This may be a silly question but I'm wondering if the auto strop razors have to use a special auto strop blade. I'm assuming the answer is yes since the things hardly ever sell for over $10 on eBay. I would really like to shave with one to see what it's like and I think they are pretty awesome looking razors. I still think they should be selling for at leas $10 for the cool factor! lol
The ones with the gate that opens for the blade to be inserted use THESE blades made by Feather. Some of the early models that the blade slides in can use standard SE blades with the spine removed.
Here is a good thread on them from across the street. http://theoriginalsafety2.com/thread/94/review-valet-autostrop-models-vc1
They are really cool razors. As said, you can modify SE blades or use a Feather SE in some. Check out these posts on my blog. http://jrshaving.blogspot.com/search/label/AutoStrop
Glad you brought this up. I knew I saw the instructions someplace and I needed to make a copy of them for my VC-1 cased set, thanks.
Cost has always been a bit of an issue with these blades. They are available other places online, including Amazon, but the prices are all high. Connaught Shaving is a great place to deal with no matter where you are, and they're prices are very competitive even with shipping. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They're fun to use occasionally, I never found that they provided any real advantage over other SE's. Cool razors that are an important link in the history of vintage razors. If you go to www.stropper.com and enter valet in the search block they have a lot of detailed information and pictures of the various models that where made. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They are still fun to play with. I order blades from Ebay usually. Very good aggressive feeling shaves.