January for AutoStrops?

[cpool222]

Since there has been a lot of buzz lately about VALET AutoStrop razors, I'm suggesting that we make January "Auto Strop" month. If I'm out of line suggesting it, someone can tell me. I have two reasons for suggesting it:
1) They have got to be some of the coolest looking old razors around (come on, they even have gears!! - what could be more masculine?? ) Plus, with the right blade, they shave great!

2) There are several different heads on them and only some of them work with the modern Feather single-edge blades, and maybe we can help people not get stuck with one that they expect to use with Feather blades and get disappointed.

I'll start it with these three pictures:
This one will only accept the original VALET Auto Strop blades. It would not accept the Feathers and you can't use a de-spined SE blade in it. Some of the guys here have reportedly had luck in honing and stropping the old VALET blades to be usable, so hopefully they'll chime in and tell us how to do it.


At first glance, the head of this gold VALET looks like the head of the previous razor, but if you look closely, the little holes cut out in the head where you see the letters
V A L E T are different. This gold one will accept both the modern single-edge Feather blades and the old VALET blades, but won't accept a de-spined SE blade.

The razor head on these, as you can see, is very different than the two previous ones and will accept all three types of the aforementioned blades.

I'm hoping others will take pictures of theirs and let us know which ones will accept which blades, and throw in some VALET razor porn while you're at it
I've got a WWI set and a few others, so I'll do pics of them when it isn't so late. So please post your pictures, questions, etc. Thanks,
Cleave

 

[beisler]

Cleave---very good idea

 

[TheVez2]

January is typically GEMuary, but I don't recall anyone officially starting a thread. Since it usually expands to cover ERs and other SEs, I don't see why not. I've been using my AutoStrop and Empire razors for the last week anyway.

I believe what I have is:
Top- VC2, VB1
Bottom- VC1, VC2, VC2, VC4

Another shot of the VC1 and my empire.

 

[cpool222]

Thanks! ... have you tried Feather blades in all of those, and if so, did they fit in all of them? Thanks

 

[lordjohn]

Already into this to some degree. I have 2 Valets. The first is in almost mint condition and is in a plastic box announcing the price as 5/2. This is just over a quarter of a GB pound in old money and 26p in our latest denomination! It would be interesting to work out the equivalent cost in today's money for this superbly made item. I have never used this razor because of the blade situation but it appears to be the one that accepts the Feather blade. The second I acquired very recently and has a handle similar to the lower right in TheVez2's picture although it says Valet on the blade holder. I despined a Gem SS blade and was delighted at the shave quality and I am currently shaving with it; it is more forgiving than my Ever Ready 1912s.

 

[TheVez2]

No, I don't have any of the feather blades.

 

[cpool222]

Already into this to some degree. I have 2 Valets. The first is in almost mint condition and is in a plastic box announcing the price as 5/2. This is just over a quarter of a GB pound in old money and 26p in our latest denomination! It would be interesting to work out the equivalent cost in today's money for this superbly made item. I have never used this razor because of the blade situation but it appears to be the one that accepts the Feather blade. The second I acquired very recently and has a handle similar to the lower right in TheVez2's picture although it says Valet on the blade holder. I despined a Gem SS blade and was delighted at the shave quality and I am currently shaving with it; it is more forgiving than my Ever Ready 1912s.

Do you have pictures?

 

[Mr. Flay]

Every month is Auto Strop month for me. Sure I intersperse some other shaving experiences here and there, but I'm always an autostropian at heart.

 

[Sled Dog]

Here is a really nice rhodium plated VC2 from England

 

[BillC]

Wow, I'm drooling over that Rhodiumed Autostrop...

 

[Sled Dog]

Thanks!!

 

[cpool222]

SledDog, do you know if that rhodium model accepts the Feather blades?

 

[lordjohn]

cpool222, not very experienced with pictures but will give it a go in the near future. The blade situation looks promising (Feather type) for Sled Dog looking at his picture but we won't know until he has tried it out. I will buy some blades from a UK supplier to check my version. These razors turn up frequently on UK ebay and there is one down the road at the collectables shop where I have bought my 2 razors.

 

[cpool222]

Sounds good lordjohn, be sure to post pictures of your razor head so we can see if the holes in the letters are the same as SledDogs. Thanks

 

[Sled Dog]

I assume that a Feather blade will work in this one, but I havent tried yet (dont have any Feathers)

 

[lordjohn]

A bit of a roller coaster ride so far on the photography front but here is the Valet I can shave with using a despined Gem SS

 

[lordjohn]

Followed by the Valet which needs the Feather blade (and I think I've got the hang of the image size option):

 

[cpool222]

Those are nice, LordJohn, have you found out if the one in the bakelite container accepts a Feather blade?

 

[lordjohn]

I'm waiting for another item to come into stock at the UK source. Trawling through the numerous threads on the subject contributed by HoosierTrooper and others I am currently optimistic that the Feathers work in this model (where there are nubs on the V and T only). What did surprise me was the milder shave of the Valet which may derive from the fact the blade flexes more in the holder than in the ER 1912s; whether this is characteristic of the model or mine being worn I could not say.

 

[Badgerfat]

There is some definite Autostrop porn going on here. I have been wanting a Valet, but have never pulled the trigger on buying one. I just don't know enough about them, or how to tell if they take the feathers or not.... I am jealous though