very cool sir,on the soap i am not sure who sells it in the states..but london drugs here..the only razors i have multiples of are the techs due to the many minor differences and i am obsessed with the brit stuff.
British A1 Auto Strop and based upon the patent info and serial number since it starts with a 31xxxx this most likely a 1907. What is even more cool is I have the whole set including the provenance of who sold it originally. I'll post pictures of the case next.
Here is the case. This was British made imported into Austria. Not bad for something over 110 years old. Strop might be original also. It is definitely the right type of strop and doesn't say made for B models or Valet on it so it puts it either for A models or early B models prior to the VC1. The blades in the banks are not original to the set.
Today I received a Smart Helix Apollo Razor. It looks fantastic and the presentation in the wood packaging is a nice touch. I can't wait to use it for the first time tomorrow. Steve
I've been occupied with health issues as of late & haven't posted as much as I would have liked. I recently received a re-knotted brush. I purchased the Ever Ready brush from @Frijolero & asked him to put a 20mm synthetic silvertip in. He told me he wasn't an expert at removing & putting in knots, but he agreed to give it a go. What he produced was spectacular! He may not be an expert, but he is certainly a skilled craftsman, The brush is wonderful & it performs brilliantly! Thank you sir!!!!!
Today I got a single ring Gillette razor that I think is from 1906 since its serial number is 688404. The case is possibly more recently made, post 1908. The razor cleaned up very nicely and has no bent teeth or cracks in the handle. All in all a good day. I bought this from eBay for $65 with free shipping.
I got one, too. If we did the serial numbers right it's also a 1906 but 298, 684 earlier on the production line. Crazy even thinking about using a 113 year old tool. Enjoy! They do fit well in that chromed case. Now I need to find blade banks.
Stop by a pharmacy/gift shop and found some Caswell & Massey items including a few old/discontinued items. The manager let me have this bay rum
Stood overnight, elevated over a bowl of vinegar. I want it a little darker, then plan to polish the inside groove back to yellow brass.
Had to go to USPS this morning. An acquisition from a member in Japan. Can't wait to get this in rotation. ABC Company, western grind, near wedge. In great shape. Fingerprint magnet shiny. The mottled look on the tang is part of its design.
Just got from my grandfather 6 vintage Gillette razors, 1 vintage Wilkinson Sword cart and a coffee mug from a submarine he worked on. As far as I can tell there’s some Super Speeds, a British Tech and a couple of possibly Fatboys if not Slim Adjustables. I can’t wait to clean them up and shave with them. He said in a note he left in the package that one of the razors was used by my great grandfather!