Thread: What is this razor... and this other widget?

Hmmm. I've got one of those Durham Duplexes.. it was included free with an eBetray purchase. I'll put in a DE blade and hack at my face and see what happens. I still haven't used the Rolls razor (which is in pretty good condition) which I won at a razor meet some months ago. I'm afraid of that thing! An open razor I don't fear, but those contraptions are scary!

Originally Posted by dyimages

The Durham I believe uses a DE blade.

As for the Rolls, if you are interested the local antique shop has one or two in stock. I could go and see how much they are, so you have all the parts for your set.

That's very generous, but I actually had the reverse in mind!

If anyone wants the Rolls, the Durham or both, they can have them for free. ("dyimages" has first right of refusal.) You may have to wait unitl I have a chance to package them and make a trip to the post office.

The Rolls razor was an ingenious and high quality device, which combined many of the virtues of the straight razor and the double-edged safety razor which eventually killed it. An elderly friend of mine was pursued by the company to find out the origin of a replacement blade which a friend had made for him, probably during or just after the war, when parts for many things were hard to get. He wouldn't tell them, so he never did find out whether they wanted to know such a talented artificer, or to lay about them with a big stick for breach of registered design. They could talk, since they had no relation with the late Honourable Charles Rolls or Rolls-Royce, and chose the name since it sounded classy.

Later the company was bought as a moribund shell by one John Bloom, who used it to market washing machines direct to the public on hire purchase. But a host of minor things went wrong, together with the conventional retail manufacturers taking him on in a price war. I remember the scandal well, as he was heavily criticised for supposed malpractice, but proved a strong influence on British commercial law, since a lot of things he did aren't allowed nowadays. Somebody has to do it.

Rolls Razor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

I would like to have the Rolls if you still have it. I have extra parts and can put it to use immediately.

Jim

Originally Posted by Antenna60

That's very generous, but I actually had the reverse in mind!

If anyone wants the Rolls, the Durham or both, they can have them for free. ("dyimages" has first right of refusal.) You may have to wait unitl I have a chance to package them and make a trip to the post office.

I enjoy shaving with a Rolls! Very comfortable and effective. Nice on occasion!

The Durham Duplex blades that are made for shaving are not available to my knowledge. You can buy the same blade at Home Depot or Lowe's as a carpet cutting blade. They can be stropped and used, but personally I found them a little on the rought side.

A regular DE blade will not fit. They made a "T" shaped razor that took the same Durham blade and made for a very wide head on the razor.

I hope that helps a little.

Will N.

That sounds plausible enough. I have some I bought in Ace Hardware in Kuwait, but next to nobody buys them for shaving now. I can recall them being used in hair trimmers several decades ago, and variously marketed as being for people or pets.