Here are some pics:View attachment 285247View attachment 285248View attachment 285249

True, as you can see the pics and compare

 

[Jeremydelagarza]

What is the difference between a King ABC with the King info on the back of the case and one with the case blank on the back????

 

[Intrigued]

What is the difference between a King ABC with the King info on the back of the case and one with the case blank on the back????

The cases made by the American Button Company (ABC) for Gillette have the patent information on the bottom. The cases made by Gillette themselves are blank on the bottom. You can read more about the cases in this thread: http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showth...on-Company-Pocket-Edition-Sets-Part-Two-Cases

 

[Jeremydelagarza]

oh nice thanks. I have the Flower with no info on the back and I have the Empire with the info in the back. ill post some pix soon.

 

[alex2363]

What is the difference between a King ABC with the King info on the back of the case and one with the case blank on the back????

Gillette made cases for their pocket edition razor with a very similar design to the American Button Company cases that are often confused with cases actually made by the American Button Company. The American Button Company cases are identifiable by the following features,
An imprint of patent dates on the bottom of the case. Cases made by Gillette do not have this imprint, but American Button Company cases do have it.

 

[alex2363]

oh nice thanks. I have the Flower with no info on the back and I have the Empire with the info in the back. ill post some pix soon.

 

[mistercitizen]

Okay, I had to post pics of mine.... for Spot. I can't stand to see him like this.



Ben

 

[alex2363]

Okay, I had to post pics of mine.... for Spot. I can't stand to see him like this.

View attachment 317987View attachment 317989

Ben

Spotz likeeeee

 

[TXDeskjockey]

[QUOTE Also note that most ABC razors I (Len) found do not have the Gillette Diamond trademark found on other Gillette pocket razors.

this is like reading a history book- great research and presentation of the information!
question- how common/uncommon was it for the abc cases to be paired with razors with the gillette logo/made in usa on the base plate w/o serial numbers? i ask because i seem to have one (silver basket weave with double ring shell handle.)[/QUOTE]

I have the same thing with a scroll handle...anyone know if this is a mismatched head?

 

[alex2363]

this is like reading a history book- great research and presentation of the information!
question- how common/uncommon was it for the abc cases to be paired with razors with the gillette logo/made in usa on the base plate w/o serial numbers? i ask because i seem to have one (silver basket weave with double ring shell handle.)

I have the same thing with a scroll handle...anyone know if this is a mismatched head?

It was a common thing, they did it on other designs too along with cases. Most likely a economical strategy or production choice.