A Little History

I originally posted this on my blog, and someone thought there might be some interest here...so, if you are interested, take at look at Eastern Smooth, my shave blog.

Feather is a name well known to those in the Wetshaving gig...their DE blades are (in)famous for sharpness and quality, and their disposable blade straights are the only disposable blade straights that anyone really takes seriously. Living in Japan, I feel a natural affinity for this company, and I've found some stuff out about it I think is interesting.

The Feather Safety Razor Company was started in 1932 as the "Japan Safety Razor Company". They were, interestingly, founded by former German POWs (from WWI--did you know Japan fought Germany in WWI? Neither did I...) who stayed in Japan after they were released and started making safety razors in 1920. Now, the problem is, I'm not sure what kind of safety razors they were producing...According to the Kamisori Club website's English synopsis of Yasuoki Takeuchi's "History and Culture of Shaving in Japan" (I highly recommend you read the synopsis...very interesting stuff),

"During the MEIJI ERA ( 1868 - 1912 ) mainly open razors were used. However, in the latter part of the MEIJI ERA foreign made razors came into Japan with the introduction of western civilization. Some from Solingen in Germany and others from Sheffield in England. After World War1 (1914 - 1918 ) Gillette T-Shape safety razors were imported and they gradually replaced the open razors." So these safety razors were probably the Gillette style double edge razors, right? Welllll....maybe.

Considering the fact that the Feather company still makes single edge blades, and that peculiar shape those razors took, it seems clear that at some point, Feather was making something OTHER than a DE razor (though, of course, they made those as well). What did the make? Well, I was more than satisfied to find out that one of their original products (as well as KAI's, in fact--does anyone else notice anything odd about this picture...?) was a copy of the Valet Auto Strop!

http://komaham.world.coocan.jp/shavi...ving091004.gif
(Image taken from "こまはむの館　別館【ひげ剃りの館】"

Pretty cool huh? Well, not as cool as this:

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RiV3dzbrx_...er+strop+1.jpg

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_RiV3dzbrx_...er+strop+2.jpg

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_RiV3dzbrx_...er+strop+3.jpg

A real live Feather Auto Strop! ON Yahoo Auction! Ohhhhh...I should have bought it. Ahh well. It's still cool to know that out there are some real examples of Japanese Safety Razor history...

But then, what really got me excited was THIS:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RiV3dzbrx_...straight+1.jpg

That's a western style straight made by a Japanese company. What Japanese company?

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_RiV3dzbrx_...straight+2.jpg

Feather. How cool! It's a Feather Straight! Now, of course it might be a totally different company, or a fake that someone was just trying to sell using a little name recognition, but it could also be real--Feather was a company specializing in the introduction of western shaving instruments to Japan, and while they might have focused on Safety razors, there might very well have bene a few attemtps to bring striaghts into the market, as well. Whatever the case, I think it's pretty cool. Too bad it wasn't in better condition, I'd have bought it...Hmmm...