Question For The Historians Amongst Us

[sandmountainslim]

Many times I wonder just how many different brands of blades have been ran thru my 40's Super Speed. My grandpa bought it new and when I was a kid in the seventies and eighties I remember he used Gillette Spoilers and Wilkinson Sword blades but I wonder what else he used in previous decades?

What were the common blades on the US market at the time the forties SS was a new razor?? I imagine Gillette Blue Blades are a given but were Wilkinson, Schick and Personna blades common in stores in the late forties and fifties or did they not make their mark until the Stainless Sixties occurred?
Thanx for any meanderings on this subject
Wp

 

[PeachyKleen]

I cannot comment on how common the various brands were, but the book A Closer Shave by Wallace G Pinfold has a great listing of blade brands over two pages (114 and 115). Here are screen shots from Search Inside:

Great little book to have, and a deal on Amazon!

 

[Topgumby]

Just go to Ebay and look at the variety of blades available. Don Jaun, Mystery, Doctors, Williams, Marlin, Crescent, etc, etc, etc.

Have no idea if all the brands were really anything but different wrappers, but it looks like there where many, many brands to choose from, most now long defunct.

 

[rickw]

Gillette Blue, Super Blue and Thins. Then came the stainless; Gillette, Schick and Personna.

 

[**Bingo_Bob**]

I cannot comment on how common the various brands were, but the book A Closer Shave by Wallace G Pinfold has a great listing of blade brands over two pages (114 and 115). Here are screen shots from Search Inside:

Great little book to have, and a deal on Amazon!

he omitted Gillette?

 

[talibeard]

he omitted Gillette?

He listed blades that are not being made anymore. For the good or the bad; Gillette is not (yet) among those!

 

[haiti222]

Of the ones you mentioned:

Schick did not make DE blades until 1962-63.

Wilkinson was not in the US market until the Stainless blades around 1962.

Personna and Pal were around throughout the era. Gem made a DE. Silver Star started around 1950. Blue Star was also around. There were many other brands including Hospital, Doctors, Rexall (a stepped up store brand).

 

[theperfectstorm]

Though more English than American, Wardonia made a number of blades during that time frame, not just the barrel-hole blade. Slotted blades by Ward were the St. Leger, the BAB, and "The Derby," not to be confused with the modern Derby blade.