March Madness!!
March 4
Razor - 1920's Gillette Travel Razor, Stirling Silver by William B. Kerr & Co.
Blade -
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Soap - Proraso Green
Brush - Wolf Whiskers Custom Silvertip
Post - Alum
How about something a little different for a few shaves. This 1920's Gillette Travel Razor, plated in Stirling Silver by William B. Kerr & Co., was an auction site find that I was tipped off by one of my most loyal minions. Quite a unique piece. There are two pictures of this razor in Wait's Compendium but no other real information. I suspect, though, that this may be part of the fad in that time to produce custom razors for special clients. I also bid on a full gold plated set including razor, blade boxes and talc containers in its original container in near-mint condition - but someone else's bank account outlasted mine on that one. This unique little razor, however, is a permanent part of the Cartel's collection. There is just a small wear spot on the head of the razor, otherwise the silver is in far better than average condition, and I suspect the wear spot is from rubbing inside the handle, which is where the base plate and cap reside when not in use.
The baseplate appears to be identical to the "new improved" head found in the early 20th century and I assumed it would be fairly mild....thus including it in "Mild March Madness". Holding this little devil while shaving is the biggest challenge. The storage box is also the handle and that provides some opportunities to relearn how to hold a razor and hold the angle. There are serial numbers on the baseplate that I'm going to run through Wait's and see if I can glean any other information.
I chose the Bic Chrome Platinum blade for this razor. This is the blade that won the "rest of the world" side of the bracket four years ago and barely lost to the Voskhod for the top title. Very nice blade. Sharp, smooth, durable. Should be a good one to try this out with. Proraso Green for the soap. My first soap ever when I started and it also keeps me "Menthol Monday" compliant.
Three passes and, yes, handling this razor is a bit different. However, once you figure out how to hold it on various passes it shaves just like a vintage Gillette should. The razor feels like a New so it isn't the mildest but certainly not what I'd call aggressive. Three passes brought a very nice DFS though not the baby. I suspect that's from my constant maneuvering the grip and losing the angle slightly as I did. Considering it's designed as a travel razor it performs extremely well.
Fun way to end my day off. I'll see if I can master this one a bit more in the next two days. Have a great Tuesday!
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