Thread: How To: Research a razor (warning: long post)

Originally Posted by MattCB

Scale material[/B]: Do you have a set of Bakelite scales? Bakelite was invented in 1907. Celluloid about 1870, and Aluminum was used for scales about 1920. If the scales are original to the razor, you have a better idea of when it was made. Same goes for vulcanized rubber, turtle shell, and ivory, ect...

Just wanted to add a quick correction, because I often see this date pop up when aluminum scales are discussed. Actually, aluminum scales made their first appearance in the 1890s.

If you track down the book "Barbershop Collectible" by L W Publishing & Book Sales, you can find a facsimile of an 1897 Theo A Kochs catalogue that includes a razor with a fancy cast aluminum handle. Similarly, somewhere on this site I saw a page from an 1898 catalogue that showed a Boker razor with a cast aluminum handle.

Just wanted to throw that out there.

Originally Posted by Hanlon

Just wanted to add a quick correction, because I often see this date pop up when aluminum scales are discussed. Actually, aluminum scales made their first appearance in the 1890s.

If you track down the book "Barbershop Collectible" by L W Publishing & Book Sales, you can find a facsimile of an 1897 Theo A Kochs catalogue that includes a razor with a fancy cast aluminum handle. Similarly, somewhere on this site I saw a page from an 1898 catalogue that showed a Boker razor with a cast aluminum handle.

Just wanted to throw that out there.

Thanks for the information, I'll have to keep a look out for a copy of that book.