Monday evening December 3
Unknown American "Self Lubricating" DE / vintage Wilkinson Sword (5)
APShaveCo Flat Top brush
Simpsons Vanilla Rose cream
Thayers Witch Hazel Rose Petal
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Today's razor is another oddball from my collection. I think the razor is made of aluminum and am guessing it dates between 1930 and 1950. As you can see from the photos, the top cap has slots cut in it. The idea was that this allowed the lather to flow inside to coat the blade, helping to lubricate the shave. I don't know if it does, but the razor is certainly louder than most, rivalling a Gem SE for the rasping sound of the whiskers being cut. No maker listed on the razor - the top just says "Self Lubricating", "Made in USA" and "Patent No. 2371612" . I could probably find out more by looking up the patent number.
The razor was a mild but efficient shaver, something like a Gillette NEW LC or a PreWar Tech. Two passes left me DFS.
The Simpsons cream is a vegan cream with lots of the good stuff in it - glycerin, coconut oil, shea butter, aloe, etc. Rich feeling lather and a good postshave feel. The witch hazel finished the shave and extended the mild rose scent of the cream.
Overall, it was a good shave to end a completely crappy day. Why was it crappy? Because I am down a cat tonight. One of my two surviving cats had been getting steadily thinner and weaker for the last month. He was starting to have trouble even walking and was obviously in discomfort. So today, he slept on my lap all day until late afternoon, when I took him out to the vet and held him while he died painlessly from an overdose. It was the last thing I could do for him; doesn't keep me from feeling like a total heel though..
Here's Pete, who walked into the yard and joined the family in October 2007 and died today:
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