Would like info on old Gillette.

[Flask]

I acquired this old Gillette on eBay a while back an it is becoming my "Go To Razor".
I would appreciate any info I could get on it.
Some of the printing on it: Patented - 1914 - 1923.
Autostrop Division
Gillette Safety Razor Co. of Canada Ltd.

Is it possible to clean, as in polish or shine this old razor up some way?
P.S. Hope I can upload the pictures and get them inserted correctly.
Thanks.

 

[retturn2blades]

Didn't know Gillette was connected to Autostrops.

 

[ShavinBacon]

That's not made by Gillette. It's an Autostrop Valet Single Edge razor.

The OP is kinda right....Gillette had a patent fight with Autostrop and ended up buying Autostrop in November 1930 and they became a division of Gillette.

 

[djm]

First the answer to the question of cleaning it up... it appears to be wearing brass only. I would say that the only real chance of cleaning it up would be a replate (though how they would plate all of the small gears etc on that razor is the real question...) You might try contacting one of the guys who does that work to ask about the possibility.

Yes, Gillette bought out Autostrop... sort of. Henry Gaisman (the owner of Autostrop) ended up getting enough preferred stock with voting rights to control Gillette and ran the merged company. In a lot of ways, after 1930 Gillette was Autostrop despite the fact that Gillette continued on and is know world wide vs. Autostrop who are only known by collectors and historians. Gillette absorbed the smaller company and continued using their name, but the senior management was Autostrop and the shares were controlled by Gaisman...

Anyhow, enjoy your Autostrop, Gillette or whatever you choose to call it (to be fair, that razor is an obvious Autostrop design rather than a Gillette design.)

 

[alex2363]

Didn't know Gillette was connected to Autostrops.

The OP is kinda right....Gillette had a patent fight with Autostrop and ended up buying Autostrop in November 1930 and they became a division of Gillette.

First the answer to the question of cleaning it up... it appears to be wearing brass only. I would say that the only real chance of cleaning it up would be a replate (though how they would plate all of the small gears etc on that razor is the real question...) You might try contacting one of the guys who does that work to ask about the possibility.

Yes, Gillette bought out Autostrop... sort of. Henry Gaisman (the owner of Autostrop) ended up getting enough preferred stock with voting rights to control Gillette and ran the merged company. In a lot of ways, after 1930 Gillette was Autostrop despite the fact that Gillette continued on and is know world wide vs. Autostrop who are only known by collectors and historians. Gillette absorbed the smaller company and continued using their name, but the senior management was Autostrop and the shares were controlled by Gaisman...

Anyhow, enjoy your Autostrop, Gillette or whatever you choose to call it (to be fair, that razor is an obvious Autostrop design rather than a Gillette design.)

Auto Strop owned by Henry Gaisman filed suit for patent infringement (Gillette made blade usingprocess similar to one presented to Gillette by Gaisma )

Gillette resolved the suit by merging with Auto Strop. Gaisman checked the company's financial records and found Gillette had overreported its earnings for the past five years by about $3 million. Gillette stock bottomed out after the disclosure, at $18 ( from a hi $128).

This led to management reorganization. King Gillette resigned as president (died 14 months later). Gaisman became chairman of Gillette and Gerard B. Lambert, son of founder Lambert Pharmacal Company(makers of Listerine). Gerald Lambrt was aformer manager at Lambert came out of retirement to become president of Gillette, he agreed to work for no pay with the guarantee of company stock if he could bring earnings up $5 per share.

 

[Sledgehammer39]

Nice looking razor!

 

[duokun]

Nice razor. You could try polishing it some and SE where that gets you. Or look into replating if that's possible or even something you want to do. It looks like one of the versions that will only use the feather spineless SE blades with the cutouts. Or of course vintage valet blades.