random thoughts and questions - all things shaving

It doesn't look as neat the first design.
It looks OK, but I've tried my best to like my Focus Dynamic, which is the only half-DE swivel head I've owned and used. The swivel doesn't do anything for me as far as any aspect of shaving goes. I can see that a multi-blade razor such as the Leaf might have some advantages, but I'm quite content with the Twig, where the magnetic loading comes into its own, and I guess is a boon in the Broman razor, and far preferable to the fudging around with the Focus original.

On the matter of half-DE razors, I'm left with the impression that the blade has a life of one, or at most two sessions before it becomes unpleasant to use and needs changing. My own feeling is that this is because the one edge sees all the action, whereas in my set 3-day DE blade life in a DE razor, both get used, roughly equally. I'm too old and idle to want to change a razor blade daily, even for the modest economies obtained.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saj
It doesn't look as neat the first design.
my concern is the efficiency but also been eyeing up that high proof razor, which is similar concept ut seems to get good reviews

i do like that the broman 2 comes in a nice metal tin which can be used as a blade bank, good idea and innovative
 
  • Like
Reactions: saj
my concern is the efficiency but also been eyeing up that high proof razor, which is similar concept ut seems to get good reviews

i do like that the broman 2 comes in a nice metal tin which can be used as a blade bank, good idea and innovative
Ooooh. I didn't know about the High Proof either. Gonna have a look, thanks.
 
  • Like
Reactions: saj
I'm tempted by this. I didn't know about the mk2 until @saj mentioned it. I wonder if it's better under the nose and around ears with the "New improved Stainless steel head flap design with under nose profile"

I also wonder if it might be a good introduction to the use of DE blades for certain family members, to avoid disposables.

I also wonder how it'll compare to the leaf as a head shaver.
credit goes to @LeeMaz as i saw his post on the shvaing restraint tred about getting the broman 2 and i was like ohh theres a new one coming out

i think for the price tis worth a punt only thing hoding me back is that high proof razor which im tempted with too

yea could be a good transition razor

leaf is a good head shaver, i like it too
 
quick question do you guys keep the boxes the shaving creams come in until it's been used or just throw it straight away?
For me, it depends. I keep the box until I use the cream for the first time, especially if I've purchased multiple tubes.

Or if it has a smidge of historical value (to me). Sadly, this one is unusable, but still smells wonderful. Barbasol copied the scent profile.
IMG20230110222549.jpg
Edit: okay, I just did a search, and this may be the oldest Gillette shaving cream still in existence. I have found no other examples. I ought to hit up Matt at Razor Emporium. He collects this sort of thing.
 
Last edited:
For me, it depends. I keep the box until I use the cream for the first time, especially if I've purchased multiple tubes.

Or if it has a smidge of historical value (to me). Sadly, this one is unusable, but still smells wonderful. Barbasol copied the scent profile.
View attachment 98754
Edit: okay, I just did a search, and this may be the oldest Gillette shaving cream still in existence. I have found no other examples. I ought to hit up Matt at Razor Emporium. He collects this sort of thing.
Is it unusable because it's gone hard/smells bad or because it has the K34 ingredient in it (later ruled potentially injurious to health)?
It's a lovely item. 1930s? I would preserve it if you can - either you yourself or Razor Emporium.

I have some Imperial Leather cream and Ever Ready cream which both may be very old. I suspect the Ever Ready is the oldest but can't be sure of its age, while because of the branding and bundled Personna blades branding I suspect the IL to be from the '60s.
I also have a Goya Cedarwood but that is likely to be 1970s.
They all look and smell usable but I have wanted to just keep them as they are since look brand new. However, the paint on the Ever Ready tube tends to come off on my fingers! This only started recently and I've had it nearly ten years. Looks like that may have happened to your Gillette one?
Screenshot_20230111-082929.png
Screenshot_20230111-082646.png

I'm not opening the Palmolive/Ever Ready shave pouch but it is starting to disintegrate! This could be 1940s or 1950s? maybe someone will know the single edge razor and be able to date it from there.
Screenshot_20230111-082725.png
 
For me, it depends. I keep the box until I use the cream for the first time, especially if I've purchased multiple tubes.

Or if it has a smidge of historical value (to me). Sadly, this one is unusable, but still smells wonderful. Barbasol copied the scent profile.
View attachment 98754
Edit: okay, I just did a search, and this may be the oldest Gillette shaving cream still in existence. I have found no other examples. I ought to hit up Matt at Razor Emporium. He collects this sort of thing.
pretty epic mate, did you get to try it out befoe it became unusable?
 
