What do I have here?

[pmaster]

I was given this by an in-law when he learned I like "those old shaving things". I am a straight user but I've got a few DE I use from time to time.

I have no clue how this one works though, maybe its missing a part?



Says "Canadian Razor & Mfg Co Limited" on the inside.

 

[mos6502]

It looks like it incorporates a sort of stropping mechanism. What happens when you turn the roller? It probably uses proprietary blades that are impossible to find now.

 

[morseman]

I dont know what it is, but i like it

 

[pmaster]

hehe its pretty cool I also love it! Its too bad if I can't use it though! It does say patent pending on the handle! I guess it pended too long!

 

[pjgh]

It's a Rola-Keen ...

http://www.stropper.com/home/stropper_view_details.php?id=1549&shortname=rola-keen

Yours looks like it has the bit that secures the blade missing. I'm befuzzled by how it might work, though ... similar to the Ronson Roller Guard, perhaps?

 

[pmaster]

It's a Rola-Keen ...

http://www.stropper.com/home/stropper_view_details.php?id=1549&shortname=rola-keen

Yours looks like it has the bit that secures the blade missing. I'm befuzzled by how it might work, though ... similar to the Ronson Roller Guard, perhaps?

Thanks for that!

I played some more with it and managed to move the guard/comb part like in the link you send me. Actually now there's a part that flips over, which I suspect was for the "stropping". It doesn't seem like anything is missing anymore except a blade, although I'm still unsure what kind of blade was used and how it fits on there. I'll try to snap some more pics later on.

 

[pjgh]

That would make sense - the blade could be flipped between "shave" and "strop". Good, so intact. The struggle will be to find a picture of a working system, including blade. There is a hint of the blade size in the stropper.com link.

 

[BSAGuy]

Looks like a reel mower for your dollhouse!!!

What a cool razor. I am always amazed at the ingenuity that people applied to this task and to competing with Gillette and others.

 

[kyledre]

When I found this forum I had no idea that I was in for such a cool history lesson, too. Love all of the crazy things you guys have found and shared here.

Good find!

 

[pmaster]

Here are a few more shots:

 

[pjgh]

Ah, okay ... so ... there's a bit that appears to flop over to flip from shaver to stropper. The razor opens up to an aperture that appears as thought it might take a GEM blade. I can see the back stops and see the front hooks - have you tried fitting various blades it to see, yet?

 

[pmaster]

Yeah actually the little flip-flop metal part spins around completely when I roll the roller. However I suspect that if there was a blade it would flip and stop spinning when contacting the roll to be stropped.

I have no clue about how the blades would fit in but I'll have a look at GEM blades. I have nothing else than DE blades at the moment so I can't test anything.

 

[pjgh]

Ah! So with the blade in place, I guess you roll the razor on a level surface much like an old grass mower and the blade flips around, stopping on the strop. Roll back and it flips back into place for shaving.

In one of the pictures, you can see the back stops and the front hooks. Perhaps cut a piece of card that size and see if you can get the action to work. The thought of pinging a DE blade out while experimenting fills me with shivers

 

[vaplanman]

That's cool! Is the strop surface a leather strip? Curious as to how it held up to the wet environment of a razor. Of course, I realize we use MUCH more water today than when this razor was in use.

 

[pmaster]

Yeah I think its a leather strip although I'll double-check tonight. Could be some sort of plastic/rubber but it felt like leather last I remember.

I'll see about fitting a piece of card or something in there, but the mecanism is pretty rusty so it'd probably need a good cleanup. The comb is also bent somehow, and I'm not sure yet if a blade can actually be really well-secured in there!

 

[pmaster]

Well I checked again and it feels like an old hardened piece of rubber. I guess it could be very very dry leather as well. Anyhow since I don't have any GEM blades and don't think I'll buy any just for fun in case it may fit I think I'll leave it at that. Even if I had the right blade the comb is a little bent and since the rubber/leather seems dried out, i'm not sure it would do much.