F. Herder's Double Hollow Ground D.B.G.M.

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Originally Posted by BobH

There are some thoughts on maintaining vulcanite on this site Leica FAQ — Vulcanite , scroll down to maintenance . It may or may not be useful on razor scales but could not hurt any.

Bob

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That's a great article, Bob! I have an old vulcanite covered Leica IIIc that needs recovering.

The main difference as far as I can see between ebonite and vulcanite is the level of sulphur, otherwise they are identical. When you consider that ebonite scales are brittle, and vulcanized rubbers used for camera trim, car tyres and auto trim are fairly pliable you can see that what might work on one will not work on another.

Anyway, I fully agree that a more conservative approach be used first - it might just work!

Regards,
Neil

I have used glycerine on my thread mount Leicas with no ill effects.

Bob

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Originally Posted by manah

...D.R.G.M. or Deutsches Reich Gebrauchs Muster (German empire utility design) is usually thought to have had some value at law, but such was not the case: in reality the mark served little purpose other than acting as an implication that the design to which it was attached was no more than an ersatz (substitute) pattern. It was, in a sense, an apology for an inferior type...

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I don't buy into that at all. The german patent system is/was totally unlike ours, and innovations or even changes in design could be protected by the DRGM registration. Friedr. Herder did use the DRGM mark, and that is a fine make of razor, as you well know.

Many other top-quality german straight razor makers used the DRGM registration too, including JA Henckels, Ewald Kron, Krusius Bros, Grah & Co and Robert Klaas, to name but a few. In fact any maker active before 1952 probably used it.

Not only razor makers but other trades used the marks, and some excellent makers are included there too. I collect cameras, so am familiar with the likes of CP Goertz lenses, Plaubel-Makina bodies, Compur compound shutters, Rolleicord and Rolleiflex TLR cameras, etc, etc - all of whom used the DRGM mark.

No way does DRGM signify inferior - I know that for a fact.

Regards,
Neil

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Originally Posted by BobH

I have used glycerine on my thread mount Leicas with no ill effects.

Bob

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The trouble with my IIIc is that part of the covering is blistered out and away from the camera body, some small parts are broken off and missing, and on top of all that it has that curious 'spotty-chrome' effect that reveals the brass that you sometimes see on older leicas.

Regards,
Neil

Neil,
I know many razors and edged weapons with D.R.G.M. mark, and the quality of them is high.
Possibly, such relation to D.R.G.M., because it provides an initial three years protection extendable for another three years to six maximum. Instead of 15 years with D.R.P., which was started earlier, in June 1877 and continue today.

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Originally Posted by Neil Miller

The trouble with my IIIc is that part of the covering is blistered out and away from the camera body, some small parts are broken off and missing, and on top of all that it has that curious 'spotty-chrome' effect that reveals the brass that you sometimes see on older leicas.

Regards,
Neil

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Yea, using glycerine is preventive maintenance, won't do a thing for loose or broken vulcanite. Mostly the post war IIIc models seem to suffer from the spotty chrome jobs. Speculation on the cause has been, rightly or wrongly, that post war shortages lead for a time to changes in the chroming process. My IIIc has chrome chrome issues too but the sharkskin vulcanite is perfect.

Bob

Nice score,Herders are great razors, i have almost a 7 days set of them so i can say i like them.
Have fun whit him!