A thing to put in perspective is that "semainiers", or weekly sets, were not only made for razors, but for other kind of things as well.
The main usage for the word "semainier" in French designate a kind of dresser with seven drawers, so that you have a set of clothes for every day.
Then you can also find wax seals weekly sets.
I think in some case it went along some kind of "ritualized" kind of life. You can find sets in wich there are only 5 to 6 razors (because people would not shave on saturday and/or sunday)
They were OH MY GOD DAMN ARE YOU SERIOUS ? expensive.Quote:
I wonder just how "expensive" they were for the times? They were just razors after all.
We are talking times were a good tool was bought for life, and as much as possible given to your sons. Owning only one razor have been, at some times, a kind of prestige.
But more than that, while fans and ball notebooks were all the rage for the ladies, well, as far as vanity items go, men had a more reduced choice.
Therefore, some sets were sold as "expensive presents", like wedding presents for example, never to be used in their whole life for how precious they were. Some of these razors were, for example, sold in the arcades of the Palais Royal in France, for the visitors to the court of the French king in the early 19th century.
As for weekly sets being made for dignitaries or persons going abroad, I would not be so sure.
When you look at the French "necessaires" (be they necessaire de voyage (travel), or necessaire d'officier (army officer), they seldom have more than two razors.