Those were the days

[Flyboybob]

What was the first electric shaver you used? My first shaver was a 1962 Norelco twin head shaver.

Does anyone know why Braun shavers sold in the US were branded “Eltron” until the 1980s.

 

[Chandu]

A Remington corded electric in the late 1980's.

 

[Sabre]

I was given a Grundig or Bosch shaver in my early twenties, it was an obscure brand here compared to Phillips, Braun, Remington and Panasonic. I used it a few times, I didn't like it. In 2005 Philips sold cheap rotaries for around £8.00, I picked one up. I used it a few times before it went into a drawer. So my experience is less than ten shaves with an electric.

 

[Sabre]

No it was Krups, you probably haven't heard of them.

 

[Flyboybob]

I assume you are talking about Eltron. At the time Braun shavers weren’t available the US. I thought that the Eltron brand back then was Braun. I have heard of Krups. Now they sell coffee makers.

 

[Flyboybob]

No it was Krups, you probably haven't heard of them.

Found this from Texas Monthly Magazine Vol. Number 4 on google books:

“Braun AG, manufacturers of eltron shavers, make more foil shavers than anyone in the world, eltron shavers are warranted for three years (six months on foils and cutter blocks)”.

I know that Phillips sold their shavers for years under the brand Norelco to not confuse the public with the Philco Electric brand until Philips of the Netherlands bought the Philco company. Does anyone know why Braun was sold under the Eltron label in the US?

 

[ajkel64]

I think mine was a Remington. Long gone now. Traded it in over 20 years ago on a rechargeable razor that has never been out of the packet. Still have that one.

 

[Flyboybob]

In 1972 after ten years of using the Norelco twin head shaver, I replaced the rotary with a Ronson screen shaver. After Ronson stopped selling shavers I replaced it with an Eltron shaver. While searching for who manufactured Eltron shavers, I discovered that Ronson manufactured Braun shavers under license in the US.

Found this from “Around the world in 90 years”
The history of the Braun brand from 1921 to today

“From 1952 the American company Ronson builds Braun shavers under license. Up to this time, this is the largest transatlantic business deal involving a West German producer of consumer articles since World War II.”

That means that every foil shaver I have owned until 2012 or 2013, when I bought a Reminton foil shaver, was also a Braun shaver under a different label.

I still haven’t found the reason why it took so long for the Braun brand name to be used in the US or maybe like Phillips in North America.

 

[Chandu]

I still haven’t found the reason why it took so long for the Braun brand name to be used in the US or maybe like Phillips in North America.

I don't know either, but I used to lift weights and read all the magazines back in the late 1980's and I can distinctly remember Braun in that time period in the US and owned one around 1990 myself. It was one that took replaceable batteries, more of a travel razor than a daily user. It was fine, but if you went a couple of days, you'd need a blade or a "real" electric to mow the whiskers down.

I remember my first Norelco, man that seemed so quite and non vibrating compared to the Remington. The Remington did better on close laying neck hair for me than the Norelco though. Fast fwd to 2019 and my Panasonic Arc-5 which is a similar vibrating block design like the Remington vibrates at a much higher speed so seems so much smoother than the Remington and my Norelco has no issues getting all the neck hairs. There has been a lot of improvement in electrics over the years. I think mid-tier on up in any of the name brand electrics and you are going to get a good shave.

 

[Flyboybob]

I don't know either, but I used to lift weights and read all the magazines back in the late 1980's and I can distinctly remember Braun in that time period in the US and owned one around 1990 myself. It was one that took replaceable batteries, more of a travel razor than a daily user. It was fine, but if you went a couple of days, you'd need a blade or a "real" electric to mow the whiskers down.

I remember my first Norelco, man that seemed so quite and non vibrating compared to the Remington. The Remington did better on close laying neck hair for me than the Norelco though. Fast fwd to 2019 and my Panasonic Arc-5 which is a similar vibrating block design like the Remington vibrates at a much higher speed so seems so much smoother than the Remington and my Norelco has no issues getting all the neck hairs. There has been a lot of improvement in electrics over the years. I think mid-tier on up in any of the name brand electrics and you are going to get a good shave.

There was a paper in google books about the government investigating Gillett for having 80% of the razor market and Ronson had a disposable razor. Ronson’s Agreement with Braun ran out in 1975, however Braun wanted to market shavers using the Braun name as early as 1967. I think Ronson stopped making Braun shavers in the 1970s. I assume that’s when Braun started importing shavers under the Eltron brand.

 

[Whilliam]

In 1972 after ten years of using the Norelco twin head shaver, I replaced the rotary with a Ronson screen shaver. After Ronson stopped selling shavers I replaced it with an Eltron shaver. While searching for who manufactured Eltron shavers, I discovered that Ronson manufactured Braun shavers under license in the US.

