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Vintage travelers sets - show yours!

Gents, wanted to share one of my vintage razor interests: Travelers sets!

Ever since I was a boy I have been intrigued by portable solutions of any kind where you could fold/pack something usable into a very small size. Nowadays good examples are camping chairs, small active speakers for music, pocket knives, small flash lights etc. Oh... and razors of course!

Then what is a DE razor travelers set?
Well, you could definitely argue that any razor in a smallish case/box, along with a blade holder, is a travelers set. However I have decided to use a bit more narrow definition (though very debatable):

A travelers set to me is either (a) a full shaving set complete with razor, blades, brush and soap, and potentially a mirror, all in one casing. Or (b) a small disassembled 3-piece razor set in a flat closed case, either zippered or closed with a button.

Here’s some of mine - show me yours!
Using this wobbly definition I here present my sets - And I look forward to seeing your personal examples of these fascinating contraptions!

My Tech Frankenrazor travel set for a couple of years: 1957 Tech US baseplate on thin handle, and a #44 RFB head along with it if I feel like OC. All fits perfectly in a 1930s original Gillette case.
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My currently preferred set: 1960s Japanese Feather 1200 set, wonderful shave!!
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The high-end traveler: 1940s Gillette Hybrid Tech - smoothest shaver ever made!
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Small Danish made Ginge travelers set - got it locally for a bottle of red wine!
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Another high-end piece: 1938 #3 Aristocrat traveler - French market version
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Another Japanese: 1960s Nalbi 250 set. Most Japanese DE razors from the 1950s and 1960s seem to have copied Gillette designs, but their handles designs are unique and often very very cool!
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One of the rarest travelers seen today: #4 Traveler set holding a 1939 Gillette Popular. Complete with THE BRUSH and original soap!
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Very cool Japanese corporate branded set holding a standard Rocket Flare Tip. The front of the case has the characters “Tai-sei-ka-sai-kai-jyo-ho-ken-kabu-shiki-kai-sha’ - Taisei Fire & Marine Insurance Co. Ltd. in gold. Taisei filed for bankruptcy in 2001 following terror related payouts in the wake of 9/11. This set may have been given as a corporate gift to clients.
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1950s Swedish made Matador set - complete with all original paraphernalia
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1950s 3rd generation Apollo Mikron full set - best looking case I ever saw!
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R

romsitsa

Some of the fancier ones I had:
Travel case made from a soap canister.
Miniature set with Henso head
LeCoq in custom case
Merkur in purse type case
Swing AB "hockey puck"
Rotbart No 5004 (missing mirror, as usual)
Gillette No 460 custom

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EclipseRedRing

I smell like a Christmas pudding
Don’t sell yourself short, Richard - that 5021 is to die for!!! Is it an aluminum or brass handle?
I am not 100% sure but I will say brass. I do not have accurate scales but the razor weighs between 50 and 55 grams so is too heavy to be aluminium. I also have the black handled two piece Rotbart, shown in your 9000 set, but mine is in a red Rotbart tin. I find it a little bit head heavy but the 5021 is beautifully balanced due to the heavier handle. Nice thread.
 
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I am not 100% sure but I will say brass. I do not have accurate scales but the razor weighs between 50 and 55 grams so is too light to be aluminium. I also have the black handled two piece Rotbart, shown in your 9000 set, but mine is in a red Rotbart tin. I find it a little bit head heavy but the 5021 is beautifully balanced due to the heavier handle. Nice thread.

Thanks Richard. I have a friend looking for a brass handle Rotbart just like this. I did not even know it existed! - It is simply beautiful!! Thanks for sharing.
 
A
Some of the fancier ones I had:
Travel case made from a soap canister.
Miniature set with Henso head
LeCoq in custom case
Merkur in purse type case
Swing AB "hockey puck"
Rotbart No 5004 (missing mirror, as usual)
Gillette No 460 custom

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Awesome sets Adam - That wooden case is one of your finest creations! Did you make the cannister one yourself, I forget? It is superb also!

The handle on the miniature set is almost (but not fully) identical to my Matador shown above...
 
R

romsitsa

A


Awesome sets Adam - That wooden case is one of your finest creations! Did you make the cannister one yourself, I forget? It is superb also!

The handle on the miniature set is almost (but not fully) identical to my Matador shown above...

It was made by me, someone nailed a shaving brush into the bottom plate, so I had to convert it. The longer handle is actually a Matador, imho one of the best handle designs, the short handle was a more of a (bad) joke.
 
Here is mine.

It's from D. Corrado Cutlery in Chicago (dropped shipped from DOVO). It's in excellent shape and it appears (at least to me) to never have been used. The handle and head have no wear on them (except my finger prints :001_tongu ). The head and case have the D. CORRADO name on them as well as Made in Germany.

Here is a link where the store owner's grandson explained how they got the kits from DOVO


travel 1.jpg

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Got an old "fold-a-brush" or whatever it's called. Missing the little soap container, but otherwise it's in great shape. Even the brush is still in tact. That badger died almost 90 years ago!
 
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