Ignorance is bliss...

[Rob72]

at least for me!
http://www.ebay.com/itm/400285316893?ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1439.l2649

My new "Valet Autostrop", in solid brass. Did not know they made a brassey, but glad to find it!

 

[jbradley]

I didn't know they had a gold tone Cooper. She's a good shave, takes a proprietary blade, but a modern blade will work. Check this thread:

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthread.php/207277-Cooper-Razor-Proprietary-Blades Check post #4.

 

[Rob72]

Interesting- I just unpacked it, and I have a Swee-Do. Shame there isn't more info on Swee-Do & Cooper. Based on the design and stampings, I'd say one of them went under, and reorganized as the other. The obvious suspicion being Swee-Do to Cooper, switching from milled parts to cast, but...

 

[Grillslinger]

Speaking of ignorace...what does auto-strop mean?

 

[Chester]

Speaking of ignorace...what does auto-strop mean?

It's a type of razor that has a single-edge blade that remains affixed to the razor (though it is replaceable). You slide a strop through the razor, then move the razor back & forth on the strop to strop the blade -- as one might with a straight. There are a number of old wedge-blade razors (wilkinson & heljestrand come to mind) that incorporated this same idea as a way of keeping the blade edge in good condition. Do a google image search for "valet auto-strop" for pictures and there are a couple YouTube vids that can demonstrate the stropping technique.
-- Chet

 

[Rob72]

Speaking of ignorace...what does auto-strop mean?

Sorry- yeah, the Swee-Do was not in a factory box, but in with the extremely common AS (AutoStrop). The AS is a fantastic SE razor, and there are something like 40 different models. Most versions can be used with either a modern de-spined Gem blade, or with Feathers (with the "FEATHER" cut-out). I have several VASs, but was excited with a needle-in-a-haystack find.

 

[Grillslinger]

Thanks for the explanation!

 

[BBrad]

Nice score!!

What gets me, though . . . how can the seller look at the instruction sheet (long enough to tell that it is instructions) and not determine that the razor in hand does not match the instructions?

And then, to call the case (plainly marked "Auto-Strop") the original box for the razor . . .

Guess I need to take my medicine now . . .

 

[stvince71]

I didn't know the the Autostrop was a DE. I must've been sold a countereit!