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Lather Catchers

I love the name, but what constitutes a "lather catcher"? Was a lather catcher a type of razor design? Was it a specific model of one or more company's razors? The models I see here in posts referred to as lather catchers seem to fit a basic design and manufacturing time frame. I have an Ever-Ready 1914, would this be considered a lather catcher?

Thank you,
Cliff
 
It is a type of design. The edge side of the razor has slits in it. These slits don't lead to the underside of the razor though. They lead to a basket-like like area under the blade that accumulates all the lather. Hence the name "lather catchers".
https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/the-association-of-lather-catchers-talc.569090/ has pictures of many of them.

While the Ever-Ready 1914 looks a lot like them, it lacks the collection area for the lather. I consider the lather catchers to be the forefathers of the Gem 1912 style razors.
 

KeenDogg

Slays On Fleek - For Rizz
Definitely a design. These were from a time when many people didnt have running water. They shaved from a bowl of water and didnt want to dirty the rinse water as much as possible. The lather catcher could let them do an entire pass before needing to rinse.
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
Here's a couple of examples:

First up: the Ever Ready 1914 "Little Lather Catcher."

IMG_0311.JPG


They're lovely little razors, but despite the name are not considered true lather catchers. I like mine with a different handle on it; either this copper chunk or a RazoRock HD handle, which is a little closer in length to the original Ever Ready handle.

Next, the Gem Junior Bar:


IMG_0351.JPG


You can see it's got a bigger lather catcher area. Using an adaptor, I can attach an M5x0.8 handle to the 8-24 threads in the lather catcher. This picture dates from before I had a short stainless handle (the RazoRock HD) to use, so with an ATT Kronos handle it's a bit unbalanced feeling.

O.H.
 
Thank you both very much. Clay, that link is amazing. That thread is all I need, and I appreciate it. Guess I could have found it myself if I had been better at searching. AND it looks like my Ever-Ready is not considered a lather catcher. That gives me the green light to get another razor:wink2:

Thanks again,
Cliff
 
Here's a couple of examples:

First up: the Ever Ready 1914 "Little Lather Catcher."

View attachment 1152018

They're lovely little razors, but despite the name are not considered true lather catchers. I like mine with a different handle on it; either this copper chunk or a RazoRock HD handle, which is a little closer in length to the original Ever Ready handle.

Next, the Gem Junior Bar:


View attachment 1152017

You can see it's got a bigger lather catcher area. Using an adaptor, I can attach an M5x0.8 handle to the 8-24 threads in the lather catcher. This picture dates from before I had a short stainless handle (the RazoRock HD) to use, so with an ATT Kronos handle it's a bit unbalanced feeling.

O.H.
O.H., very helpful, thank you. And thanks for posting the photos.
Cliff
 
Thank you both very much. Clay, that link is amazing. That thread is all I need, and I appreciate it. Guess I could have found it myself if I had been better at searching. AND it looks like my Ever-Ready is not considered a lather catcher. That gives me the green light to get another razor:wink2:

Thanks again,
Cliff
Some of them are made to use proprietary wedge blades that the user honed. Some of those can be used with Gem blades.
 
Some of them are made to use proprietary wedge blades that the user honed. Some of those can be used with Gem blades.
Thanks Clay. I'll have to watch that closely because I want to be able to use current GEM ptfe blades. Thanks for the heads up.
 
Hold the spine in the plier jaws and carefully rock the blade. It comes right off! This is best done with the cardboard still covering the blade.
 
Thanks again to all who responded. Now I have to figure out which one to look for! Appreciate the help.
 
Whiterook, its funny you show an ancient ad for a Star razor because that's kind of what got me going on this interest. A week or two ago I saw a Star Lather Catcher in the For Sale forum here. I think it was refinished because it was bright and gorgeous. It sold before I could really look into it. Now I'm learning all about these types of razors and I definitely see one in my future.

Cliff
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
Wow! That thing cost $2.00 in, what, 1890 or so? Major money! That would be like buying a Tradere or a Sabre or an SE1 or almost any of the higher end customs. No wonder it was a bit of a tough sell for the Everyday Joe. Take a year or two of going to the barber once a week, and put that money on a razor so you can shave yourself whenever you want.

It's a Star. They should have quotes around "Safety." Mine's got a little bit of attitude that my Gem Jr. Bar doesn't have.

O.H.
 
Wow! That thing cost $2.00 in, what, 1890 or so? Major money! That would be like buying a Tradere or a Sabre or an SE1 or almost any of the higher end customs. No wonder it was a bit of a tough sell for the Everyday Joe. Take a year or two of going to the barber once a week, and put that money on a razor so you can shave yourself whenever you want.

It's a Star. They should have quotes around "Safety." Mine's got a little bit of attitude that my Gem Jr. Bar doesn't have.

O.H.
But the shipping was included!
 

Old Hippie

Somewhere between 61 and dead
Interesting. I've always tended to apply a "times 100" to the conversion. I found a site (measuringworth.com) that at least gives some reasons for their conversions against three separate measures: price equivalent, equivalents in terms of wages and income, and "output" or how it would stack up as a portion of the overall domestic economic production in society (my comments are inline):

The Price Measures

$100 in 1890 has a relative price worth of $2,937.65 today using the Consumer Price Index (CPI)

Making $2.00 then equal to $58.75 now.

$100 in 1890 has a relative price worth of $2,682.37 today using the GDP Deflator.

Making $2.00 then equal to $53.65 now.

However, considering not price equivalent but the equivalent amount of labour or goods that must be produced to afford the expenditure:


The Wage, Income, Household Expenditure Measures

$100 in 1890 has a relative wage of $17,242.83 paid to an Unskilled Worker today.

Making $2.00 then have the equivalent of $344.85 now.

$100 in 1890 has a relative wage of $29,736.84 paid to paid to a Production Worker today.

Making $2.00 then equal to $594.74 now.

The Output Measure

$100 in 1890 would be the same proportion of output as measured by GDP that $128,007.02 is today.

Making the cost of a comparable razor today $2560.14.

Of course, this all assumes a linear progression, which we know is not true. But within the rather narrow assumptions we're making here by asking the question, "How much would that razor cost today?" it's at least representative.

The aggravating thing is NOT that a two-buck razor would be the equivalent of $2500 of economic production. Rather, the truly aggravating thing is that we now have to produce $2500 of economic activity just to get two bucks.


O.H.
 

KeenDogg

Slays On Fleek - For Rizz
I just ordered one, I have 3 lather catchers and have never used them. Do you just snap the spine of the blade with a pliers?
I just ordered one, too, Big Guy. Have a Rapide and a Kampfe I wanna try out! What color did you get? I went with gold for the antique flavor.
 
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