WW2 Gillette Tech Info Please

Not to pop the bubble, but it's a pretty bog-standard American 'Old' type. What is good about it is, it's "gold" so will polish up to raw brass just lovely. Blob of Peek Polish and give it a massage. No that! The razor, man! The razor! The other good thing is it does not appear to have any cracks or splits in the central part of the handle.

You've got the thicker cap, so this puts it after 1921. While the so-called Military Set had a screw in chuck in the handle and was presented as a two-piece, the Khaki Set was indeed a ball-ended three-piece like yours.

... and that's about it.

There are a million and one ways that such a razor could have ended up on a German ship, but here's a tale I was told by an older neighbour (another time, another place) who was stationed in Arctic waters beyond Norway. He said that for most of the day, they lay about sunbathing. He told me that there was a part-sunken wreck near their ship which was between them and a German ship. They'd often play cards with the Germans on this wreck between the two ships. There was an uneasy agreement between the ships that if either was ordered to engage, they'd recall their sailors in a quite obvious fashion and engage after a reasonable time thereafter.

Salvaged from a wreck at the time? Won in a game of cards? Stolen as proof of a bet sneaking aboard the enemy ship? Simply given as a gesture of naval friendship? Maybe ... simply, the German chap bought it.
Another Great Story,
i actually love stories like this.
My dad was in the RAF for 15 years then got bored in civvy street so went & joint the merchant navy,
i often heard tale after tale which intrigued me at an early age,
I remember him telling us about his colleagues getting eaten by sharks as they took down time & went for a swim.
tales you actually wouldn’t believe today.
Your 100% right about the razor it’s bog standard and as mentioned earlier posts the history of this razor can’t be proven even although i know the story is factual
therefore the razor is worthless.
Great story nonetheless & another razor saved from the scrap heap which for me makes it all worth while
 
Another Great Story,

Your 100% right about the razor it’s bog standard and as mentioned earlier posts the history of this razor can’t be proven even although i know the story is factual
therefore the razor is worthless.
Great story nonetheless & another razor saved from the scrap heap which for me makes it all worth while
No way is the razor worthless Mike, look at the positive stories and interest it has generated. It's a fantastic tale and to be the first to use it after its long and "deep" past will give you so much satisfaction. Looking in the mirror thinking
" who the hell used this last, what was he up to, did he survive the wreck"
Great story.
 
No way is the razor worthless Mike, look at the positive stories and interest it has generated. It's a fantastic tale and to be the first to use it after its long and "deep" past will give you so much satisfaction. Looking in the mirror thinking
" who the hell used this last, what was he up to, did he survive the wreck"
Great story.
Agreed Tony
i only meant worthless in money terms
but your 100% right, actually shaving with it & trying to picture who used it in what conditions is quite unique. then again i’m pretty much like that with all my vintage razors
 
Of course it has monetary value but perhaps not enhanced by its unique tale. It’s an old razor in decent condition whence given the Peek treatment. I personally think it’s wonderful especially as I’ve never shaved with an Old Type. Tomorrow I shall use my cased Myatt English Old Type clone as it’s the only one I have. Watch SotD for blood!
 
I'd echo these sentiments and highlight something I said earlier: no cracks in the handle, which is getting to be a harder and harder thing to find on these 'Old' razors. It's a lovely razor and absolutely ... far from worthless. Used part of one or two people's lives, lost at sea, salvaged and fit for use for the rest of your life and whoever you pass it to. When you think about it in those terms, we (people) are the blip of the timeline of the razor rather than the other way around.
 
..."When I said that British fighter-bombers had shot up my tanks with 40mm shells, the Reichsmarschall who felt himself touched by this, said: 'That's completely impossible. The Americans only know how to make razor blades.' I replied: 'We could do with some of those razor blades, Herr Reichsmarshall.'"

Gen. Erwin Rommel
 
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