Recent Valet find

Derbyshirechap · Tuesday January 28, 2014

Recently found this Valet which is in virtually mint condition, three of the blades had been used and four were still wrapped up;
I tried it last night with one of the mint NOS blade........ the outcome wasn't that great to be honest no cuts or nicks but also didn't appear to cut that well!

Here's one of the blades;

BigRon · Tuesday January 28, 2014

Very nice!

I have one very similar to yours. Feather make a stainless blade that fit them, you can buy them from Connaught Shaving. They give a very good shave but they're expensive and don't last long.

jds · Wednesday January 29, 2014

Wow.. that is stunning and has convinced me to get a couple of valets replated in rhodium. The Feather blade that fits those can be found here Feather FHS-5 SE blades and give, for me at any rate, a superb shave.

Great find.

Jon

pjgh · Wednesday January 29, 2014

Congratulations! What a beauty!

Hard to make out, but I think it is a VB2. The key difference between the VB and the VC models is the depth of the head, from what I can make out. I find the VBs better balanced. Oh, I think another is that the VBs can be considered "adjustable" by moving the lever ever so slightly to reduce the blade presentation - it will be in the instructions if this is a possibility and confirm the model.

Great you had a wonderful shave. They're cracking razors, aren't they? I have a VB1, VC2 & VC3.

Norfolkdick · Wednesday January 29, 2014

Greetings

That's as good a specimen as you are ever likely to find, even the strop looks unused, a great find.

For what it's worth I have never been able to get a shave (even a bad one) from the NOS Valet blades, the original literature that came with the razors stated these blades should be stropped before first use. I have tried this and have failed miserably on every occasion, albeit although I have half a dozen Valet strops, not one is in anywhere near as good a condition as yours.

Although the Valet blades have a heavy coating of light oil on them I have heard arguments that because they are so old they might look fine but have degraded over the years because of microscopic rust, whether this is correct I have no idea.

You will, I have little little doubt, get a great shave with that razor using a Feather SE blade.

A little tip.. If you do try stropping, take it steady; if the blade fails to flip over at the end of the stroke you will cut the strop in two, as your strop is mint that would be a shame!

Regards
Dick.

jds · Wednesday January 29, 2014

May I also add that if you want to move the razor on, then please, please, may I have first refusal (not that I would refuse). A stunning piece and I am very jealous!

Cheers,

Jon

YorkNeil · Wednesday January 29, 2014

Nicest one I've seen -- well done.

Derbyshirechap · Wednesday January 29, 2014

the blade flips over easily as its all like new, I've stropped it again about 15 times so we'll see after a nice soak in the bath....I think it may be rhodium plated JDS it just doesn't look like polished nickel or chrome and it was this clean out of the box !

BigRon · Wednesday January 29, 2014

These are silver plated I think.

Derbyshirechap · Wednesday January 29, 2014

could be Ron certainly shiney enough but I'd have thought it would have tarnished over the years???

Ok had a really good soak in the bath but still the shave was...erm well pants...hmm I tried just the blade dry on my arm and it was zipping through the undergrowth maybe my technique? I'll try it with one of the Feathers when they arrive and report back

BigRon · Thursday January 30, 2014

Your set looks mint and unused and if its been stored away that may have prevented it from tarnishing??
I have 3 of these and 2 were black with tarnish when I got them.

Derbyshirechap · Thursday January 30, 2014

Cheers Ron, it's certainly been looked after and stored well....prior to me using the strop I don't think it had ever been used and was lovely, pliable and unmarked...maybe previous users tried shaving using the three 'used' but new blades and gave up?
If I find any more in the same condition I'll pop em in the classifieds!

Derbyshirechap · Sunday February 2, 2014

Just thought I'd update on this, I bought some feathers but whilst they fit in they do move about quite a bit! anyway no worries as I have two other Valets coming my way now the first and third type so that shouldn't be an issue....so what to do about blades , well I tried re stropping one of the NOS blades several times pulling up and keeping the strop taught on up and down strokes ...the end result a decent shave oh and you reaasly need to read the instructions and get the blade/head angle right it really is important!

Derbyshirechap · Monday February 3, 2014

Thought I'd pop this on here, I didn't realise that the 'Valet' card came out but this was underneath;

gave me an excuse to try out my light box got for Christmas too...I've not mastered the set up yet though!

Derbyshirechap · Tuesday February 4, 2014

RE: Recent Valet finds (updated)

Here's the one of the recently arrived new to me Valet's, a silver plated Canadian first type adjustable VC1?(Model B according to it's instructions) this definately takes a Feather and a GEM blade, condition is very good but on one the teeth has been replaced though it all works fine, I had to look hard to spot it and it's been done extremely well...it was erm rather dirty!!!

and the second one a British made chrome plated I think it's a VC3 and it's not quite as 'minging' as the VC1, this will take an original blade or a Feather but not a GEM blade, I am guessing it was made in the 1940's?, condition wise it is in excellent condition with just a light scratch to the face plate

I'll post the cleaned up items in a couple of days.