Where did the term "bulldog" handle come from?

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by PLANofMAN, Jun 2, 2015.

Page 1 of 2
  1. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    I'm stumped on this one.

    1918 fat handled Gillette razors are called 1918 bulldogs, and Cooncat Bob used to make a bull mastiff handle before he committed suicide (R.I.P. buddy) and Ikon and Weber both make a "bulldog" handle. (Edit: So does Above the Tie, their version is called the Atlas)

    Where did the reference originally come from, and why?
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
    PLANofMAN, Jun 2, 2015
    #1
    Slow Joe likes this.
  2. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Alright! I dug a bit more and found some advertisements and pictures. Still no idea where the name came from originally. It could have been inspired by the British as WW1 was going on at that time.

    The description of the bulldogs reads: "handle of razor is stockier and is specially knurled." Also Canadian versions of this razor are marked "bull-dog" on the handle. These versions are fairly rare, but not more valuable than unmarked bulldog razors. Production started in 1915, as near as I can tell.
    [​IMG]
     
    PLANofMAN, Jun 2, 2015
    #2
    Slow Joe, 178-bplatoon, Chuck F and 2 others like this.
  3. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    Asked and answered...
     
    Jayaruh, Jun 2, 2015
    #3
  4. jeraldgordon

    jeraldgordon TSD's Mascot

    Glad I could be of help... ;)
     
    jeraldgordon, Jun 2, 2015
    #4
  5. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    Why did they decide that this handle version will be called "bulldog?" Up until this point, the names had been pretty elegant. "Bostonian," "Aristocrat," Deluxe," "Standard."
     
    PLANofMAN, Jun 2, 2015
    #5
  6. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    Well, it sounds a lot better than "pussycat."
     
    Jayaruh, Jun 2, 2015
    #6
    IDuck, DEfettish, Bristle Me and 3 others like this.
  7. Slipperyjoe

    Slipperyjoe Rusty Metal Tetanus

    :happy102:
     
    Slipperyjoe, Jun 2, 2015
    #7
  8. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    Although, Tomcat might make a good name for a handle.
     
    Jayaruh, Jun 2, 2015
    #8
  9. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    Knurl
    2. One of a series of small ridges or grooves on the surface     or edge of a metal object , such as a thumb screw,toaidingripping.

    Bulldog=
    bulldogpuppy1.jpg
     
    Omelmad, Jun 2, 2015
    #9
    Queen of Blades, CyanideMetal and Kilgore Trout like this.
  10. Kilgore Trout

    Kilgore Trout The Smart Bunny

    Could have went with Shar-Pei.
     
    Kilgore Trout, Jun 2, 2015
    #10
    maltedmilk likes this.
  11. Omelmad

    Omelmad My printer email address is..........

    shar-pei is from China, i think those razors are made in the US, no?
     
    Omelmad, Jun 2, 2015
    #11
  12. gorgo2

    gorgo2 geezerhood

    So girth-wise, the Bulldog looks about on par with the later NEW bar handle, yeah?
     
    gorgo2, Jun 2, 2015
    #12
  13. TheFiveO

    TheFiveO Well-Known Member

    "Bulldog" sounds cooler than "Big Fat Grippy Thing"
     
    TheFiveO, Jun 2, 2015
    #13
    DEfettish and Bristle Me like this.
  14. Weeper Warrior

    Weeper Warrior Well-Known Member

    Well....here is a crazy idea.

    The bulldog pipe shape was a very popular before and around the time original bulldog handles were produced. Also, one of the defining characteristics of the bulldog pipes are two machined lines on the bowl. For a razor handle to be called a bulldog it must have two machined lines on the end.
     
    Weeper Warrior, Jun 2, 2015
    #14
  15. Jayaruh

    Jayaruh The Cackalacky House Pet

    Supporting Vendor
    That is a crazy idea.
     
    Jayaruh, Jun 2, 2015
    #15
    Weeper Warrior likes this.
  16. Weeper Warrior

    Weeper Warrior Well-Known Member

    [​IMG]
     
    Weeper Warrior, Jun 2, 2015
    #16
    PLANofMAN and GDCarrington like this.
  17. ugadawg

    ugadawg Well-Known Member

    How did you come up with the pipe idea? That's interesting.
     
    ugadawg, Jun 2, 2015
    #17
  18. GDCarrington

    GDCarrington Burma Shave

    The Bulldog series and the Milady Series were started in October / November 1914. Many of the OLD versions of WWI period were suffering from stress cracks due the the volume of razors produced (reduced quality). The Bulldog series was targeting officer classes in Great Britian and the British Commonwealth with a much sturdier razor. Many times it was sold in the more expensive travel case set.

    Source: Complete Gillette Collector's Handbook Pgs 116-121 with Bulldog in Gillette Ads on pgs 119-120.

    The mascot of many British armed forces was the English or British bulldog so that was the reason of the naming convention.
     
    Last edited: Jun 2, 2015
    GDCarrington, Jun 2, 2015
    #18
    burnout961, Slow Joe, Chuck F and 3 others like this.
  19. PLANofMAN

    PLANofMAN Eccentric Razor Collector Staff Member

    Moderator Article Team
    A google search for bulldog will pull up bulldog pipes, which were popular at the time, also the AMC Bulldog truck and the Sopwith Bulldog, a lessor known plane than the Sopwith Camel, made famous by Snoopy.
    There we go, the answer I was looking for. Thanks. :)
     
    PLANofMAN, Jun 2, 2015
    #19
    Bristle Me likes this.
  20. Bristle Me

    Bristle Me Insufficient

    100px-Snoopy_wwi_ace_lb.jpg
    Any picture show that has a beagle flying a doghouse gets my vote...... :cool:
     
    Bristle Me, Jun 2, 2015
    #20
    maltedmilk, PLANofMAN and Weeper Warrior like this.
Page 1 of 2

Share This Page