Unicorn Razor Club (URC)

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

  1. Clouds

    Clouds Active Member

    @twhite - It looks flat but actually has a rounded base plate and a concave topcap.
    The blade is thick and does double duty as the spring.

    @IAmTheJody - The 3 blades lasted a lifetime

    Bates 08.jpg

    The adjustment mechanism is so simple its genius, you could easily do the same for your Tarmax.
    Its just a long screw that tightens against the topcap screw and locks it. Patent info here:

    Bates 09.jpg
     
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  2. twhite

    twhite Peeping Tom

    That is truly a unicorn. Congratulations on that one.
     
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  3. IAmTheJody

    IAmTheJody Gillette-i Master Staff Member

    It's fantastic to have the whole set like that! Definitely a unicorn!
     
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  4. Dave in KY

    Dave in KY On second thought, Buttercup

    :D
     
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  5. brit

    brit in a box

    :D
     
  6. Clouds

    Clouds Active Member

    Vintage Merkur Progresses
    They are all from the mid to late 1950's (Edit: To Early 1960's)

    The first is not a Unicorn but a pretty hard find. The numbering starts at 0 and they are paint filled in red.

    I wouldn't call the middle one a Unicorn but close to one. It has the Pollopas base plate. The numbering also starts at 0 and are paint filled in red as well.

    The right hand one I believe is a Unicorn. All Pollopas except top cap and adjuster plate, adjuster indicator at the top.


    Vintage Progress.jpg
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2021
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  7. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    Those are great . Do we have any idea when the change to all metal head took place? Mine I'm guessing is a 70s or 80s model but no idea how to date with any precision.

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    Last edited: Aug 15, 2021
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  8. Clouds

    Clouds Active Member

    No idea, I can't find anything. There is a catalog from 1962 on gut-rasiert that still shows both the pollopas models.
    That's the latest that I could find.
     
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  9. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    The Pollopas ones were sold as early as 1956 maybe 55 which is the first year the Progress was sold.
    https://theshaveden.com/forums/threads/evolution-of-the-merkur-progress.55091/

    Those I'd opine are unicorns. I only know of 2 collectors who own one you being the 2nd after posting.
     
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  10. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    I've only seen a couple and the guard's were pretty badly cracked.

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  11. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    What is interesting is the knobs on the modern Progress razors predate the Progress razors since they were used on the Walbusch B5 razors.
     
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  12. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

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  13. Clouds

    Clouds Active Member

    For a "plastic" razor they are not light, drop it and a crack forms - Hazard a guess and say thats why they stopped using Pollopas.

    That auction is this 830 and I only found it with less than 24 hours to go. The problem with hunting for Progresses is that what do you search for that comes up with the Pollopas ones but doesn't bring up lots of "normal" ones.
     
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  14. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Great score and congrats.
     
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  15. romsitsa

    romsitsa Well-Known Member

    Supernova, actually a non-branded Filomatic. With a sample rasor blade :)


    [​IMG]
     
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  16. Dave in KY

    Dave in KY On second thought, Buttercup

    Not sure if it's a Unicorn but have ZERO info on this razor I got and have modified a Gem blade for a future shave. All it has is a picture on the box and the razor only has a Nov. 14, 1911 Patent Date The lever on the front raises the blade tray to secure the blade. The blade is narrower than a Gem blade and had to be cut down as well as removing the spine. If the spine isn't removed the lever would not close to secure the blade as it was to thick with the spine attached.
    IMG_20210911_063057987_HDR.jpg IMG_20210911_063112977_HDR.jpg IMG_20210911_063123648_HDR.jpg
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2021
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  17. Dave in KY

    Dave in KY On second thought, Buttercup

    Looks like @riverrun solved this for me, THANKS !! won't let me post a pic of the document......
     
  18. jmudrick

    jmudrick Type A Man

    This one? This was Traut & Hine offering preceding the more common Dandy razor.

    [​IMG]

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  19. Dave in KY

    Dave in KY On second thought, Buttercup

    Yep, head is identical but a round and fixed handle (non-removable)

    Never seen another one so I'd say it's a unicorn......
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2021
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  20. BBS

    BBS Well-Known Member

    Here are 2 Filomatics that are on the fence and maybe over on the other side in the unicorn fields. Both these far as I know were only given away as free razors when you bought the Titano DE or F1 inyector blades.

    filo1.jpg filo2.jpg filo3.jpg

    The injector razor only accepts single edge injector blades and will not work with Schick II twin blades. They had an F2 injector razor that did but that razor is a direct copy of a Gillette Twinjector. The DE razor is interesting in that you have to load a DE blade on the cap with one blade tab between the cap and base plate before flipping over and locking the cap with a switch on the base plate.

    The only Filomatics I know of that would be even rarer than these are the same DE as here but with colored handles, one in green, red and 1 or 2 other colors that elude me what they were right now.
     
    Last edited: Sep 12, 2021

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