I had one of those. Except mine had the 1904 patent date on it. Didn't they stop that in 1915 or something like that?
Rick, can you tell if the head is a #102 or the thicker #102A? Do you have an older Old Type to compare it to? Take a shot side by side of the heads from the side. There were some post-1920 standards like this made and all have no serial numbers. These are fairly rare and even rarer without a cracked handle. These used the new thicker #102A cap and guard and were made from leftover pre-1921 Old Type parts. With the introduction of the New Improved models as the high grade options, Gillette mainly only produced the lower end pocket editions of the Old Type throughout the remainder of the 1920's.
Definitely the #102A head. I also notice that the pins (for lack of a better term) are tapered slightly at the ends. Thanks for the info, Guido.
Oh, I'm sure you got it for quite a bit less than what it is worth since not many people are even aware of the variety. Krumholz has the full set in fine condition listed at $30-$40. Yours may not have the case and blade holder (or does it?), but the condition is far better than fine and Krumholz' pricing is based upon the 1992 market. I would say it could easily be worth 2-3 times that now. Without the case I would still put it at around $75-$90, at least, based upon his other pricing and current market values.
No, I don't have the case. The funny thing is that I only bought this to replace the other razor in my picture that goes with a 1917 travel set because it has a nasty split in the handle. But this one would be from the wrong year.
You ended up finding something more special than what you were looking for. Always cool when that happens.
The only markings are the gillette in the diamond with the arrow through it on the bottom left under the head and MadeinEngland on the bottom right.
You know what, I just forgot about another old type I had and took a look at it. It is the same as yours, but is brassier in color. No markings other than the logo and MadeinU.S.A
