I recently won an auction with a vintage 3piece Feather razor. I have heard and seen some but this one look different and it intrigued me. It looks like a UK RFB but with posts instead if slot bar.Anyone have any info on these razors?
Vintage Feather 3 piece razor
- Thread starter Jorvaljr
- Start date
My uneducated guess is your razor is an ancient example of what Feather was selling decades ago, perhaps in the 1930's, late 1940's or 1950's.
Part of the evidence is the box itself (assuming it's an original match).
Part of the evidence is the box itself (assuming it's an original match).
Hannah's Dad
I Can See Better Than Bigfoot.
Nice score!
- Thread starter
- #4
Thanks for the guess. Sounds good to me
Looks like Gillette New. I think the era is about the same, 1930s or before 1950s. I saw Tech from Feather, but I see New for the first time. Super purchase.
Congratulations!! 
I think this is a very rare piece.
I suggest it can be dated from 1932 when Feather was founded with that name, to 1940, when the then Japanese government stopped the export of razors, and the import of foreign models. During the war years Feather had over 80% of the Japanese domestic DE razor market, with smaller companies filling in the remainder. Straights were banned from manufacture after 1940.
It was 1947 at least before Feather began manufacturing again, and by then they were very interested in making variants of the classic Techs of the period.
This looks like a quite high end razor intended for the export market. Note NSK on the base plate. I am trying to find out what that stands for.
@Jorvaljr Can you take the blades out and photograph the labels? If these are pre-war Feather blades that would be amazing.
Note there is a post war OC Feather, but that appears to not have these markings, except on the handle, with Feather written around it. I think it may have been called the No.1. I have seen a couple of boxed examples, a simple cardboard box with a red and yellow label. These may be the first post war export models. The handle is far less ornate.
This is where I got a few basic details of the dates, events mentioned above.
History and Culture of Shaving in Japan - https://www.kamisoriclub.co.jp/en/pages/history-and-culture-of-shaving-in-japan
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That immediately stood out and I have seen something similar. My first thought is Nippon for N. Then Seki city for S. But the K alludes me, there is a Japanese word bouncing around my head that I can't retrieve. Seki shi is in Gifu. I want to say it's the word for crafted or constructed, but I don't know much.
- Thread starter
- #9
R
romsitsa
Japan Safety Razor Co. was renamed to Feather in 1953. And I doubt that a Japanese company producing for the domestic market would have used the latin alphabet.
- Thread starter
- #11
The blades are used and all in one wrapper. I believe the second photo shows the japanese print
It stands for KAI!!
KAI predated Feather. KAI was founded by Saijiro Endo. He set up the Japan Safety Razor Co in 1936.
He had been making razors and blades well before this.
Before this date, he had been using the Feather trademark!
Here is the entire story on the KAI website
HISTORY OF KAI vol.2 | KAI FACT magazine - https://www.kai-group.com/factmagazine/en/issue/3/detail/26/
Congratulations @Jorvaljr, you have what I believe is a pre-war KAI aka Feather razor.
The 'new' Feather company was founded by a relative of Saijiro Endo called Saijiro Endo II. He seems to have recycled the old 'Feather' trademark name. Story is here
HISTORY OF KAI vol.4 | KAI FACT magazine - https://www.kai-group.com/factmagazine/en/issue/5/detail/44/
A complex history, much like the American Safety Razor Co.
No one has really gone into this before, but KAI and 'Feather' are one and the same thing, historically.
KAI - Japanese Safety Razor Co. - Feather.
We have paid more attention to Feather than KAI, when it should have been the other way round.
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- Thread starter
- #13
Hot damn that is awesome! Man im excited. I shaved with the feather and a feather blade last night but it wasnt the best shave i had.
That's some research there, I looked through all my Kai products searching for a clue. Any idea what the NSK is then? Nippon Safety Kai?
I think it is Nippon Seki Kai Aaron.
Why does the end of the handle screw off?
Feather also made a little Travel Tech type razor. I no longer have it and the pics are missing in the link but do show up in the second link.
Thread '1950's Feather DE Razor' 1950's Feather DE Razor - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/1950s-feather-de-razor.342558/
Feather Portable Safety Razor Feather Portable - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/wiki/Feather_Portable#Feather_Portable_Safety_Razor
Thread '1950's Feather DE Razor' 1950's Feather DE Razor - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/threads/1950s-feather-de-razor.342558/
Feather Portable Safety Razor Feather Portable - https://www.badgerandblade.com/forum/wiki/Feather_Portable#Feather_Portable_Safety_Razor
Hi @Jorvaljr !
Any updates on shaving performance from that amazingly rare 1930's KAI/Japan Safety Razor you have?
I date it to around 1936 based on the KAI history links above I provided. I think those included blades were the original KAI blades made from German imported machinery, also as noted in links above. Also this seems to be the year Saijiro began to use the Feather trade mark, at the same time as he founded the JSRC. This was an attempt to identify his product uniquely, as department stores which were his retail outlets were previously demanding their store names on his razors.
Feather was just a trade mark of KAI/JSR at this point. More properly these are KAI /Japan Safety Razor products. The Feather trade mark was just a convinient attempt at product independence for the consumer from the department store outlet's demands to be identified directly on the razors.
Note this was NOT the modern Feather razor company. That began post war. See the part 4 KAI history link I have posted above.
I'm very proud of this thread, with some real new research!
Any updates on shaving performance from that amazingly rare 1930's KAI/Japan Safety Razor you have?
I date it to around 1936 based on the KAI history links above I provided. I think those included blades were the original KAI blades made from German imported machinery, also as noted in links above. Also this seems to be the year Saijiro began to use the Feather trade mark, at the same time as he founded the JSRC. This was an attempt to identify his product uniquely, as department stores which were his retail outlets were previously demanding their store names on his razors.
Feather was just a trade mark of KAI/JSR at this point. More properly these are KAI /Japan Safety Razor products. The Feather trade mark was just a convinient attempt at product independence for the consumer from the department store outlet's demands to be identified directly on the razors.
Note this was NOT the modern Feather razor company. That began post war. See the part 4 KAI history link I have posted above.
I'm very proud of this thread, with some real new research!
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lasta
Blade Biter
I had one of these for a short while.
More of a flat bottom than RFB variety. VERY blade forward, good for exfoliation, but not something I would like to dance with often.
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More of a flat bottom than RFB variety. VERY blade forward, good for exfoliation, but not something I would like to dance with often.
What are you unpacking/ opening today, show pics or video, we love pics
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