Souplex Owners Club

[Wombat ESQ]

As promised here’s my Souplex selection.
The first one (without case) I found in a really nasty looking and smelling grooming kit. Not sure what sort of grooming it was used for….my nose suggested small dogs that liked Old View attachment 1721239Holborn roll ups. The little razor was in quite good condition…..handle was a bit green in the grooves but cleaned up a treat with the tin foil rub down ( an old rocker’s trick for getting the rust off your Gold Star handlebars).
Top little razors in my book.I think that perhaps they clamp the blade really well or is there something more esoteric going on here. Mr Souplex I salute you…..

I like the shape of the handle in the leather case, nice, a little different from the general shaped throat of most razors.
Said to self, self, I'm damn sure there was a ladies blade wrapper in that style of the mans blade, memory was off by a teenth. Similar but it was the cardboard box that had the souplex logo on it, even then the oval vs diamond was a teenth off in the memory bank, bugga!

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

Souplex

 

[Wombat ESQ]

View attachment 1722311
Souplex

OH, now you've done it ....... sticks fingers in ears LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA! I'm not listening !!
Now I'm just going to have to search out bleedin ancient Souplex mens wrappers

 

[Alum Ladd]

Big announcement Gents!

Thanks to the obvious genious idea of Souplex fanboi and all-round good guy Brother @Lee Van Cleft it looks like we may have a club T shirt indicating our Souplex lurve status to a probably slightly baffled world!

How cool is that eh? First club to have a T shirt!

Design ideas anyone?

We may be able to knock out 10+ to members interested lol.

Good enough in my eyes!

 

[Wombat ESQ]

triple X L ? The string holding my navel in has worn through will they have pockets?? designer colours? or two tone?

Full lettering, or just an acronym? Holden Racing Team is not a good look just as H R T

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

OH, now you've done it ....... sticks fingers in ears LA LA LA LA LA LA LA LA! I'm not listening !!
Now I'm just going to have to search out bleedin ancient Souplex mens wrapper

Big announcement Gents!

Thanks to the obvious genious idea of Souplex fanboi and all-round good guy Brother @Lee Van Cleft it looks like we may have a club T shirt indicating our Souplex lurve status to a probably slightly baffled world!

How cool is that eh? First club to have a T shirt!

Design ideas anyone?

We may be able to knock out 10+ to members interested lol.

Good enough in my eyes!

I’ve got some ideas lads …..I like the blade wrapper with the gent on and also the one with the map of the U.K highlighting Morecombe.
Need to to a tad more research regarding designs but this is definitely do-able. Old adverts etc…..
Multiple colours bumps up the price but I’m hoping for a good deal / bit of a favour from the printer as she’s an old friend. Early days, but would be at worst a bit of fun.
Souplex….. got nothing to do with wrestling!!

 

[Wombat ESQ]

Souplex….. got nothing to do with wrestling!!

are you sure?

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

are you sure?

View attachment 1722934

All singing, all dancing titanium super adjustable v ………..Souplex!

 

[Obetron Rex]

I guess I'm in the Souplex club but I don't need a shirt haha. I bought a BigBen open comb awhile back with a solid handle and never got around to trying it. Then I decided I would wait until I got a Souplex with a hollow handle so I could compare them. I will be trying both soon but haven't yet. I was reading this thread and there is lots of good info and nice razors.
I did some weighing and handle comparisons. The solid handle on the BigBen is obviously heavier, but it also is a little different. It is just a hair longer than the hollow handle and the threaded end doesn't flare open quite as big around. The neck also looks just a hair thinner than the hollow one. I don't have the proper tool to take precise measurements but the pictures hopefully show my observations. The ends are also different where the grooves are cut.
Weights – Big Ben solid handle 32 grams, hollow handle 19g. The heads are both exactly the same to my eye except the names and they weigh the same. Base 11g, Cap 13g. The BigBen 56g total and the Souplex 43g.
The heavier handle seems better to me right now, but I will find out once I use them. Enjoy OCtober!

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

In the war on whiskers, there can only be one winner…..Souplex
I shall be attempting an OCtober Souplex special shave. Razor and vintage Souplex blade.
Nurse is on standby. Report and pics soon.

 

[Alum Ladd]

A few weeks ago, rambling in some forgotten post, I speculated upon the last three or four razors that I would still get, my urge to buy gear now being pretty much past.

In passing, I briefly mentioned that a spare Souplex would be one. A mere muse, half forgotten.

Well, a while later I gets a PM from Artist, Gentleman, Scholar and fellow Souplex lover, the wonderful Brother @Lee Van Cleft enquiring if I needed a spare, as he had accumulated a small menagerie of the little beauties.

Somewhat overwhelmed by this tremendous kindness, I hedged somewhat.

But the inevitable happened, and a wonderful package winged it's way from the mystical Isle of Avalon where King Cleft makes his Kingdom.

Behold!

In an act of artistic genius, King Cleft had printed some original Souplex artwork on to the package, thus proclaiming to a surprised but I believe suitably impressed Royal Mail that here, serious Souplex based mailing was in progress.

The razor itself, (another pristine little beaut, Souplexes are like elegant women keeping their looks and defying the ravages of time) was brilliantly packed in what I think is a brush box, again tastefully and cleverly emblazoned with original 1930's Souplex advertising artwork. Genius!

Also very generously and thoughtfully provided in the wonderful parcel was a beautifully preserved Souplex 'Double Six' blade, sealed in it's original wrapper.

