Unicorn Razor Club (URC)

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by BBS, Jun 6, 2021.

  1. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Looking at my Ranger Tech I don't see what might account for such a definitive judgement (though I don't know what "outshaves" actually means), I know in the thread about the two razors a few years ago others were more tentative in their comparison.

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  2. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Lot of the vintage Japanese stuff I don't think is as rare as what you see on the market like ebay because of the language differences. They aren't aware that there is a market for the vintage razors. The issue is the few that do, take the time to list ther items in english and it is not just with razors insist on selling everything at super high prices that they never do sell anyways.
     
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  3. Jorvaljr

    Jorvaljr Operation Daytona 8000

    I am now. :lam:
     
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  4. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Means what it says based upon my personal use of all the ranger techs and super speeds when I did own all the models. None of them got anywhere as close of a shave as that 1st iteration super speed did for me.
     
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  5. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    Yeah. A certain seller in Japan on eBay... I'd give him $50 each for a couple of his Feather injector razors. But most certainly not his asking $200 and $300. And I am unanimous in that. :happy088:
     
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  6. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    To expand on the Cooper Kant rust, the razor itself is not a unicorn, it is like offering a car with 2 paint options, so one paint style is limited doesn't make the car limited also if they sold lots of them in the other paint option. There is a Gillette razor that is case and point for this and also case and point for the actual set being the unicorn and not the razor. More on that shortly.
     
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  7. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    If they don't make it anymore it certainly helps the case. The Monogoose minigoose 3 pc razor that uses injector blades is a debatable unicorn also. They don't make it anymore, you almost never see anyone claiming they own one outside the usual suspects on the forums and never see them much anywhere else. As I stated before unicorns don't necessarily need to be desirable items for wet shavers just rare or scarce.
     
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  8. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Well that's an interesting definition. I'm not making the case since I don't think that's what a unicorn represents but nevermind it's your club so I have a few obscure French and German razors nobody is looking for that would qualify there. Maybe I'll do a group shot.

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  9. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Here is an example of the car with multiple paint options and packaging where the car itself is not really rare but the package is and same with the paint job.
    Not my pictures but I have owned both these razors minus the packaging in the past and have shaved them against each other so I can say for sure they don't just look the same sans plating but are the same.
    1947 Arisicrat Junior cream Dispenser.JPG 1947 Milord.JPG
    Note these razors were actually made from Jan of 48 until about March or April of 1948 and were sold along side the 2nd iteration of the 40s style Super Speed.

    The Milord version is fairly common but the nickel plated version aka the Aristocrat Junior is a debatable unicorn but not really because the plating which is the rare option not the razor. The box you never see when they do come up for sale in nickel plating that is the unicorn and in turn a whole set with it.
     
    Last edited: Jun 15, 2021
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  10. brit

    brit in a box

    looks like i'll have to find one then..is there a milord equivalent that's easier to find?
     
  11. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    No.
     
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  12. brit

    brit in a box

    ok thanks,one more to try out..:)
     
  13. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    What makes it even more potentially a unicorn is the fact it is modern razor that takes Schick injector blades and a non injector 3pc razor that takes injector blades which is something that I can't think of an example off hand in the vintage realm that does.
     
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  14. brit

    brit in a box

    i have a 1948 brit aristocrat jr.superspeed design handle with the brit flat 430030 baseplate.it is a fantastic shaver and my favorite of this design so far.. 1948 Aristcrat Junior Set No48 beschriftet Logo.jpg
     
  15. Clouds

    Clouds Active Member

    When I posted the Janus, I knew that it would stimulate some healthy debate and I am glad that it did. I fully agree with @BBS that a unicorn does not have to be vintage.

    I'll move back to vintages and I'm pretty sure that no one is going to complain about this one - The Gibbs 9
    There are not too many examples of a Flip-top razor and the "Push button to open" feature is also uncommon. Its a very cool razor.

    How does it shave: I know that I'm in the minority here but I find it too mild even on its most open.

    Gibbs 9.jpg
     
  16. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Gaisman patented the flip top DE in 1928, though I'm not sure how long it took Gillette to produce what they still market now as the flip top plastic Super Click.

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    The Cooper I think dates to '37 .
    [​IMG]

    Always wanted the Gibbs but indeed hard to come by.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2021
  17. Northstonehill

    Northstonehill Active Member

    Fully agree on the Traveler and the #14. The razors are not rare - but the cases are. And I just added the razors for completion of the formal sets, haha.

    The other 4 razors definitely would be unicorns in my book - and the #20 and Black Popular cases are also rare as hen’s teeth.
     
    Last edited: Jun 16, 2021
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  18. Northstonehill

    Northstonehill Active Member

    The empty out my URC offering I would present these:
    • Rotbart “Pineapple” - never saw another specimen and noone seems to have seen it before. Not worth anything though so maybe not a URC.
    • Mirabilia
    • 1937 Liebel
    • Emir dual comb - maybe questionable as a true URC but I’ve only seen a couple.
    9C97BF75-D2BB-401F-8E58-E5754FC32290.jpeg
     
  19. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    I always did love those Emir handles. Never owned one but always found them attractive and stylish.
     
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  20. Northstonehill

    Northstonehill Active Member

    Thanks Jody - yes the Emirs are truly gorgeous - and this particular (and rarer) head setup also shaves very well. I don’t use it too much though as all Emirs are zamak…
     
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