What is it about razors that I find so fascinating? Why have I accumulated so many of them? It hasn't been about getting a better shave, or at least not for a long time. When I first picked up a Merkur 23C some two and a half years ago, the quality of my shave took a big step forward. Things continued to improve, but if it was all about the quality of my shaves, I could have stopped a year and a half, and some fifty or sixty razors ago. Technology is not just about big impressive things or complicated design. It's about small simple things that perform small simple tasks, tools which we take for granted, but which we would miss badly if we didn't have them. Sometimes we have a moment of revelation. We look at one of these simple objects, a pen, a knife, a razor, and we don't just see a tool. We see the thought that went into them, the problems that an inventor had to deal with, and how he went about solving them. My principal enthusiasm has been for vintage safety razors. Today, most safety razors (and I'm including cartridges here) are produced by a few major players. When the concept first took off, however, in the late Nineteenth Century, everyone had an idea for one, and many of these made it to market, however briefly. The designs, when we take the time to appreciate them, can be marvels of ingenuity. Take safety bars, which help maintain the blade angle as the razor moves over the face. For myself, there is nothing to beat the perforated design used on the Gem Junior Bar and the later 1912s, but there have been other solutions. Open comb designs were seen on the early lather catcher SEs, and on the first Gillette DEs. These in turn gave way to further experimentation with long and short comb variations. Solid guard bars became more common in the 1930s, and turned out to work quite well; they were perhaps less prone to damage, and also less expensive to make. Loading a blade is simple and easy enough with a three piece razor, but take a moment to appreciate the operation of the butterfly doors on a TTO DE razor. Or the operation of a Gem Micromatic, the automatic loading of an old Schick magazine repeater, or the external magazine on the later injector models. For that matter, there are the ribbon blades introduced later, with sections of cutting edges all strung together, and advanced with the twist of a knob. A given razor may be too mild for one person, too assertive for another. One solution is to sell a variety of models, as with Gillette's Blue Tip, regular, and Red Tip Super Speed models. Then again, there are adjustables. Such a simple idea, a razor where it is possible to change the blade gap. Creating a mechanism to do this reliably was less simple. My Gillette Fatboy was made some 51 years ago, and each click of the adjuster knob still sets the blade gap to a precise interval, and keeps it there. The adjustment mechanism on a modern Merkur Progress is more "analog", I understand, not clicking into a preset value, but it still permits the user to select a gap that suits his individual taste. An advantage of straights over safeties is the possibility of indefinitely maintaining the same blade. This was addressed by some wedge blade safeties like the early Kampfes or the later Rolls. The Auto-Strop razors and some others had mechanisms for at least prolonging the life of a disposable blade. Even a disposable blade, however, incorporates a lot of thought and technological innovation. One of earliest technical difficulties that King Gillette had to face was making a usable DE blade from very thin sheet metal. Later improvements in the quality of metal used, and in coatings for it, have prolonged useful blade life. A variety of aftermarket honing and stropping devices have been sold to increase the useful life of ordinary blades, with what success I won't judge here. Innovation has not stopped with the single blade safety; considerable thought has gone into cartridge design as well. Even if you think that five blades in a row don't work as well as two, or just one, working out the details of a multi-blade cartridge took a lot of work and experimentation. The result has been a variety of designs which dumb down the process of getting an acceptable shave, often cost too much, and which don't work all that well for some of us. Let's face it though, they work quite acceptably for many people, and there are a number of affordable choices. It's possible to prefer the classics without being a snob about their humble descendants. Or even more heretical, what about electrics? The modern Norelco, with its rotary heads, or foil shavers like the Braun or Remington, represent decades of technical innovation. The developments in battery and electric motor technology are stories in themselves. I know that I don't care for electrics because I've tried them; they simply didn't perform well enough for me, but for a while I wanted them to. They seemed like such a good idea, and in fact they are a collection of many good ideas, which seem to satisfy some people. They just aren't for me. There is little above that will be unfamiliar to the enthusiasts here. The point has not been to share new information, but to encourage us to appreciate the things that we already know. Nothing good comes without effort, and the simple tools we use every day represent the efforts of many people thinking of the best way to perform simple tasks.
An enjoyable read, thanks! I've just stared at the MMOC on several occasions while opening & closing it repeatedly. I'm completely baffled by how this thing works & amazed that someone did this SO many years ago!
The articles are written by the author on whatever day they are written, but are published to the front page on Friday. So, you did not really miss it the first time around; this is the first time around, it has just been in the barrel waiting for its turn to be published.
Excellent...I loved it and agree...I find much pleasure in marveling at the thought behind some of these little masterpieces....Same way with some of the saxophone fingering mechanisms from the mid 20's to mid 30's....A little like one of those *Rube Goldberg machines for removing the cotton ball from a bottle of aspirin (if you're not hip to Rube Goldberg, goggle him, It's worth the laugh.A real blast from the past along the same lines as what we're talking about here.)...lol...But very effective and precise...But would not be cost effective today. Too much hand fitting and workmanship. I find myself absolutely marveling at the thought behind the Schick Repeaters...I don't suppose I'll be happy til I have one for a daily shaver, and to spend inordinant amounts of time ogling... BTW, which one do you recommend for a daily shaver, and I would want to use the original loading procedure and not hand load one at a time like I've heard of some guys having to do. ...Which do you recommend for holding up to regular use and being durable. *if you're not hip to Rube Goldberg, goggle him, It's worth the laugh.A real blast from the past along the same lines as what we're talking about here.
Great article. In some ways, the older technology is better than the new. We truly had more variety to solve the same problem that allowed for the individual to have individuality. As the world becomes more homogenous in nature, the measure of choice will be eradicated and everyone will have to do things the same way, the way the "big money" desires. Keep using and enjoying the old stuff for as long as you can! Viva freedom of choice!
Thanks for the positive comments folks. Was just checking the forum by iPhone and saw that my article had been published. Never out of touch these days, even when traveling.
You know, the vintage Gillette TTO mechanism was a thing of genius; you will have to pry a 3 piece out of my hand, however there is something to be said about appreciating timeless functional pieces that were ahead of their time. Its a shame the general public doesn't appreciate these razors, then again the general public doesn't seem to appreciate much of anything these days.
This article hits the nail on the head. It's the appreciation of ingenuity and the way these DE razors appeal to all senses that hooked me. The feel of a well made razor in my hand and the Aesthetic value it adds to my bathroom counter was enough to get me hooked. The improved quality of the shave is simply an added benefit.
Very thoughtful and well-written. I totally agree with the parts of the Gems and the TTO's, especially the Gems. I have settled now on some 1950's Gillette superspeeds, but will always think about the beauty and simplicity of a beautiful brass Gem OCMM.
That was an excellent article. I really enjoyed it, and agreed with it. I take a secret pleasure knowing that I really enjoy my shaves and look forward to them, while most people dread and hate it.
