Thread: What is this?

I'm a novice and would like some info on this. Is this a beard trimmer?

It is a barber/hairstylist hair trimming razor.

I've moved this one to the Razors forum where it should get a bit more coverage.

Thats a Durham Duplex, which was a sort of straight razor that took DE blades. They were designed to be a sort of safety straight razor so that people who liked using straight razors could continue to do so, but got the benefits of the DE replaceable blades and reduced chance of a nick. You could also use them as a beard trimmer.

You see them on eBay from time to time.

Originally Posted by Stubear

You see them on eBay from time to time.

...quite often mislabeled as "Urham Uplex". *facepalm*

That would be the rare and endangered "Barber Spatula". Quite unique, and often found on ebay listed as a straight razor for 50$!

It's a Durnham Duplex... A hair shaping tool. Durnham also made disposable straight razors, but the Duplex (the one with the "comb" like yours) is the most common.

Stu: They were used on the face, even with that comb? Learn something new every day... I saw an ad for one, sans the comb, so I thought they were specifically hair and face, comb and open, respectively

Okay . . . let's go over this one more time. The Durham Duplex was designed, patented, and sold as a safety razor. It was not intended as a beard trimmer, a hair styler or anything but a device for shaving the face. The safety guard is not a comb, but is intended to maintain the blade at the proper angle to prevent the user from cutting themselves. As can be seen by this early advertisement, the razor is marketed as a safety razor. Its double edged blade enabled the user to switch hands and shave either side of the face.


Safety razors go back a long way. The Plantagenet razor was made in the 1850s and used the same toothed safety guard that was used by Durham, Weck, Litt and a host of other 20th century makers of straight safety razors. The Plantagent guard screwed to the top of the spine and could be reversed for ambidextrous shaving.



It's true that in more modern times razors of this sort have been used as hair styling tools. But, that is an evolutionary thing and was not the original intention of the inventor(s).

Regards - Walt

Walt- I still think it's a barber's spatula.

Cool links, and thanks for the knowledge!

Originally Posted by Walt

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It's true that in more modern times razors of this sort have been used as hair styling tools. But, that is an evolutionary thing and was not the original intention of the inventor.

Regards - Walt

My first sight of this brought back memories of sitting on a kitchen chair whilst my mother wielded a similar device over my young head!

Originally Posted by RF1963

My first sight of this brought back memories of sitting on a kitchen chair whilst my mother wielded a similar device over my young head!

Consider yourself lucky 1963. My brothers and I were turned over to an uncle for our tonsorial requirements. He used those clippers that were squeezed back and forth and pulled out half of the hairs by the roots. I don't remember him ever oiling or sharpening that evil instrument. After one of his "haircuts" that left me looking like a cereal bowl had been placed over my head, he dubbed me "Moe" because I looked like one of the Three Stooges. He called me by that name until I was 18-years-old and he had passed on to that special heaven reserved for wanna-be barbers.

Regards - Walt

Originally Posted by Walt

Consider yourself lucky 1963. My brothers and I were turned over to an uncle for our tonsorial requirements. He used those clippers that were squeezed back and forth and pulled out half of the hairs by the roots. I don't remember him ever oiling or sharpening that evil instrument. After one of his "haircuts" that left me looking like a cereal bowl had been placed over my head, he dubbed me "Moe" because I looked like one of the Three Stooges. He called me by that name until I was 18-years-old and he had passed on to that special heaven reserved for wanna-be barbers.

Regards - Walt

I didn't say they were fond memories!