More Bakelite Weirdness

[mjclark]

So here we are straight out of the 1940's:

Patent no. 15529/44 and with a 1946 Gillette blade.

The handle unscrews into two compartments.
The bottom one is partitioned to take the razor Head and blades.

The top one has a brass thread for the razor head to screw into and it's hollow although I'm not sure what for - there doesn't seem to be a sensible way to get a shaving stick in there so maybe it's meant to hold shaving cream?

And the head design looks as though it might be satisfyingly aggressive:

So has anybody seen something like this before?
And what do you really put in the top compartment?

 

[creekwalker]

Afraid I don't know. Can you put arms on it and make it say "danger, Will Robinson"?

 

[KeenDogg]

That's a neat find, my good man. I have no idea myself.

 

[Snurgblat]

That's to store dimes to tip the bathroom porter my good man.

 

[efsk]

That is one serious piece of very nice shaving history.

 

[BSAGuy]

Very cool, Marcus. Where did you find that one? What's the story?

 

[mjclark]

Very cool, Marcus. Where did you find that one? What's the story?

Thanks! It just turned up on eBay UK and I thought "I must have that!"

 

[BigJ]

That is one serious piece of very nice shaving history.

+2! Thanks for posting!

 

[BSAGuy]

Maybe the top compartment is for microfilm. Spy razor?

 

[Useless shaver]

Thanks! It just turned up on eBay UK and I thought "I must have that!"

Why not?

It is a real FAT boy....

 

[bahomebrew]

The top part contains the fuel. After combustion it separates and the head continues into space to provide excellent shaves across the galaxy.

 

[valthun]

That thing must be super light. Odd design, but very cool as a travel razor. Could be used for a cream if it has a good seal. I wonder if there is a matching brush to go along with it.

 

[valthun]

doing a patent number search I found this link that indicates that it would be for a shave stick. As well as being from 1944.

 

[mjclark]

That thing must be super light. Odd design, but very cool as a travel razor. Could be used for a cream if it has a good seal. I wonder if there is a matching brush to go along with it.

doing a patent number search I found this link that indicates that it would be for a shave stick. As well as being from 1944.

I have a few 1930's shave sticks (which work great and obviously improve with age) but none of them are narrow enough to fit in the top compartment, and also there's no base to hold the stick in place while in use.
The top face of the lower section which fits into that upper chamber is concave, so I'm more inclined to think that it's for holding shaving cream (which was all the rage then eh?)
It would be good to find a copy of the original patent...

...And on to the shave:

Although aesthetically it leaves a lot to be desired, ergonomically that handle is fantastic - a really good grip and those ridges in the middle are positioned perfectly.
It looks silly but feels really great in the hand.

And, as expected, this razor is fiercely aggressive with a lot of blade feel.
Most of the 1940's Bakelites I've encountered feel like this and, maybe this is overthinking but I wonder if razors were made like this to suit wartime conditions.

Bakelite was a good choice in Britain since it had already become very fashionable in the 1930's and most metals were requisitioned for the war effort.

And a very aggressive razor would allow a longer time between shaves in those uncertain conditions, as well as saving on blade and soap usage.

Anyway, this is a seriously good razor and I'm actually considering using it next time I travel.

It looks a lot better on this 3D printed bulldog handle though:

 

[Bondage007]

That is one fine looking and unusual razor. Very cool!

Cheers
John

 

[creekwalker]

I (and my arthritic/tendonitis-plagued hands) can certainly appreciate the wonderful grip that razor must afford. Don't know why I keep thinking about the robot in "Lost In Space."

 

[Slapo]

I had been pretty tempted when I spotted it on eBay, but then decided to pass. Too bulky for the razor box, which is now pretty much full. :-/
Anyway, congratulations on a good score.

 

[mjclark]

I had been pretty tempted when I spotted it on eBay, but then decided to pass. Too bulky for the razor box, which is now pretty much full. :-/
Anyway, congratulations on a good score.

Thanks!
I hear that you razor box has a nice Wardonia in it now

 

[Felix G]

Thanks!
I hear that you razor box has a nice Wardonia in it now

Wardonia is a lovely razor

 

[Slapo]

Thanks!
I hear that you razor box has a nice Wardonia in it now

Three, actually. One is the Gillette Old Type look-alike (which shaves lovely), another with the pins too narrow (for Gillette blades) and the new one, which seemed it would take modern DE blades, but, alas, it's the one with pins a bit too wide. I'm somewhat bummed about it, as I'd rather avoid modding the blade or the razor itself. I tried modding blades, but I keep taking off too much or too little. :-/
I thought one of them Tech-style heads (thread in the centre plus tabs in the four corners of the cap) would do the trick, but the tabs are too long in all of mine... except for the Rapira cap, which transforms it into a potato peeler.

A more on-topic note: the head, particularly the base plate on this one, resembles the Souples and the Gillette Minora a fair bit. How does it compare to those two and to the Wardonias? I don't have the Minora, but I had seen a couple of NOS one on eBay and was pretty tempted...