Had my maiden shave with the OneBlade this morning. I'll be using it all week and if performs as well as it did today throughout the week I will be one very, very happy camper. Of special interest to me will be how many shaves I can get out of it before the blade starts to feel dull.
Congratulations - you are the proud owner of a Valet Auto-Strop VC1. The good news is that your blade stops appear to be intact. Those are the little hooks at either end of the comb, and if they look fragile, they are. If either one is broken the razor is not safe to use, as they are the only thing holding the blade against the comb. More good news - the Feather blades will fit the VC1 100% of the time, and the VC1 can also use a modified de-spined Gem blade. There are actually 6 models of Valet Auto-Strop, and several more early models that are merely "Auto-Strops" - they do no carry the Valet name. These under-appreciated razors are excellent shavers in addition to looking way cool in a Rube Goldberg sort of way (dating myself here). The stainless steel Feathers are okay, and you get to try them without spending $300 on a OneBlade. Avoid the carbon steel feathers - they've got an edge like a paint scraper. I like a modified Gem in the VB1 and VC1. The stropping feature is just a novelty unless you get hold of some vintage blades - stainless steel blades do not respond well to stropping. BTW, the Feather blades will also work in 99% of the VC2, VC3 and VC4 models with no modification. Unfortunately, the poor guy in the video that Billy provided has one of the other 1%. --Bob
Hmm . . . The E3 I took a file to is definitely brass. The G series came right after WWII when there may have still been a copper shortage (copper being a component of brass), so perhaps they were using different materials at that time. Waits and Appleby aren't very helpful, although I did find this description of the New Improved Schick Razor: "Solid one-piece aluminum alloy handle and blade guard. Cap is thin springy gold metal riveted on back." --Bob
My 2015 is ending on a high note. Last week one of my WTB postings for an F Type got answered. I couldn't believe the email and if I could have showed up at the guy's doorstep I would have been there toot sweet. After a fair amount of telling myself to remain calm, and knowing that a private transaction isn't like eBay, the deal actually happened and I have the razor in my possession. It's even nicer than the pictures the seller provided. It got sent to my in-laws as we are visiting there for part of the holidays - so this pic isn't in the usual setting but here it is, in all of it's glory: I haven't even cleaned it and I don't know what I'd clean anyhow, it truly is a stunner. Sadly, I forgot to bring shaving cream with me so I'll be using it with a travel stick of Arko until I get home. Then again, maybe I'll just stare at it instead.
That's a Real Stunner...Absolutely Gorgeous....All good things come to those who Persevere... Billy...
My new PAL came in today and it was super clean and in perfect condition. I'm pretty happy about not having to de funk and polish it. The next step will be to get a blade in it and give it a shave!
It did turn out to be a beauty. Be sure to match it with a regular Schick. The rough shave I got the other day I blamed on a used modified Feather. Turns out it wasn't a Feather after all. It was a Schick Super Chromium. I had put it in rather than a normal Schick thinking it would be an upgrade. It wasn't. The regular Schick is the way to go.
Thank you for finding it for me! A few of the other members seem to think that it might be a rough shave... The type D is pretty aggressive but with the right touch is a very good shaver as you know, this razor will give me what I want, I just need to be gentle with her.... But tomorrow's shave will be the test. I'll let y'all know.
These are anything but Rough Shavers...I cant think of anyone over recent months that hasn't been blown away by them...Be prepared for the Almight Schick Buster to claim some more Victims... Billy..
Will be using my type L1 tomorrow. Loaded with a Chick its alway provided a nice shave. Was hoping my purple Pal was going to be here so that I can give it a whirl but it must be on the slow boat from the UK.....
