Query: ID/Date Codes fpr Modern Razors

Urban Hermit

Urban Hermit

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Location
Sheffield, UK
Ok, so you have a few different makes and models of razors of the new breeds of razors.

  • I haven't noticed many serial numbers/date codes/IDs etc. (well, Goodfellas give each razor a 'unique ID number, so that will be tied to their data base online anf give that info plus I think, repair history and such). So, down the proverbial line, how do you prove/determine that your Merkur 39c "Long Slant", or your Feather Stainless Steel are 2010 models; or that your Parker 65 is a rare 2009? That the Lord Lightweight Tech at the back is a 2011?
    • Perspiring minds want to know....
      • _Puzzled__by_Inovation.gif
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I dont think you can... At least with as much definition as the Gillette Dating guide on thier later razors.
Even dating the early razors is a bit hit and miss.. all you can do is place it in a period of manufacture.

Im assuming thats the best we will be able to hope for with modern merkurs / EJ's etc -

For instance we know the Merkur 38C Barberpole Slant was prototyped in 2007 - its quite well documented on that Other site.
But for much more specific info its hard to tell without directly talking to the manufacturer and hoping they are willing to help or even still in business.

For the most part, what we know now is down to a few Razor nuts who have busted their backsides to get hold of this information and put it down in accessible form - Such as Robert K. waits.
(His Razor Guide is something of the holy grail of Razor identification - im still considering getting a copy, tho its not cheap)

Edit - Robert K. Waits has one cheapish book out called 'Before Gillette' that im slowly working through - It documents pretty thoroughly the history of Razor development between Perret's Straight razor guard in 1762 through the Hoe style SE razors to the first DE razor in 1901. Its VERY stuffy and mostly contains copies of adverts, info on Patents and their inventors.. but if your interested in Shaving history it makes for a good read.
 
sunburyboy93 said exactly what I thought reading the post, there is no accurate date but you can get a rough one from the "years in production" from Achim's site. May have sat on a shelf and be sold years later but production dates are as close as it gets for non USA Gillette's.
 
Actually, I didn't mean the Gillettes, Schicks and GEM/Ever-Readies, as I don't think there are many 'modern' DERs being made by any of them (well, maybe the cheap ones on some of the international sales sites with "7 O'clock razors", or are they disposables? and do they have ID codes on them even?). I'm wondering about the new manufacturers of the our 'new'er razors.

I mentioned the Merkurs, and Parkers, Goodfellas and Feathers.

Who will be accurately documenting the future historical records for that time when today's newly built shavers are someone's vintage finds in a hovercar boot sale?

Who are the Waites of these, and how will they separate a 2009 slant from a 2008, or a 2011?

How much of an increase in production costs would some for of ID code be?
 
hunnymonster said:
All the more reason for you as the first owner to keep the original box and invoice with the razor...
Click to expand...

I had thought of that.
  • ... sadly, I thought of it after I'd lost track of where it might be prior to SWMBA going on one of her tidy-up whirlwinds.
        • Now I just hope such documentation is somewhere in the flat other than: 'gone'.[/list:u][/list:u][/list:u][/list:u]

          Though that will still only provide provenance as far as for the purchase date/source of the razor, and nothing about the actual manufacture date/stuff.
 
Sometimes there is the odd clue, older Merkur HD's came in a plastic case, this case is also available to buy on it's own so it could be a new one in a case someone bought but in the main the ones in the plastic cases are older. Other things like changing of lettering or slight design enhancements are almost impossible to tell.

I have my all my receipts in a had copy folder and soft copy (sometimes both).
 
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