I just purchased a razor lot on the 'popular auction site' and among the offerings was a batch of 'Franken-razors' including one with a thin common bar handle (see photo, top) with a Tech head. Other than an Otto Roth stamped NEW on the Mr Razor ID Site, I don't see another razor that uses this handle. Do any of you experts own or know of any other razors that use this handle?
Thin Bar Handle Question
- Thread starter jfume
- Start date
R
romsitsa
Hello,
New pocket editions had this handle or the ball end. Basically any case that fits a ball end would fit a thin common bar.
Adam
New pocket editions had this handle or the ball end. Basically any case that fits a ball end would fit a thin common bar.
Adam
I have a couple, gold wash and nickel. My nickel handles came on NEW, Short Comb razors. One came on a Probak. The gold wash handles came on Short Combs and Long Combs.
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks to all for the info.
The Otto Roth new style razors were made by Gillette after they took over the company. The thin handles were only sold with the Otto Roth branded new razors in the 30s. It is not a frankenrazor if it has an Otto Roth stamped head. Otto Roth was Gillette's low priced option so as to not dilute the Gillette brand name and such until WWII broke out and they stopped using a German name on a razor for obvious reasons.
I will add that I have handles with different ferrules, suggesting either the use of old material, or a longer run of the handles.
R
romsitsa
Darn 2019 Sabbatical. That wasn't even on my radar until now.
R
romsitsa
Minor addition, Germany and US declared war in December 1941, quite late for a thin common bar LC New.
Adam
Adam
I stand corrected. There are a few examples there. With that said unless you are a set collector just an Otto Roth and save yourself a few $$$ if you want that style handle. If you are really OCD about it then put it on a New LC even though the New LC and Otto Roth heads are one and the same.
Otto Roth Razor
"The Nazi's appropriated (without compensation) the Gillette German Roth-Buchner facilities in the late 1930's. Gillette continued to own the name but just stopped using it for obvious reasons."
This happened before 1941 and is when you start to see the heads with the Otto Roth logo scratched out and restamped with Gillette on it.
As far when they made the thin common bar LC New, I can't say for sure but it is possible they reused the handles in those sets once they pulled the Otto Roth brand from the shelves.
R
romsitsa
Gillette was “kicked” from Germany in 1936 when profits were withheld from foreign company owners (Roth built a new plant and bought a chemical company to burn those profits...). Otto Roth and Roth Büchner were different companies, so the above sounds quite bogus.
Adam
Adam
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While I can’t speak for anyone else, my hope in sharing the info is so people will know there are other options and avenues to find one and expand the origin options.
On the other hand, I do like details, so if that means I’m OCD, I’m cool with that too.
They were part of the same conglomerate. Roth was the US subsidiary.
That is fine decision, making requires a lack of informational arbitrage. Not everyone wants to throw good money after bad for the same thing. Collectors gonna collect no matter what.
R
romsitsa
They were not connected through Roth Büchner, so Gillette could use Otto Roth after 1936. The US declared war at the end of 1941, by this time the New production ceased.
So I still see no connection in dropping the Otto Roth brand and ww2. If Otto Roth was dropped after the happenings in Germany, then it happened way earlier, in 1936.
Adam
I have never been able to snag a thin bar. My Otto came with the typical thick bar handle. Looks like a great purchase. Enjoy!
