Valet VC1 "Resto"

H

Hippo

Joined
Tuesday January 28, 2014
Location
Peterborough
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!
Click to expand...

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...
Click to expand...

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.
Click to expand...

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.
 

Cool. Well it looks like a de-spined GEM fits in pretty well, the morning will tell for sure!
 
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:

Click to expand...

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".
 

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
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Menu
Log in
Register