Is it unusable because it's gone hard/smells bad or because it has the K34 ingredient in it (later ruled potentially injurious to health)?
It's a lovely item. 1930s? I would preserve it if you can - either you yourself or Razor Emporium.

I have some Imperial Leather cream and Ever Ready cream which both may be very old. I suspect the Ever Ready is the oldest but can't be sure of its age, while because of the branding and bundled Personna blades branding I suspect the IL to be from the '60s.
I also have a Goya Cedarwood but that is likely to be 1970s.
They all look and smell usable but I have wanted to just keep them as they are since look brand new. However, the paint on the Ever Ready tube tends to come off on my fingers! This only started recently and I've had it nearly ten years. Looks like that may have happened to your Gillette one?
View attachment 98758
View attachment 98759

I'm not opening the Palmolive/Ever Ready shave pouch but it is starting to disintegrate! This could be 1940s or 1950s? maybe someone will know the single edge razor and be able to date it from there.
View attachment 98760
those look cool, so to clarify have you used that imperial leather or the ever ready shvaing creams?

i got a vintage cussons impoerial leather aftershave and i did get some NOS erasmic shaving sticks plus another vintage one,
cant remember the name off the top of my head
 
I have kept them as found. I unscrewed the lid and they both smell good and haven't gone flaky or hard.

Do you fancy uploading some photos of yours?

I have quite a few Imperial Leather items as they are cheap and ubiquitous. Yeah I have a few NOS Erasmic sticks too! Haven't used any IL or Erasmic ones, but I did buy a Cussons shaving soap with a broken celluloid bowl and used that a few times. Very nice! And I have a 1970s Imperial Leather shaving stick in use occasionally. Not as much cushioning as I'd like but not bad.

I have a Palmolive menthol shaving stick still wrapped in foil and boxed. there's still a hint of menthol! I reckon 1950s or 1960s.
I can upload photos if you're interested as I did my first full 'stock take' last month which included photos. Sometimes several items in one photo as I have quite a lot of "shaving crap" as @dodgy would call it :)
 
  • Like
Reactions: saj
Is it unusable because it's gone hard/smells bad or because it has the K34 ingredient in it (later ruled potentially injurious to health)?
It's a lovely item. 1930s? I would preserve it if you can - either you yourself or Razor Emporium.

I have some Imperial Leather cream and Ever Ready cream which both may be very old. I suspect the Ever Ready is the oldest but can't be sure of its age, while because of the branding and bundled Personna blades branding I suspect the IL to be from the '60s.
I also have a Goya Cedarwood but that is likely to be 1970s.
They all look and smell usable but I have wanted to just keep them as they are since look brand new. However, the paint on the Ever Ready tube tends to come off on my fingers! This only started recently and I've had it nearly ten years. Looks like that may have happened to your Gillette one?
View attachment 98758
View attachment 98759

I'm not opening the Palmolive/Ever Ready shave pouch but it is starting to disintegrate! This could be 1940s or 1950s? maybe someone will know the single edge razor and be able to date it from there.
View attachment 98760
It's unusable because the acid in the box caused a galvanic reaction with the aluminum tube. The part of the tube that seems okay is the part that had the advertising insert wrapped around it.

The oxidized parts of the tube seem to be a fragile as tissue paper, and the cream in those parts appears near petrified. There is some usable cream in the center, judging by the squishability factor, but I would have to cut the tube apart to get to it.

This tube is predates Gillette's use of K-34, as best I can tell, or at least pre-dates their advertisment of it's inclusion, as I've seen K-34 tubes with the blue cap like this one, as well as more modern caps and packaging.

The instruction insert comes with an advertisement for the new gold plated tech razor in tweed case with 5 blue blades, and also the Milord One-piece Tech in a Texol traveling case. That narrows down the production year as no earlier than 1940, and no later than 1941. They may have continued using the same insert throughout the war years, so it could have been manufactured as late as 1944 or 1945.
pretty epic mate, did you get to try it out before it became unusable?
No. It is in as found condition. Picked it up in an antique shop some months back.
 
Last edited:
I didn't expect to start a vintage shave cream roller coaster, lol. Ah well. Here's another from my collection that is actually usable. I'm not a menthol fan, so it will likely remain in this condition until my heirs throw it away.

If I lived in the U.K., I'd probably figure out a way to trade it to one of you Ingram's fiends for a razor.
cartoon1673460934735.png
 
Back
Top Bottom