Was visiting Seattle the other day when I spotted a little antique store just minutes from closing. Went inside and scouted around for razors. Spotted this pretty little thing:
A quick cell phone search revealed it's a Mark Cross razor, manufactured in 1912 and into 1913. Was sold only in 1913 as a loss leader at 25 cents together with blades at 5 cents with a plan to eventually make it up by selling blades at full price. Unfortunately the second part of the equation never came to fruition and the razor was soon discontinued.
Appeared to be very nimble and well made. A real beauty too. The insert stated it's triple plated in silver and it looks it. Probably plated over brass as, despite it's demur size, has a nice weight.
The seller was willing to accept $20 inclusive of tax. Receipt shows something like $18.12 plus tax. Looked like it would be a super mild razor -- in other words, not my thing. But it was so cute and pretty and the price seemed fair so I took a chance. Really glad I did.
That night, I took one of the blades I'd taken on the trip, a Dorco 301, and broke it down the middle by folding it over itself. Here's a photo from this morning when I did the same with an Astra.
This is the result:
Took the two halves and loaded them into the razor. A little pressure on a tab made room for them to slip in and then, once released, basic compression held the blade firm.
At first I loaded the blades all the way toward the back. The result was a supremely mild, nimble and smooth shave. Great if that's what you're into but not my cup of tea.
Figured "oh well." Not a big deal. Nice PIF to someone who likes that sort of razor. But then it occurred to me that I might be able to slide the blades forward. So I tried. First a little and then a little more. The razor went from mild to moderate to aggressive.
Here it is with the blades full forward:
Notice it's also a double blade, like an antique Atra. Loaded in this way, it's a very aggressive shave!
Since I was out of town and only had the Dorco, I left it at that. Today, I loaded the Astra (seen in the photos above). Then I ran the razor straight up against my Ikon Tech, also loaded with an Astra.
The result was astounding. I'd rate the Ikon Tech at 10 for strong blade feel. My CGL3 is down several notches -- maybe a 6.5. This razor is maybe 4.5. Not as high as I typically like but with focus I was able to get good feedback.
Where it shines is in two other attributes. The Ikon Tech rates maybe a 7.0 for smoothness. It's smooth when used carefully, preferably with heavy whiskers. This thing rates a 10, same as the CGL3. In terms of efficiency, this little thing stood toe to toe with the mighty Ikon and delivered a fantastic shave. In this category I'd give both a 10, whereas the CGL3 rates maybe a 9.5. Same for the Wolfman WR1 .94, which for me performs almost exactly the same as the CGL3 in all categories.
Going to have to run this again to confirm. Make sure I wasn't on drugs this morning. But at this point, all I can say is "WOWZERS!" It's possible that this little thing, almost unheard of for 100 years, picked up for next to nothing, has rocketed to the top of my den. I'm not going to say I like it more than my CGL3, which is truly a work of art and amazing to use. I am going to say it could be tied, as it too is beautiful, more nimble than any other razor in my den, and a top performer.
Will continue to shave with it a bunch more and continue to report back. If it really is as good as it seemed this morning, it's an unbelievable bargain.
Little thing is in nice condition. The only wear is on the top of the handle and outside of the box. Haven't even attempted to clean it up yet. Must have sat in a drawer for many decades. Across entire generations, no doubt under several owners. Here's some of the fun literature that came with this razor:
A quick cell phone search revealed it's a Mark Cross razor, manufactured in 1912 and into 1913. Was sold only in 1913 as a loss leader at 25 cents together with blades at 5 cents with a plan to eventually make it up by selling blades at full price. Unfortunately the second part of the equation never came to fruition and the razor was soon discontinued.
Appeared to be very nimble and well made. A real beauty too. The insert stated it's triple plated in silver and it looks it. Probably plated over brass as, despite it's demur size, has a nice weight.
The seller was willing to accept $20 inclusive of tax. Receipt shows something like $18.12 plus tax. Looked like it would be a super mild razor -- in other words, not my thing. But it was so cute and pretty and the price seemed fair so I took a chance. Really glad I did.
That night, I took one of the blades I'd taken on the trip, a Dorco 301, and broke it down the middle by folding it over itself. Here's a photo from this morning when I did the same with an Astra.
This is the result:
Took the two halves and loaded them into the razor. A little pressure on a tab made room for them to slip in and then, once released, basic compression held the blade firm.
At first I loaded the blades all the way toward the back. The result was a supremely mild, nimble and smooth shave. Great if that's what you're into but not my cup of tea.
Figured "oh well." Not a big deal. Nice PIF to someone who likes that sort of razor. But then it occurred to me that I might be able to slide the blades forward. So I tried. First a little and then a little more. The razor went from mild to moderate to aggressive.
Here it is with the blades full forward:
Notice it's also a double blade, like an antique Atra. Loaded in this way, it's a very aggressive shave!
Since I was out of town and only had the Dorco, I left it at that. Today, I loaded the Astra (seen in the photos above). Then I ran the razor straight up against my Ikon Tech, also loaded with an Astra.
The result was astounding. I'd rate the Ikon Tech at 10 for strong blade feel. My CGL3 is down several notches -- maybe a 6.5. This razor is maybe 4.5. Not as high as I typically like but with focus I was able to get good feedback.
Where it shines is in two other attributes. The Ikon Tech rates maybe a 7.0 for smoothness. It's smooth when used carefully, preferably with heavy whiskers. This thing rates a 10, same as the CGL3. In terms of efficiency, this little thing stood toe to toe with the mighty Ikon and delivered a fantastic shave. In this category I'd give both a 10, whereas the CGL3 rates maybe a 9.5. Same for the Wolfman WR1 .94, which for me performs almost exactly the same as the CGL3 in all categories.
Going to have to run this again to confirm. Make sure I wasn't on drugs this morning. But at this point, all I can say is "WOWZERS!" It's possible that this little thing, almost unheard of for 100 years, picked up for next to nothing, has rocketed to the top of my den. I'm not going to say I like it more than my CGL3, which is truly a work of art and amazing to use. I am going to say it could be tied, as it too is beautiful, more nimble than any other razor in my den, and a top performer.
Will continue to shave with it a bunch more and continue to report back. If it really is as good as it seemed this morning, it's an unbelievable bargain.
Little thing is in nice condition. The only wear is on the top of the handle and outside of the box. Haven't even attempted to clean it up yet. Must have sat in a drawer for many decades. Across entire generations, no doubt under several owners. Here's some of the fun literature that came with this razor:
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