The Gratiot Krect Shave Spiral Slant Razor

[chongo gordo]

If you spend time on this site you'll see a lot of unusual razors, frequently made in Europe, or in such limited numbers that the possibility of acquiring one is slim. One such razor is Gratiot Krect Shave Spiral razor. I'm not sure which is the proper name as it seems to vary from model to model. I'm happy to have finally scored one.

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What little I know of these I've mostly gleaned from the auction site. Produced in Oregon in the 1930's, there are at least three models. The round-handled dental pick looking thing pictured here, the version with a plunger-button built into the handle, and a conventional 3-piece model.

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The version I acquired is of all brass construction, I assume it's the earliest version as it's stamped "PAT PEND."
It assembles with a cam system, the blade operates as a spring. Without being loaded the razor barely stay in the closed condition. With a blade it is quite secure.

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The big question of course, is how does it shave? It's unusual. First instinct to apply the typical angle of a safety razor will send this skipping harmlessly across lather. It requires a very steep angle, as there's a very narrow window wherein the blade will be in contact with stubble. Within that range it is very effective. It reminded me somewhat of shaving with a DE shavette. The slant is subtle, but noteworthy. My own theory regarding slants is that the bend in the blade creates a curve such as the smile on a straight razor.

Final analysis: A fantastic looking razor that provides a very nice shave.

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I love to see photos, information and experiences from other members in the comments section below.
Thanks-​

 

[Mougrim]

Thank you for sharing! This is one unusual razor.

Відправлено з мого Meizu M2 через Tapatalk

 

[efsk]

The Krect-Shave patent was filed in 1933 by a Chester Gratiot for the Krect Razor Co in Portland, and granted in 1936. I love the sleek looks and thin head, very much the opposite of the tendency towards larger bulkier heavier that we see in grips these days. Much more elegant.
I've got the three-piece version, which has very Art Deco looks. Haven't shaved with it yet, nor photographed it. Will make and post pics tomorrow.
What the slant does is give you a more tilted edge, making a sort of guillotine-action similar indeed to a smiling razor, and on top of that because of the torsion the edges get stiffer. This makes for easier cutting I think.

 

[Tommy Tutone]

http://badgerandblade.com/vb/showthr...Shavers/page19


Great review here in the B.O.S.S. thread by [MENTION=51560]Zeppelinkarte[/MENTION]

 

[ackvil]

Another razor I have never seen before.

 

[Spang]

[FONT=&amp]Here's mine, marked "Krect Spiral Curve".

This is the "push button" version, patent circa 1935, designed by Chester A. Gratiot and manufactured by the Krect Razor Company of Portland, Oregon. The blade changing mechanism is ... uh... unique. You really have to see it (or better, operate it) to get the full picture. The best description I can offer is this: the latch mechanism for the head is released by pushing a spring loaded button in the base of the handle; the head assembly then pivots from the horizontal to the vertical, disengaging the latch, which allows the head assembly to slide horizontally out of the slot in the top of the handle. The bottom plate and top cap then come apart for blade loading in the conventional manner of a three piece. Got that? Definitely a bit Rube Goldberg-ish, but if nothing else, you’ve got to give Mr. Gratiot credit for a fertile imagination. [/FONT]

[FONT=&amp]It does, however, work flawlessly. I especially appreciate the fully slotted head design that results in perfect blade alignment. If I used it a lot, I’d be a little suspicious about long term durability as there are a lot of moving parts, and they are of cast zinc alloy construction. I agree with the OP that shave quality though is pretty darned good. It's not super aggressive, perhaps due in part to the fact that the blade twist that defines a slant is less pronounced here than on most. It is not mild, mind you, but it does trend more toward the middle of the aggressiveness range.

A pretty good shaver, but mostly I just like the slightly wacky design and appearance of this one. You can definitely impress your friends with this thing.[/FONT]

 

[efsk]

Marvellous. Thanks for showing.

 

[Cash_Stronomer]

Very strange and very cool!

 

[BSAGuy]

That is very cool. Congrats on the obscure score. It is always interesting to me to see these oddball razors and how some designers approached the shaving problem. I love capitalism!

 

[August West]

You Gents sure have some cool swag.

Never knew this existed until I read this thread.

 

[emwolf]

amazing review

 

[chongo gordo]

[FONT=&amp]Here's mine, marked "Krect Spiral Curve".

If I used it a lot, I’d be a little suspicious about long term durability as there are a lot of moving parts, and they are of cast zinc alloy construction. I agree with the OP that shave quality though is pretty darned good. It's not super aggressive, perhaps due in part to the fact that the blade twist that defines a slant is less pronounced here than on most. It is not mild, mind you, but it does trend more toward the middle of the aggressiveness range.
[/FONT][FONT=&amp]
A pretty good shaver, but mostly I just like the slightly wacky design and appearance of this one. You can definitely impress your friends with this thing.[/FONT]

It looks as though the working parts of yours are made of plated brass, but baseplate and handle of zinc. Hard to tell from a photo. Thanks for additional information.

 

[Kreator82]

That's definitely one I've never seen til now! Nice.

 

[Spang]

It looks as though the working parts of yours are made of plated brass, but baseplate and handle of zinc. Hard to tell from a photo. Thanks for additional information.

Yeah, I took another, closer look and I agree with your take, the cap piece looks to be plated brass. That makes sense, since that is really the business end of the apparatus and both the tolerances and durability need to be there.

I should have added that I actually found mine in the wild. I honestly didn't know what it was when I came across it, but I could tell it took a standard blade and it was quite reasonably priced (seller apparently didn't know what it was, either) so I picked it up. Only after some research did I find that these things are like hen's teeth. Proof of the maxim that sometimes it is better to be lucky than good.

 

[Tommy Tutone]

Brotherhood Of Slant Shavers (B.O.S.S.) Thread has lots of good stuff on this (Krect) razor. The post I unsuccessfully tried to link earlier was on page 19 post #361 I believe.. Beware - rabbit holes await...

 

[SaskShaver]

Those are some really slick looking razors.

Congrats on the find!

 

[chongo gordo]

Brotherhood Of Slant Shavers (B.O.S.S.) Thread has lots of good stuff on this (Krect) razor. The post I unsuccessfully tried to link earlier was on page 19 post #361 I believe.. Beware - rabbit holes await...

Thanks- I'll look that up!

 

[efsk]

My Krect 3-piece. 41 grams of Art Deco beauty. A rather quiet but effective razor, I found out today during my first shave with it.

 

[chongo gordo]

Nice, a hat trick of Krects. I've been using mine exclusively since cleaning it up.

Great photos, thanks for posting.

 

[Zeppelinkarte]

I suggested to Greg Khan at Ikon razors he do this one more historical razor before moving on. The Krect Spiral Curve in either format, IMO, is the best of the vintage slants. Love the thin head that can comfortably go anywhere on your face and cut with precision. I think Stan at Above the Tie had a look at it before designing his very comfortable SB slant. Has a similar low profile to the Krect and cuts in a similar way. My review of the Krect, done a couple of years ago at the B.O.S.S. thread on Badger and Blade, is worth taking a look at.

This razor is so good that I explored manufacturing it in stainless steel but the project was too expensive to move forward. The Krect head paired with a modern aluminum or titanium handle would be absolutely perfect.