- Thread starter
- #21
If there is anyone from Pittsburgh reading this thread, it would be interesting to see if W.S. Brown is still in business or knows anything about them. They seem to have been a very active and flourishing business.
What I found today and almost missed it!
- Thread starter IronHammer
- Start date
That's one of the few razors still on my short list. Nice score.
Man oh man you got some great antique stores on your side of the state! That is one beautiful razor.
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- #24
Thanks! I wanted to stop there to begin with, but the family wanted to get on to their shopping *sigh*. I am so glad they were still open so late in the day! It's also nice to have the case it came in. I just LOVE finding these old guys int he wild. It's so much more fun than ebay.
Jealous, again. 
- Thread starter
- #27
Sandcounty has/had one. The serial number on his is A401182. That plus the one pictured in Waits make 5 that I know of.
Now that you have one I see you caught the bug too. Some of it symptoms include a head full of unanswered questions: Why a signature only on some of the 1908 Single Rings? Why none on the Single Rings before or after 1908? I was thinking that maybe they were some kind of presentation set, but your case is different then mine so now that doesn't seem as likely to me.
Indeed. I have far more questions now and no answers. There is nothing about this that makes sense other than that they were special editions or gift sets. I don't understand why my case, if it was a special set, is stamped with the retailers name. Even if it was common for retailers to stamp their name into the case, why would signed razor be sold in it? Uggh! Not enough info!
Your set is interesting, too. Some have claimed that the signed razors were signed because the Gillette logo hadn't been introduced yet. Yet your case bears the new logo. I wonder if mine and your cases are not original? Perhaps the razors were mismatched with the cases by later owners over the years?
- Thread starter
- #28
I have emailed Phil Krumholz in the hopes that he may have more information on the subject of signature Single Rings since the publication of his book.
Yes I found it odd that the cases are different and I have no idea what that means. I kinda hope yours is right Ironhammer as it would give a baseline to work off of. Its possible, having worked retail, that these were spiffs/shwage sent perhaps to the companies that sold the most the previous previous year. Hard to say why so few signed models. I hope your able to get that letter as it just kind of adds a touch of something
, even if it has nothing to do, really, with the razor. Please let us know if you are able to get the letter to go with it.
Jay
, even if it has nothing to do, really, with the razor. Please let us know if you are able to get the letter to go with it.Jay
If you look at this post from the thread I started to try and solve the "Mystery of the Signature Single Ring", you can see that they started using the diamond trademark in 1907. I can't prove it, but I'm almost certain the case on mine is original to the razor.
I'm not so sure about that. I have a case that predates the one on display here. It is similar, in that it has the patent dates on the bottom and the diamond logo. But the case's inner lid has the word Gillette in script, and the case has a hinged clasp closure like on the early ABC sets. The razor inside has the serial number A192750.
Note: this is NOT a signed razor. Just appears to be one that has the logo appearing in 1907.
- Thread starter
- #31
Yes I found it odd that the cases are different and I have no idea what that means. I kinda hope yours is right Ironhammer as it would give a baseline to work off of. Its possible, having worked retail, that these were spiffs/shwage sent perhaps to the companies that sold the most the previous previous year. Hard to say why so few signed models. I hope your able to get that letter as it just kind of adds a touch of something
Jay
So, to date, we have five known signed razors, two with presumed original cases and no knowledge at all of how or why they came into being.
On a side note, I am doing a layman's study of the existing images from the other owners to see if there are any differences in the signature from razor to razor.
Questions:
1. Did King signed these himself in a batch?
2. Did a craftsman learned to duplicate KCG's signature and sign them himself?
3. Did they use some kind of stamp for the signature?
At this point, I know that the signature on the top plate is a bit different from the signature on the bottom plate, which leads me to wonder if all the signatures on the five are different.
As far as that interesting letter from W.S. Brown, I messaged the seller about buying it. I haven't received a reply yet. It would make things a little more interesting.
- Thread starter
- #32
I am thinking it probably is original and there is another reason why the signed razor was produced in that case. As to why we have two different cases, that is another piece of the puzzle. BTW, your razor and case is in much, much nicer condition than mine! Very minty!
You know, I would be very, very interested to know if there was an unsigned, regular Single Ring with a serial number in between yours and mine (and the others). Don't you think?
That razor is 1 sweet find.
Congrats!
Congrats!
I am thinking it probably is original and there is another reason why the signed razor was produced in that case. As to why we have two different cases, that is another piece of the puzzle. BTW, your razor and case is in much, much nicer condition than mine! Very minty!
You know, I would be very, very interested to know if there was an unsigned, regular Single Ring with a serial number in between yours and mine (and the others). Don't you think?
+1
Hello Gents!
My dad lived in Pittsburgh in the 30's and into the 40's being going off to war (he is 89) and just told me that WS Brown was a metal works manufacturer and outdoorsy/sporting goods type store. They made cutlery and other metal works, and went out of business around 1942.
He doesn't remember too much other than that, but he did say that he had been in there a few times to buy tools.
I asked him about those old Razors and his exact words were "What the hell would anyone want those old things for? I had nothing but nicks and cuts for years!" He can be cantankerous at times...
My dad lived in Pittsburgh in the 30's and into the 40's being going off to war (he is 89) and just told me that WS Brown was a metal works manufacturer and outdoorsy/sporting goods type store. They made cutlery and other metal works, and went out of business around 1942.
He doesn't remember too much other than that, but he did say that he had been in there a few times to buy tools.
I asked him about those old Razors and his exact words were "What the hell would anyone want those old things for? I had nothing but nicks and cuts for years!" He can be cantankerous at times...
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- Thread starter
- #36
Hello Gents!
My dad lived in Pittsburgh in the 30's and into the 40's being going off to war (he is 89) and just told me that WS Brown was a metal works manufacturer and outdoorsy/sporting goods type store. They made cutlery and other metal works, and went out of business around 1942.
He doesn't remember too much other than that, but he did say that he had been in there a few times to buy tools.
I asked him about those old Razors and his exact words were "What the hell would anyone want those old things for? I had nothing but nicks and cuts for years!" He can be cantankerous at times...
That's awesome that somebody remembers them. Thanks for that! Poor old fellow had some bad experiences with razors, it sounds like!
Beautiful find!! I know that I am late in singing your good fortune, but with such a lovely razor, you have to acknowledge the goodness in getting it. I only wish that I had such luck.
Thats when you always hit on something. I've passed places for one reason or another then stop in on a whim and find something nice or unexpected. Like Why the hell is that in here?! LOL
That's when you have to contain yourself and act like it's just ok and nothing special to you. If you run up to the counter all smiles you'll never get the price down. I don't think I've ever paid a sticker price in any shop. I love haggling.
Anyway, very nice find. It looks in great condition. Also, what camera are you using for those close ups? It obviously has a good macro/micro lens.
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- Thread starter
- #40
Thanks, Johnny! I rarely get to haggle because most of my finds are at booths where the owner is not present, just the shop owner.
My camera is a run-of-the-mill Kodak with auto-focus. I took a lot of trial and error teaching myself how to do closeups with an auto-focus. It works pretty well once you get the hang of it.
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