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Greetings
When I first purchased a Valet Autostrop I was very confused regarding the different models and how the blades were held in place in each model and especially which models would take modified standard GEM SE blades.
I hope these photo's and explanations might help make it a little clearer.
Firstly I am not an expert on these razors I simply have a few and enjoy shaving with them and what I know I have learned by reading various articles and by experimentation with the razors.
Valet Autostrops were manufactured over very many years from about 1909 to I believe just before the second world war.
As you would expect many new and different models were developed and released but the basic razor remained more or less the same ie a single edged razor that was also a blade stropper in it's own right with no need to use a separate stropper as was the case with say Ever Ready razors.
Were the razor not a self stropper there would be no need for the quirky blades with the cutouts, the only purpose they serve is to prevent the blade from being pulled out of the blade holder by the friction of the blade on the leather during the stropping process. During the actual shave these cutouts serve no purpose at all as the blade is pressed forward against the blade stops and can not move.
When new all Valet Autostrop's were supplied with a strop, today fifty plus years hence these stops having been folded up in a box or tin are more often than not useless. Anybody who wishes to make a serious attempt at 'tuning up' used blades would do well to invest in a modern strop. Neil Miller makes them. I personally find no reason for doing so I have played with stropping but have never succeeded UK Rob who is a straight razor user has tried with I believe limited success.
Although there are many very slightly different models I have found only three different types of blade holder, you will see in the photos below from left to right.
1) The blade holder where the blade simply slips in to the blade holder and is held there during stropping by the cut outs on the bottom of the blade, early Autostrop blades did not have the Valet word cut out of the blade. I suspect these were discontinued because it is simplicity itself to slice the tips of your fingers when loading this model. It is also a very aggressive shaver. Modified GEM blades can be used in this razor as well as Feather SE blades.
2) The second from the left photo shows the most modern model with 'ears' that clamp the blade in place and stampings on the blade holder that project through and 'marry up' with the cut outs in the word Valet on the blade (or Hane? on the Feather SE blade)
3) The model on the right of the photos is the most common model and has what I call a loading gate for the blade, the blade is again held in place by the shutting of the gate and the projections on the blade tray the same as the second model.
Models 2 and 3 will only take Feather SE blades or original Valet autostrop blades.
The problem with Feather SE blades are that they are expensive and very short lived probably because they are so sharp.
Modifying a GEM blade to fit in the Valets that will accept them is simplicity itself and takes no more than ten seconds. Quite how much metal you nip off the corners does not really matter as you will not be stropping the blade; during shaving it will make no difference.
This link explains the removal of the spine and the nipping off of the corners.
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/forum/thread-18612.html
There are (if you are unlucky enough to find one) a very few Valet Autostrop razors that will not accept the Feather SE blades; the cutouts/projections simply do not 'marry up' and only original Autostrop blades will fit, I do have one of these and for all practical purposes it is useless.
The feather SE blades you will see are the same width but slightly deeper than the GEM blades. Spines can be added to the Feather blades to use them in other SE razors, some they will fit and some they will not it is a case of experimentation. This is not something I do as I prefer the ordinary GEM blades, I only use feather SE blades in my Autostops that will accept nothing else.
Regards
Dick.
When I first purchased a Valet Autostrop I was very confused regarding the different models and how the blades were held in place in each model and especially which models would take modified standard GEM SE blades.
I hope these photo's and explanations might help make it a little clearer.
Firstly I am not an expert on these razors I simply have a few and enjoy shaving with them and what I know I have learned by reading various articles and by experimentation with the razors.
Valet Autostrops were manufactured over very many years from about 1909 to I believe just before the second world war.
As you would expect many new and different models were developed and released but the basic razor remained more or less the same ie a single edged razor that was also a blade stropper in it's own right with no need to use a separate stropper as was the case with say Ever Ready razors.
Were the razor not a self stropper there would be no need for the quirky blades with the cutouts, the only purpose they serve is to prevent the blade from being pulled out of the blade holder by the friction of the blade on the leather during the stropping process. During the actual shave these cutouts serve no purpose at all as the blade is pressed forward against the blade stops and can not move.
When new all Valet Autostrop's were supplied with a strop, today fifty plus years hence these stops having been folded up in a box or tin are more often than not useless. Anybody who wishes to make a serious attempt at 'tuning up' used blades would do well to invest in a modern strop. Neil Miller makes them. I personally find no reason for doing so I have played with stropping but have never succeeded UK Rob who is a straight razor user has tried with I believe limited success.
Although there are many very slightly different models I have found only three different types of blade holder, you will see in the photos below from left to right.
1) The blade holder where the blade simply slips in to the blade holder and is held there during stropping by the cut outs on the bottom of the blade, early Autostrop blades did not have the Valet word cut out of the blade. I suspect these were discontinued because it is simplicity itself to slice the tips of your fingers when loading this model. It is also a very aggressive shaver. Modified GEM blades can be used in this razor as well as Feather SE blades.
2) The second from the left photo shows the most modern model with 'ears' that clamp the blade in place and stampings on the blade holder that project through and 'marry up' with the cut outs in the word Valet on the blade (or Hane? on the Feather SE blade)
3) The model on the right of the photos is the most common model and has what I call a loading gate for the blade, the blade is again held in place by the shutting of the gate and the projections on the blade tray the same as the second model.
Models 2 and 3 will only take Feather SE blades or original Valet autostrop blades.
The problem with Feather SE blades are that they are expensive and very short lived probably because they are so sharp.
Modifying a GEM blade to fit in the Valets that will accept them is simplicity itself and takes no more than ten seconds. Quite how much metal you nip off the corners does not really matter as you will not be stropping the blade; during shaving it will make no difference.
This link explains the removal of the spine and the nipping off of the corners.
http://www.theshavingroom.co.uk/forum/thread-18612.html
There are (if you are unlucky enough to find one) a very few Valet Autostrop razors that will not accept the Feather SE blades; the cutouts/projections simply do not 'marry up' and only original Autostrop blades will fit, I do have one of these and for all practical purposes it is useless.
The feather SE blades you will see are the same width but slightly deeper than the GEM blades. Spines can be added to the Feather blades to use them in other SE razors, some they will fit and some they will not it is a case of experimentation. This is not something I do as I prefer the ordinary GEM blades, I only use feather SE blades in my Autostops that will accept nothing else.
Regards
Dick.
Great razor.
