Dear fellow shavers. Here's a little story about WW1 shavers, ending in a question for all of You... 3 months ago I got interested in the wonders of double edged shaving. A friend and fellow shaving afficionado got me hooked, and I haven’t looked back since. Like so many others I started out with the fantastic Merkur 34c, but being a historian I fairly quickly started scouting for vintage razors also. My first vintage acquistition was a 1976 longhandled Gillette Black Beauty, my second a 1954 Gillette Rocket HD (my favorite so far). But browsing around on eBay opened my eyes on what i found to be the true prize for a history buff like me: The Gillette Khaki World War 1 set! Matt from Razor Emporiums video guide on the war sets was a tremendous help, when searching for info on the WW1 sets. I recommend it to all vintage shaving fans: The video pointed out what to look for. Only the sets marked ”Property US army” is ”true” army sets and the ones with a big J serial number are produced after november 1918, and therefore haven’t really been to war. After weeks of searching i found what I was looking for on eBay – a tough bidding process followed, and I finally recieved the set yesterday. Since I live in Copenhagen, Denmark, it is interesting to point out, that it is 99 years ago since the set made its first trip to Europe, and now it is back! The package shipped through Germany by the way. That was certainly not possible the first time it arrived on these shores. What a nice testament to the more peacefull world of today, where the Germans are the closest of friends. And now, im in shaving-history-nerd heaven!! Firstly the set is complete (mirror and both thumb tacks are included) and secondly it has a low J-number (J 2164). But it also came with info about which soldier originally owned the razor, and in which company he served. It turns out, that the original owner of the razor, private Robert Mercer from Dayton, Ohio, signed up for duty in July 1917 as one of the first US volunteers. That explains why he later was handed one of the first army-razors off the conveyor belt, and since his company were part of most of the major engagements of the US expeditionary force (I have found the company history), it is more than likely that the Khaki set was present in the trenches too. I am currently researching the history of the set and it’s owner, while cleaning the razor and getting it ready for use. As my expertise in history lies in the history of The Bubonic Plague, i am naturally planning to use Razorock’s ”Plague Doctor” products for this first historic shave (yes… I am a nerd ). But lastly I have a question for all you other happy owners of Khaki sets. The thumb-tacks are stuck in the case, and I am afraid to do damage to the case or the thumb-tacks if I pry them loose. Have anyone of you got experience with this kind of problem, or do you know what kind of material the thumb-tacks are attached to?
Thanks MrChick. The Thumb-Tacks were used to hang the small mirror on the wall while shaving (or on the posts in he trenches i guess). If your Thumb-tacks are missing, maybe you can tell me if you can see what kind of material they are supposed to fit in to. Is it wood?? I can't seem to figure out why they are stuck. And by the way... How would do you like shaving with it?? I'm still cleaning the razor, so im looking forward to using it.
Hello Rosengaard, great topic sir! I just watched the video from Matt at RE that you posted, and I have a set that he did not show. It is a soft canvas cover set marked "Property US Army", with a four digit J serial number. While I have seen a few like mine, none of them were complete. The print on the canvas is fading, but still readable. Here are a few photos so you can see what this set looks like. - And a couple of more of the razor head- I'm rather surprised that Matt didn't show a set like this. The canvas set he did show was one of those hard back double snap cases. I also have a couple like yours, but only one of those I think actually went to war. But anyway, thanks for this excellent thread, and congratulations on scoring an awesome set. Peace! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
The thumb tacks are poked into metal tabs in the case. Try some mineral or penetrating oil to loosen them. Rust has probably set in.
I'll check and update the thread later. I really like shaving with these Old razors. They perform very well for me.
Hello Alan. Your set is very very interesting (and in a very good condition - Congratulations to you also!!), and i do agree that you seem to have found a set that Matt has missed. It being a "J-set" and a "Property US army" set it must be a "genuine" army set. Im looking forward to discovering why they made different versions. Does anyone know the story?? J 8726 is a very low number as well, so the set must have had a very interesting war-story! Where did you find it? Best regards.
Since I am what could probably be called a "history nerd" also,this was a great thread to come across! Great job @Rosengaard!
Thanks for clearing that up M. Bridge. So it's metal underneath! I was a bit afraid of that. I guess it will be quite an ordeal to get the Thumb-tacks loose if they are rusted, and I dont wan't to damage the Khaki fabric of the set. I might try the oil as you suggest. I just need to find a gentle way to get it inserted underneath the tops of the Thumb-tacks. Best regards.
Thanks a lot RetLEO. Im currently working on uncovering as much as I can about the war experience og Pvt. Robert Mercer (and his razor), and I will post it at some point. Best regards.
Hi, I got the set off eBay, a couple of years ago. The seller told me it was his father's. I don't know anything about the seller.
What a fantastic thread this is... It's incredible to see how well that razor endured a hellish war and the passing of a century.
Yes. Apparently, having the tacks in somewhat unusual as they normally would have long since been lost.
My guess is that since Gillette was already making different types of razors, they were using everything that was being made instead of devoting a certain line. Same with cases and/or pouches, use what you have and make more if needed.
A while back, we had a discussion about a recent acquisition by @Billy Goatee. It was basically the same set as Alan's except that it was in leather instead of khaki (and the razor was not Army property). A posted catalog page showed it to be a set that had been marketed to "out-of-doors men". Basically, I suspect it was easy for Gillette to just switch a line from using leather and crushed velvet to using khaki.
Great story. As one who is taking a masters in teaching with a History Cognitive, I love the focus. Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk
