Acquisitions - April 2024

donnie_arko said:
I got out my other Star made razors, one branded with Personna on the top and the other Star.

The top of both
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The underside of both

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The one on the left is definitely zamak and has some wear to it. The one on the right looks near enough perfect. That could be down to less usage over the years but it seems to be a touch heavier.
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Left side has buttresses while the right side does not. Might that indicate something about the materials?
 
pjgh said:
Is this is US/UK difference?

See: https://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/community/threads/asr-double-edge-razor-weights.57595/ which details American caps as 2g lighter than British caps (9g versus 11g). In fact the later British caps were all heavier still at 13g.

I'm looking at the late PAL & Star caps that I have (the etched ones) and materially, it sounds like the brass baseplate when struck. My American caps make a different sound with less "sing". I do have an earlier Personna with a cap that is most definitely brass and that's even a tad heavier (at 15g).

What all that means, dunno?

Looking at them with a magnifier, my mint American cap shows no sign of any damage but the other is starting to look like yours. My British PAL and Star are well used but have no signs of decay.

Maybe the British ones have brass posts?
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I dunno, I've only seen zamak caps, and they look molded. (moulded for you fellas)
 
I particularly like the hex handles @TobyC given my love for the ASR flip-top single edge razors.

I have a very late 1912 which seems somehow thinner metal than practically all of my others and in line with some of the last models (Bathroom Set or Peerless) with round handles, this example has a think lightweight Personna DE handle with a protruding thread. I am pretty sure we've had a conversation around this before and the thought is that it's a home-made bodge ... but given how companies use up parts, I'm not so sure. I've also seen a Streamline (well, Ambassador Set) with a threaded thick heavyweight Personna handle.
 
pjgh said:
I particularly like the hex handles @TobyC given my love for the ASR flip-top single edge razors.

I have a very late 1912 which seems somehow thinner metal than practically all of my others and in line with some of the last models (Bathroom Set or Peerless) with round handles, this example has a think lightweight Personna DE handle with a protruding thread. I am pretty sure we've had a conversation around this before and the thought is that it's a home-made bodge ... but given how companies use up parts, I'm not so sure. I've also seen a Streamline (well, Ambassador Set) with a threaded thick heavyweight Personna handle.
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Did the SE and DE come from the same factory?
 
TobyC said:
Did the SE and DE come from the same factory?
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I'm light on the detail here. I have heard that Ever-Ready had a factory in Scotland but no actual facts.

I showed this slip I found in the Star Embassy case which details The Hyde, London:

AP1GczOWzzbHZAbvKPfGEnaLG08yJ3qZzoi4UBg9heUMwE9T51OO1zNv4a2hhc9e6EfamKuUC78ljWcvBDGNrDGsE12e_BmVbFnz22auB_PwbW2Rjkd7n2Heonv1qWScd5P7r2oamzm6ljphGIBZCKNwh0bqjg=w800


(Notice also the Star DE is written as a Micromatic)
 
1930/31 Gillette Goodwill razor just arrived.
The Gillette Goodwill is quite a scarce razor as it was only made for one year. The concept behind it was to introduce a new blade system using existing models and parts. It has quite a bit of the 1920's pocket edition look about it. This is the start of Gillette using razor blades as we see them today in that it has diamond shape in the blade that makes out part of the blade fitment/alignment characteristics. This was a move to oust the competition and restrict consumers to only their own products by means of offering a new blade with a patented design. This become an important part of Gillette's growth and domination of the industry. This very same campaign has had a huge impact on business as we know it, and has given rise to the 'Razor and blade business model' whereby you sell something cheaply (or even give it away) to 'trap' consumers into using your own products such as consumables that can only be supplied by a single company, thereby giving the seller the edge in pricing as there are no direct competition to push down prices.
The razor weighs 51 grams and stand 82 mm high. The base plate has perfect teeth but a small crack on the upper end of the barrel That somebody has soldered closed.
i liked the polished copper head cap, I thought maybe the coating had been removed but I have seen other Goodwills with the copper head cap. Whatever, I like it that way!
I used it for SOTD today 26/4

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ekeko said:
1930/31 Gillette Goodwill razor just arrived.
The Gillette Goodwill is quite a scarce razor as it was only made for one year. The concept behind it was to introduce a new blade system using existing models and parts. It has quite a bit of the 1920's pocket edition look about it. This is the start of Gillette using razor blades as we see them today in that it has diamond shape in the blade that makes out part of the blade fitment/alignment characteristics. This was a move to oust the competition and restrict consumers to only their own products by means of offering a new blade with a patented design. This become an important part of Gillette's growth and domination of the industry. This very same campaign has had a huge impact on business as we know it, and has given rise to the 'Razor and blade business model' whereby you sell something cheaply (or even give it away) to 'trap' consumers into using your own products such as consumables that can only be supplied by a single company, thereby giving the seller the edge in pricing as there are no direct competition to push down prices.
The razor weighs 51 grams and stand 82 mm high. The base plate has perfect teeth but a small crack on the upper end of the barrel That somebody has soldered closed.
i liked the polished copper head cap, I thought maybe the coating had been removed but I have seen other Goodwills with the copper head cap. Whatever, I like it that way!
I used it for SOTD today 26/4

View attachment 119818
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That's either a #160 or a "Standard" depending on where it was made, it's the only Goodwill that wasn't a conversion of an existing razor. It's a New Long Comb that was never slotted down the center, but instead has the diamonds to locate the blade, and corner tabs on the cap which actually locate the cap on the blade, so everything is aligned by the blade. Gillette was going to the New blade and wanted to promote it by giving you a Goodwill razor for free with the purchase of a pack of blades. The Goodwill only worked with the New blades, the OLD three hole blades wouldn't fit, so you had to buy more New blades if you wanted to continue using it, but you could also use the New blades in the OLD type and the New Improved razors.

I have a #162, which is an OLD type that was converted, which was the original concept of the Goodwills, to use up old parts for the free razors. It's made from original OLD type parts and the shave is unaltered, on many of the others, including yours, the cap is a little taller to house the diamonds, so the shave is unavoidably milder. All of the #162s were originally OLD type 102A 1920's razors with the thicker cap and baseplate.

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www.badgerandblade.com

The 1931 Goodwill #162

This unusual razor arrived in the mail yesterday. When I saw it on eBay I wasn't sure what it was, but Achim's site soon revealed that it is a Goodwill #162. A quick search found a post by the ubiquitous Jeff_H from which I was enlightened that the term Goodwill came from the fact that these...
www.badgerandblade.com www.badgerandblade.com

"This is from the Krumholtz guide:


"The major reason the Goodwill idea was promoted was to wean the public away from the old three-hole 'No Stropping, No Honing' blades in favour of the new long slot blades. The old style blades would not work in Goodwills, of course, nor would they work in the NEW GILLETTEs."


"There are two distinct styles of Goodwill razors, and it must be understood thatthe Goodwills were made up from parts - parts from Old Type razors and parts from NEW GILLETTEs. The only concession made for the Goodwill was the #160 cap, which was manufactured solely for the use of the Goodwill series.


The most common version of the Goodwill is the Standard Goodwill #160. The indented #160 cap was designed to accept the 'reverse studs' of all Goodwills made up from NEW GILLETTE parts. The #160 guard was a NEW GILLETTE guard that had not had the centre slot milled, but had two diamond reverse studs created in a punch press. By reverse studs, I mean that the studs went through or into the cap of the guard, rather than the studs being placed in the cap, and going through the guard."


"Another type of Goodwill made up from NEW GILLETTE parts was the Special Goodwill #175 which used a #160 cap. The guard was the same as found on the Standard Goodwill, except this razor had received the milling operation of the centre slot. The guard is different from that of normal NEW GILLETTES in that it has the protruding 'reverse studs' punched in. This razor was produced in extremely small quantities only in 1931.


The last version made from NEW GILLETTE parts was the Special Goodwill #170. This razor retained the #160 cap but featured two 'L' shaped studs punched into the guard. These took the place of the diamond-shaped reverse studs. This version was also produced in extremely small quantities only in 1931.


All other Goodwills were fabricated from surplus Old Type parts; two versions of these razors were produced. The first of these was the #162 Reverse Stud Goodwill. This razor features reverse studs in the diamond shape that were punched in the Old Type guard in the same manner as the standard Goodwill. The cap had the same diamond-shaped holes punched out which corresponded to the studs. Also, corner positioning posts were bent into the cap ends. This razor was produced only in 1931.


The #164 Reverse Stud Goodwill was made in a similar fashion. The difference is that the guard had a slotted centre hole and the cap had 'inside slot positioning posts' that corresponded to the guard's slot. This razor was only produced during 1931.


The tops of the caps of both the #162 and #164 Goodwills were embossed with a tasteful decoration that borders the punched out diamond holes."


www.badgerandblade.com

Category:Gillette Goodwill Razors

English Goodwill Razors
www.badgerandblade.com www.badgerandblade.com
 
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Mail call.
My Factory shave Omega Boar brush arrived today thanks to me being easily enabled by the conversation in this very thread.
Whilst I was at it I popped a few blades I had not tried and with the mail ban coming up, I ordered them in the 100 packs just incase I enjoyed any of them, they were cheap enough.
The Nacet Blades I already have and just wanted to top up my stash of them.
The big question is what ones to try first?
 
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