Please help ID some gifts

Discussion in 'Safety Razors' started by bittermormon, Jun 14, 2013.

  1. bittermormon

    bittermormon Active Member

    A while back my dad was mentioning to someone about my interest in "old razors" at work. A few days later these gifts showed up on my desk. One looks to me like a Old Type similar to this. The SE says "Shamut Safety Razor Pat Apl'd For" on the bar that holds the blade in. It seems to have had a pretty rusty shim in there too(whoops, I opened up a "sharp" blade and that's not a shim, it's a blade). I really liked the box bottom with the place for blade storage.

    Can anyone give me any info on them? Will standard SE blades fit? What's the shave like? I'm assuming I can use standard DE blades in the Gilette. So far my razor experience has been limited to a EJ DE8 that I PIF'd, a Shave Factory DE from Sally's, and my 1968 (?) Slim.

    What's my best bet to clean them up, specifically the Gilette. Is it solid brass? I have access to polishing wheels (and know how to use them), but if I'm better off leaving the patina I'd like to know.

    Gillette:
    IMG_20130614_122039.jpg IMG_20130614_122046.jpg

    Shumate:
    IMG_20130614_122636.jpg IMG_20130614_122654.jpg IMG_20130614_122714.jpg
     
  2. kingfisher

    kingfisher Active Member

    The Gillette definitely looks like a pretty standard Old Type. I would start the cleaning by soaking it in dishwashing liquid and water. Make a warm bucket of soapy water, put the razor in, and let it sit for a few hours. Then, dump out the water, make a soapy mixture again, and let it sit again.

    After the second sitting, scrub it gently with a old, soft toothbrush. Rinse well.

    At that point you can see where you are. Hard to tell from the picture whether any of the original gold plating remains or not. It's easy to remove it if it does. If it doesn't have any plating, you have the choice of shining up the brass or leaving the patina. I'm mostly a fan of the latter approach.

    After I cleaned it with soapy water (dishwashing detergent and water only), I'd use dental floss to get out any tough stuff that's between the teeth.

    After that, soak the head in 70% rubbing alcohol for about 30 minutes, remove and let air dry. At that point the razor is ready for use.

    I hope you enjoy it.


    (I don't know anything about the Shumate. I don't like SE razors.)
     
    bittermormon likes this.
  3. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    Looks like the Shumate uses its own proprietary blade. I've never read anything about them though or seen other images.
     
  4. lindyhopper66

    lindyhopper66 Well-Known Member

    On second thought, maybe it will use the GEM blades. Does the razor have a head to enclose and hold the blade?
     

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