Thread: Ingersoll Razor?

I figured there was no better place to ask this question.

While visiting with wife's family this weekend the subject of my new shaving "hobby" came up. My father-in-law mentioned that he had been given a military shave kit (WWI?) that contained a straight razor stamped Ingersoll. He didn't remember much about the kit other than it was made of leather. He said he put it in storage some time ago and hasn't seen it since. However, he's now interested in pulling it out again to get another look at it.

I've read of military shave kits issued with DE's, but is anyone familiar with a kit like this? I'd like to give him more information about it if he decides to pull it out and possibly display it.

Thanks,

- Mark (S-4-C)

I just bought an Ingersoll strop today. It is kinda small, like it could have been part of a kit.

I've never seen an Ingersoll straight razor but I have seen their metal stropping handles, used to sharpen double edged razor blades, described on eBay as straight razors. Sellers don't know what they are, but know they have something to do with shaving, so they call them 'rare' or 'unusual' razors.

Regards - Walt

Ingersol later Ingersol-Rand was a pretty big company that manufactured many things. I know they made watches and cameras and typewriters too.

During WWl and ll guys got all kinds of things issued to them including razors and watches.

I would imagine during WWl the DE wasn't that popular yet so straights were what were issued to the troops.

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I would imagine during WWl the DE wasn't that popular yet so straights were what were issued to the troops.

Quite the opposite bigspendur. World War One was where the double edged blade really came into its own. According to Gordon McKibben in his book "The Cutting Edge", Military regulations at the beginning of the war required that every man provide himself with a shave kit and Gillette's compact $5 kit with disposable blades far outsold all competitors such as AutoStrop and Eversharp. It was necessary for soldiers to be clean shaved so their gas masks would fit tightly to their faces.

Before the war's end the U.S. military began issuing Gillette shaving kits to every U.S. serviceman providing 3.5 million razors stuffed into canvas kits and metal boxes.

Regards - Walt

my first strop was an ingersol (sp)

it was rather short and had the square wire handle at one end and I think it was made of pig skin
the leather was very nice

I just sent it to a newb along with a wapi and pasted sticks and maybe something else

of course it was only 16 (18?) x 2 so he probably thinks it sucks
I thought it was a nice strop and it served me well

good luck digging the razor out

Hope you can get some pics, Mark. I'd love to see it. Ingersoll is a family name, and we are related to (at least) the watch makers. My uncle has a collection of several hundred pocket watches with the name. It'd be cool to get my hands on a razor!
RAD enabler!

Funny thing, my (Much older) brother says he was issued and used a straight in Viet Nam. We were interrupted and never did finish the conversation come to think of it. So that's all I know!

Originally Posted by gratewhitehuntr

my first strop was an ingersol (sp)

it was rather short and had the square wire handle at one end and I think it was made of pig skin
the leather was very nice

I just sent it to a newb along with a wapi and pasted sticks and maybe something else

of course it was only 16 (18?) x 2 so he probably thinks it sucks
I thought it was a nice strop and it served me well

good luck digging the razor out

The strop you describe sounds exactly like the one I just received from ebay. When I opened the package I was a little disappointing. But since I have used it I think it is a fantastic little strop. The leather was a bit old and worn out. But after applying a little oil it is as good as new. Now the only problem with it is rust on the hardware. A little polish should take care of that.

Originally Posted by Walt

Quite the opposite bigspendur. World War One was where the double edged blade really came into its own. According to Gordon McKibben in his book "The Cutting Edge", Military regulations at the beginning of the war required that every man provide himself with a shave kit and Gillette's compact $5 kit with disposable blades far outsold all competitors such as AutoStrop and Eversharp. It was necessary for soldiers to be clean shaved so their gas masks would fit tightly to their faces.

Before the war's end the U.S. military began issuing Gillette shaving kits to every U.S. serviceman providing 3.5 million razors stuffed into canvas kits and metal boxes.

Regards - Walt

You sometimes wonder what part politics played in the U.S issuing any particular brand and product to large numbers of people.

The adaption to DE's like many other products usually takes a familiar path. The manufacturer advertises catering to the young because they will buy new technologies and products while older folks are the last to give up what they have been using. In the general population it was only around WWll that DE's really became popular being sold in much greater number than straights. You would probably find in the under age 30 crowd DEs were king by the early 1920s.

No different than with the transition from pocket to wrist watches. Wristwatches came out around WWl but didn't really become popular until the late 1920s early 1930s and once again it was the younger people who were the first to by into the new technology.