Found this from “Around the world in 90 years”
The history of the Braun brand from 1921 to today

“From 1952 the American company Ronson builds Braun shavers under license. Up to this time, this is the largest transatlantic business deal involving a West German producer of consumer articles since World War II.”

That means that every foil shaver I have owned until 2012 or 2013, when I bought a Reminton foil shaver, was also a Braun shaver under a different label.

I still haven’t found the reason why it took so long for the Braun brand name to be used in the US or maybe like Phillips in North America.

How interesting. My chronology parallels yours, though I only tried my dad's Norelco a few times in '64; I found it useless. Quickly switched to blades, then got a Ronson in about '68, and a Braun in 1977 or so.

Kept alternating 'twixt blades and Brauns throughout the '80s. Came the '90s, it has been blades all the way, with occasional electric touch-ups, first by a Panasonic, then a Grundig, and now a Wahl.

 

[Whilliam]

There was a paper in google books about the government investigating Gillett for having 80% of the razor market and Ronson had a disposable razor. Ronson’s Agreement with Braun ran out in 1975, however Braun wanted to market shavers using the Braun name as early as 1967. I think Ronson stopped making Braun shavers in the 1970s. I assume that’s when Braun started importing shavers under the Eltron brand.

I had heard the name issue had its roots in anti-trust. Your research and conclusions sound spot-on.

 

[Flyboybob]

There was a paper in google books about the government investigating Gillett for having 80% of the razor market and Ronson had a disposable razor. Ronson’s Agreement with Braun ran out in 1975, however Braun wanted to market shavers using the Braun name as early as 1967. I think Ronson stopped making Braun shavers in the 1970s. I assume that’s when Braun started importing shavers under the Eltron brand.

My first shaver was a Ronson foil shaver that my dad gave me as a gift but it was very hard on my skin. My dad was using the Norelco rotary and we switched.

 

[Flyboybob]

How interesting. My chronology parallels yours, though I only tried my dad's Norelco a few times in '64; I found it useless. Quickly switched to blades, then got a Ronson in about '68, and a Braun in 1977 or so.

Kept alternating 'twixt blades and Brauns throughout the '80s. Came the '90s, it has been blades all the way, with occasional electric touch-ups, first by a Panasonic, then a Grundig, and now a Wahl.

In the early 1970s I worked in a Jewelry store and we sold Ronson lighters and shavers. Ronson sent us a display which contained a shaver with an attached AC cord, a lighted mirror and an ultraviolet light to sterilize the shaver between uses. Customers could try it out as did I and that display shaver switched me from the Norelco to the Ronson. The Ronson salesman sold a shaver to me at his cost. In those days a Ronson shaver was considered a luxury item and I was earning cheap wages. At that time we had a couple of electric shaver repair stores where I bought the replacement parts. Eventually, I replaced it with an Eltron in the early 1980s after finding out how expensive it was to repair the Ronson. The slide switch eventually failed on the Eltron in the late 1980s and I finally bought a branded Braun shaver.

 

[Flyboybob]

I was given a Grundig or Bosch shaver in my early twenties, it was an obscure brand here compared to Phillips, Braun, Remington and Panasonic. I used it a few times, I didn't like it. In 2005 Philips sold cheap rotaries for around £8.00, I picked one up. I used it a few times before it went into a drawer. So my experience is less than ten shaves with an electric.

Unfortunately, you didn’t give any of your electric shavers a fare shot. It takes about three to four weeks of daily use for your skin and beard to become accustomed to the electric shaver. All of them have a free return policy that lasts at least 30 days, 60 on Braun shavers.

 

[Sabre]

Unfortunately, you didn’t give any of your electric shavers a fare shot. It takes about three to four weeks of daily use for your skin and beard to become accustomed to the electric shaver. All of them have a free return policy that lasts at least 30 days, 60 on Braun shavers.

The first one just clogged up and was a pain to clean.The second one was bought on a whim, it was so cheap.

 

[EL Alamein]

Before I went to a straight as a young teen my mother bought me a Ronson foil shaver. I retired it fairly quickly as soon as I went to straights.

I still have it though stored away as I could never part with it being a gift from my mother.

When I tried it as a teen my barber recommended I apply baby powder to my face as a dry lubricant. Every now and then I come across this shaver while rooting through stuff in storage and it smells wonderful being impregnated with that baby powder. Takes me back to the age of 12 or so and reminds me of mom.

Chris

 

[Flyboybob]

Hang on to it for both sentimental and antique reasons. When I was younger and my skin more sensitive I used to buy a preshave stick that was a powder that not only dried my face but made the shaver glide more easily over my face. I hadn’t thought about that powder stick until you mentioned the baby powder.

 

[Flyboybob]

When shavers were corded they lasted for around ten years only having to replace the screens, cutters or rotary blades to keep them in tip top condition. The longest number of years I’ve gotten from a shaver in the last 15 years is five. Has anyone gotten longer life using the electric shaver regularly?

 

[Scaramouche]

An early Philishave, but can't recall the number....