Curley Ideal Safety Razor

[dinerroll1066]

Hello esteemed SRP members, I humbly ask your support. I just this morning gave myself my first shave with a shavette like "straight razor," and luckily only gave myself one nick and no burn, but that's the subject of another post.

Since telling my father of my interest in straight razor shaving, he has done some digging and found my great grandfathers razor, a "Curley Ideal Safety Razor"

http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwiki/index.php/Curley_%22Ideal_Safety_Razor%22_6/8

I was hoping one of you might be able to explain the guard looking piece and its role in shaving. For instance, is this guard what make's this str8 "safe?" How would one shave with the guard in place? How would you hone this blade with the guard in the way? How do you rotate the guard (so it looks like the photo in the link here on SRP)? Assuming the guard is part of the actual shaving, is it adjustable or movable (for different beard types, and for left/right handedness?)

I know it's a lot of questions and it's my first post, but I'm on the beginning of what I hope will be a mystical and magical journey into wet shaving, and I want all the information I can get on this heirloom.

[Walt]

Since that's my razor in your post, maybe I can help you out. The guard is meant to keep the blade from rotating outward so that you can't get too steep of an angle on the blade and cut yourself. The guard is held in place by a catch that is built into the tang. Holding the blade section carefully in your left hand, lift up on the "monkey tail" end of the tang. This will cause the latch arm to rotate downward and disengage from the groove in the guard. The guard can then be rotated to the left or right side of the razor. The blade rides next to your skin and the guard stays to the outside of the blade. To hone or strop the razor, the guard can be slipped off the front and the razor can be stropped like any other regular razor. I hope this helps. If not PM me and I will try to go into more detail.

Regards - Walt

[gandrw]

That is a beautiful razor I have seen some with that type of guard in antique stores but the worker didn't know enough about it to be of any help.
Is that a replaceable blade or a frame back? The one I saw was a replaceable.

[Walt]

Yes, the blade can be removed and replaced. I have seen a number of advertisements for the Curley razor, but this is never mentioned. Nor have I seen replacement blades advertised for this razor. Maybe that was a function of the factory to replace the blades when they became worn.

Regards - Walt

[dinerroll1066]

Hey Walt,

Thanks for the quick reply. I'll try the steps you suggested this Sunday when I go to my father's house regarding the guard.

I got the impression that the blade was the same as any other straight (that it could be maintained more or less indefinitely through honing/stropping). When you say the blade is replaceable, does that only apply to the men of the 20s who didn't want to/couldn't hone, or is the steel such that the blade NEEDS to be replaced?

[TheRedlines]

The guard is adjustable so I believe it is meant to be honed. I have one in it's original box at home waiting to be cleaned up. It didn't come with extra blades but the coffin has an extra slot for them.
-Duke

[Walt]

When you say the blade is replaceable, does that only apply to the men of the 20s who didn't want to/couldn't hone, or is the steel such that the blade NEEDS to be replaced?

Just because the blade is removable, I don't believe it falls into the category of "disposable". There were several razor makers (Weck, Litt, etc.) that sold replacement blades which were inexpensive enough that they could be replaced when dulled. But even those blades could be honed and stropped the same as a regular razor and the blades would remain usable for a long time. After closely watching eBay auctions, going to flea markets, estate auctions and reading a lot of old advertising over the years, I don't remember ever seeing any Curley replacement blades. That's not to say they weren't available, just that I haven't seen any. It's my opinion that the Curley was intended to be used like any frameback that didn't have a removeable blade.

Regards - Walt

[Walt]

I came across this ad in a 1903 issue of Munsey's Magazine that shows Curley did sell replacement blades for their razors. But, at 75 cents each in those years, they would have been IMO too costly to have been disposable. Like the Lecoultre, they were probably meant to be used in rotation.

Regards - Walt

[skiludd]

Do you happen to know where I can get a replacement handle for a Curley's Ideal Razor? My fiance has the same razor but the handle (scales) had been broken off. Fred Skiludd@aol.com Please let me know.

[Walt]

It would be a long shot to find an original set of scales for the Curley without buying an entire razor. Any of the folks who advertise their restoration skills in the SRP classifieds could make a set of scales for you. They just require a slightly wider spacer to accommodate the guard which sits alongside the blade. If you decide on one of these craftsmen you can contact me and I can provide an outline of the original scales.

Regards - Walt