Results 1 to 10 of 10
  1. #1
    Coticule researcher
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    1,872
    Thanked: 1212

    Default A safety straight???

    I received a package in the mail today, with 9 vintage razors I won on Ebay for €12.
    Most are good candidates for restoration.
    There was also a weird specimen, that looks like some sort of safety straight razor. There was a detachable blade locked in the razor, and it shaves my arm hair right out of the newspaper it came wrapped it.

    On the tang it says:
    PAT. U.S.A.MAY 28.07
    AND FOREIGN COUNTRIES

    On the other side:
    MADE IN U.S.A.

    on the front piece of the blade fixture:
    DURHAM DUPLEX

    and a logo with two lions and the initials "DD"

    If anyone can share any further information, I'd be much obliged.

    Thanks,
    Bart.
    Attached Images Attached Images   

  2. #2
    Coticule researcher
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    1,872
    Thanked: 1212

    Default Update

    I googled and found this:
    Durham Duplex - Carbon & Stainless Steel Razor Blades

    Seems like i could even still get some blades for it.
    Anyone any experiences to share?

    Bart.

  3. #3
    Kurdilicious Rawaz's Avatar
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    Mountains of Kurdistan (Sweden really)
    Posts
    348
    Thanked: 39

    Default

    Cool, never seen one like that before..I can imagine it was perhaps used by barbers and hairdressers

  4. #4
    Grumpy old sod Whiskers's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2008
    Location
    Media, PA
    Posts
    451
    Thanked: 88

    Default

    I've looked at razors like this before.

    I always thought it was for hair or beard trimming.

  5. #5
    At this point in time... gssixgun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    North Idaho Redoubt
    Posts
    26,947
    Thanked: 13221
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    OK not to burst any bubbles here but these things are a dime a dozen on E-bay and in the antiques stores...

    Normally billed as "Extremely Rare" !!!!

    I think I still have two of them tucked in the junk box under the sink, they came in a lot just as you described, I also have a few "Corn" razors around too but I actually use those for scraping off rust on restores....

  6. #6
    < Banned User >
    Join Date
    Feb 2009
    Location
    Phoenix
    Posts
    1,125
    Thanked: 156

    Default

    My grandmother's hair stylist used those. She would cut the hair on the top of the head with it. I'm not sure if they are meant for shaving faces.

  7. #7
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Mar 2009
    Location
    Sussex, UK
    Posts
    1,710
    Thanked: 234

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by Whiskers View Post
    I've looked at razors like this before.

    I always thought it was for hair or beard trimming.
    I was under that impression as well, for the hair on the top of your head. That's what the ebay adverts seem to say most of the time at least.

  8. #8
    Coticule researcher
    Join Date
    Jan 2008
    Location
    Belgium
    Posts
    1,872
    Thanked: 1212

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gssixgun View Post
    OK not to burst any bubbles here but these things are a dime a dozen on E-bay and in the antiques stores...

    Normally billed as "Extremely Rare" !!!!

    I think I still have two of them tucked in the junk box under the sink, they came in a lot just as you described, I also have a few "Corn" razors around too but I actually use those for scraping off rust on restores....
    I had no bubbles about it. I actually wasn't even aware that such a thing would be included in the package.

    Upon checking out that website, I started wondering if the original use could have been shaving of animal skins (tannery industry), and industrial use a like.
    There was an amount of short whiskers left in the fixture that looked like hair from a paint brush (boar).

    What I do find highly interesting, is that Durham Duplex still offers a variety of different blades that would seemingly fit the fixture, including ...
    Stainless Steel Blades
    Carbon Steel Blades
    Tungsten Carbide Blades
    P.V.D. Blades
    Titanium Nitride (TIN) Blades
    Titanium Carbo Nitride Blades
    Ceramic Slitter Blades
    Endurium Razor Blades

    Maybe I have some experimenting ahead.
    Let's see if Durham responds to email.
    Bart.

  9. #9
    At this point in time... gssixgun's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    North Idaho Redoubt
    Posts
    26,947
    Thanked: 13221
    Blog Entries
    1

    Default

    Go for it Bart, I always thought they were the in-between razor... in between a straight and a DE....

  10. #10
    Senior Member Walt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
    Location
    Knoxville, TN
    Posts
    874
    Thanked: 312

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by gssixgun View Post
    Go for it Bart, I always thought they were the in-between razor... in between a straight and a DE....
    Glen is correct. The Durham Duplex was a transitional razor that was purely intended to be used for shaving the face. All of the literature that came with the razors give instructions for shaving and not hair styling. That is something that came along much later. There were four types; the Duplex, the Domino, the Demonstrator and a DE configuration. The cased sets came with a stropping attachment that allowed you to resharpen the blades. Blades are still available commercially because there is now a fifth style with the razor attached to a straight handle used for dog grooming. As far as value is concerned, these are at the very low end of the scale.

    Regards - Walt


  11. The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to Walt For This Useful Post:

    Bart (05-01-2009), beenpickin (04-30-2009)

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •