Valet VC1 "Resto"

mr..bean said:
Cool! Can you share your cleaning routine for this please, I would love to know as I have some dirty razors to clean!

All my best ideas were other peoples!
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Sure thing, unfortunately there's no real magic secret, I just soak the offending article in very hot water with a good dash of washing up liquid, then allow it to soak while I go and do something else, then I return and start scrubbing away. I repeat this a few times until the water stays clearish! Then dry and you're ready to go :)

BigRon said:
Great clean up job Hippo, I have one of these but I've never got round to using it. I'll dig it out at some point...
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Thanks Ron :) Yes, I'm certainly interested to see how this one shaves, I'm hoping for 1912 rivalling levels of smoothness, we'll see in the morning!
 
pjgh said:
Good work! These razors clean up very nicely.

Same technique for me - Fairy, Peek polish and a damn good scrubbing. I also use cocktail sticks and cotton buds to get into tight places.
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Thanks Paul, yes this could do with a bit of cocktail stick attention too.

Have you used a Gem in yours ever, or just the feathers?

How did it shave?
 
Just Feathers ... and vintage Valet. From memory, I think I'd used a de-spined GEM in a VB1, but they're adjustable to an extent. The GEM with the spine missing is lightly deeper than a Feather - the VC series are quite strict with regard to blade size.
 
pjgh said:
Just Feathers ... and vintage Valet. From memory, I think I'd used a de-spined GEM in a VB1, but they're adjustable to an extent. The GEM with the spine missing is lightly deeper than a Feather - the VC series are quite strict with regard to blade size.
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Cool. Well it looks like a de-spined GEM fits in pretty well, the morning will tell for sure!
 
Good! Well, that opens up another possibility - I prefer the GEM to the Feather.

I've used a GEM in this AutoStrop which pre-dates the Valet series:

DSC05022.jpg
 
pjgh said:
Good! Well, that opens up another possibility - I prefer the GEM to the Feather.

I've used a GEM in this AutoStrop which pre-dates the Valet series:

DSC05022.jpg
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Yeah I much prefer them too. It all seems to sit correctly, oddly in about the same place as the feather once the comb is closed, despite the GEM being a bit smaller. I guess the comb just closes a bit closer as it were.

Mmmm like that Autostrop, I feel some research coming on!

I don't suppose BTW you know approx production dates for the VC1 do you? I know the patent was November 1919, but nothing else :(
 
... that one is a "7 O'Clock" Autostrop, not related to the Sheffield company of the same name which released Gillette rebrands. See: http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/forum/thread-25467.html

Okay, dates ...

VB1 1921 - ?
VC1 1922 - ?
VB2 1927-1930s
VC2 1928-1935
VC3 1935-1940
VC4 1941-1946

... according to Waits.

I think you'll see it says "Patented Nov 19 1923 No.184808" ... 1923, not 1919. I may be wrong. This is a British patent - the VC1 from the US carries "Patented April 9 1912".
 
pjgh said:
... that one is a "7 O'Clock" Autostrop, not related to the Sheffield company of the same name which released Gillette rebrands. See: http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/forum/thread-25467.html

Okay, dates ...

VB1 1921 - ?
VC1 1922 - ?
VB2 1927-1930s
VC2 1928-1935
VC3 1935-1940
VC4 1941-1946

... according to Waits.

I think you'll see it says "Patented Nov 19 1923 No.184808" ... 1923, not 1919. I may be wrong. This is a British patent - the VC1 from the US carries "Patented April 9 1912".
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Interesting stuff Paul :)

Interestingly the model seem to run consecutively so a bold, but logical assumption could be that the VB/VC1 was produced until 1927/28?

I'll delve into some period ads and see if they shed any light :)

Oh and yeah now i look a little closer you're indeed correct over that patent date :)
 
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