Grandpa's BYR (1918) easier to buy than dad's! (1943)

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by RazorMackham, May 26, 2017.

  1. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    I didn't say they weren't idiots.
     
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  2. John Ruschmeyer

    John Ruschmeyer Well-Known Member

    The post-war Tech is distinguishable by the oval slots and corner notches on the baseplate. The pre-war had triangular slots and no notches. There was, apparently, a half-step design which only appears in wartime sets that has oval slots, but no corner notches.
    [​IMG]
     
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  3. RazorMackham

    RazorMackham Member

    I appreciate the info. FWIW, there's no visible lettering on the handle that came with my razor.



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  4. wchnu

    wchnu Duck Season!

    This is my1918 OLD. With the G prefix.
    tmp_25304-20170525_2227201136846075.jpg
    As for WWII SE stuff you can hunt up the Gem Jr. In a G3 set. I use one as a travel set.
     
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  5. Taipan

    Taipan Well-Known Member

    While you're looking for BY Razors, why not look for First Shave Razors? Say, 1934 for your Gramps and 1959 for your Pop opens up some very nice and easy to find instruments. Just a thought. ( And should get the RAD bubbling nicely!).
     
  6. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    I might have a couple of Contract Techs buried in storage. Shoot me a pm, to remind me what to look for. If I have an extra, we can possible work something out.
     
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  7. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Those travel handles were made by Merkur, and by other German companies as well, Apollo among them. Merkur also made the razors for other businesses too, so you will see other names on the razor heads from time to time. No one knows who made them first. The earliest dating of that handle is to the early 1930's as far as I know. Feather made that style of razor until 1990 or so, and dealers carried stocks of them until the early 2000's. Merkur still makes them, with the larger flared out bottom tube.

    Do a search for "Merkur four piece travel razor." As far as dating the handle, I would say it could date from 1930-2017 (though from the amount of wear, and a guesstimate that the original handle lasted 10-15 years of use before splitting, I would place it in the 1935-1945 range).
     
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  8. RazorMackham

    RazorMackham Member

    LOL... unfortunately, that's a great idea. (sigh) Starting to grasp how so many of you wound up with such a large collection...

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  9. RazorMackham

    RazorMackham Member

    Thanks for the offer! I've sent you a PM.

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  10. DaltonGang

    DaltonGang Ol' Itchy Whiskers

    I couldn't attach it, for some reason in the PM. So, here is what I've found in my overflow chest.

    P5270945.JPG
     
  11. John Ruschmeyer

    John Ruschmeyer Well-Known Member

    I hadn't realized that Razor Emporium did a video on Gillette Military razors...
     
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  12. RaZorBurn123

    RaZorBurn123 waiting hardily...............

    :signs011: A Gillette Milord would be an excellent choice, so would the Aristocrat.
     
  13. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    The _best_ place to get information on that time period about razors would be the War Procurement Board documentation. I'm not sure how you'd go about getting to it, but it will _not_ have been destroyed in a buyout :)
     
  14. RazorMackham

    RazorMackham Member

    So... I think I'm comfortable with believing my 1918 vest razor isn't a frankenrazor, after all!
    ( @John Ruschmeyer / @Bookworm )

    Reasoning is that the image below looks like what I've got, even though my S/N is 1918 & Mr. Razor marks this as generically "1920s."

    The seller claims to have sold 3 others like this from the same period.

    I like the handle... it's pretty cool, and doesn't seem prone to the hollow handle cracks so many of the ball ends developed.

    1920s Vest Pocket from Erwin Beekmans.jpg
     
    Last edited: May 31, 2017
  15. Bookworm

    Bookworm Well-Known Member

    (edit - fixed location of post)
    Good on you. The hollow handle cracks were because of hoop stress caused by the interference fit of the knobs and the tube itself. The tube wasn't thick enough to handle the stress at the edge.
     
    Last edited: Jun 1, 2017
  16. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Note that the "sole distributer" for this model is located in Austria. The handle, at least, is almost certainly made in Germany. Nice find. I'd forgotten about that razor model. Bet those cases are rare as hen's teeth.
     

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