In addition, a tuck of Bic blades, which I haven't used before. I mean, come on!

In addition to Scott's incredible kindness, we can get a glimpse of what a potential T shirt for the club could be emblazoned with, proclaiming our proud Souplexism to an admiring world.

Lots of brilliant material here. A couple of T shirt examples could be made from these rather cool Souplex emblems from the 1930's, a golden era of British independent razor manufacturing!

In conclusion, I would just like to thank Brother Scott from the bottom of my heart for his immense kindness and artistic imagination.

It's great to be a member of B&B with such Brothers.

Cheers mate!!

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

A few weeks ago, rambling in some forgotten post, I speculated upon the last three or four razors that I would still get, my urge to buy gear now being pretty much past.

In passing, I briefly mentioned that a spare Souplex would be one. A mere muse, half forgotten.

Well, a while later I gets a PM from Artist, Gentleman, Scholar and fellow Souplex lover, the wonderful Brother @Lee Van Cleft enquiring if I needed a spare, as he had accumulated a small menagerie of the little beauties.

Somewhat overwhelmed by this tremendous kindness, I hedged somewhat.

But the inevitable happened, and a wonderful package winged it's way from the mystical Isle of Avalon where King Cleft makes his Kingdom.

Behold!
View attachment 1727824

In an act of artistic genius, King Cleft had printed some original Souplex artwork on to the package, thus proclaiming to a surprised but I believe suitably impressed Royal Mail that here, serious Souplex based mailing was in progress.

The razor itself, (another pristine little beaut, Souplexes are like elegant women keeping their looks and defying the ravages of time) was brilliantly packed in what I think is a brush box, again tastefully and cleverly emblazoned with original 1930's Souplex advertising artwork. Genius!
View attachment 1727827

Also very generously and thoughtfully provided in the wonderful parcel was a beautifully preserved Souplex 'Double Six' blade, sealed in it's original wrapper.

In addition, a tuck of Bic blades, which I haven't used before. I mean, come on!
View attachment 1727829

In addition to Scott's incredible kindness, we can get a glimpse of what a potential T shirt for the club could be emblazoned with, proclaiming our proud Souplexism to an admiring world.

Lots of brilliant material here. A couple of T shirt examples could be made from these rather cool Souplex emblems from the 1930's, a golden era of British independent razor manufacturing!

In conclusion, I would just like to thank Brother Scott from the bottom of my heart for his immense kindness and artistic imagination.

It's great to be a member of B&B with such Brothers.

Cheers mate!!

Glad you got it Si. A mere Jiffy bag would be completely unacceptable for such a thing. Now about those other 199 I’ve got stashed….
All the best mate

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

An OCtober special shave …..
Chaps…I went for it. I’m still here to tell the tale.
Let’s go back…back in time to Jazz at the Savoy, clean lines, art deco and class A drugs in over the counter medicines.
Here we have a relic of those long gone days…..I usually avoid vintage grooming kits but this little set seemed like NOS and within it was an absolutely mint Souplex razor. I like them….small , nippy, lightweight….the exact opposite of myself apparently.
Also in the set was a beautifully crafted leather tuck containing 3 period correct blades. My curiosity led me to open one of the blade wraps and inside was a rust free, clean looking example of a Souplex blade.
Wonder what it would shave like?…..
Today I found out….
Prepped my special shave mix of Trumper’s lime and Taylor’s coconut cream and a few drops of glycerine.
Whisked up with the Omega pro boar brush…I love this brush. It’s a great lather generator and so soft on my face. Total luxury.
Carefully rinsed the blade with fairy liquid then left in hot water. Much thicker than today’s DE blades. Cooled then loaded up and we’re ready to go.
Hot water face rinse and a good coating of the tropical cocktail scuttle warmed lather.
OK…deep breath…here we go…..
Aaaargh!! Horrible…no amount of super slick lather was going to help this. Like life sometimes, I persisted, despite the discomfort. Managed half a side of my face but then my inner voice screamed..
JUST STOP THIS MADNESS YOU FOOL!!
It was like a pack of tiny rats eating my face off. I ran my thumb up against the grain and it had removed….not much.
Removed the offending blade and popped in a new Wizamet Iridium.
Aaaaaaah….back to the present day and the smooth , close shaving wonder that is the mini marvel Souplex.
Today I lived and learned.

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

I recall in some previous post from Sir Alum Ladd about his Souplex looking like it had a slight frown.
There’s definitely a very slight curve on the top cap’s blade edge side. I’ve no idea if this is beneficial or would it be considered poor manufacturing?
At the very least , the four corner points of the top cap would clamp down real tight on the blade ends. Do any other razors have this curve? Does it impart some torsion onto the blade edge?
The curve is very slight… it could even be caused by welding heat used to attach the blade guides either side of the threaded post .
It’s a very even radius from end to end and barely perceptible.
I wonder how this would interact
with the base plate and blade?
The heads are very thin on these razors which I love. Can get in all the awkward spots with ease.
Whatever , it is one of my top vintage razors. I have a reasonable selection of the well rated ones ( although nothing compared to some on here) and the little Souplex with all its charm is right in the running.
Souplex!

 

[Alum Ladd]

I recall in some previous post from Sir Alum Ladd about his Souplex looking like it had a slight frown.
There’s definitely a very slight curve on the top cap’s blade edge side. I’ve no idea if this is beneficial or would it be considered poor manufacturing?
At the very least , the four corner points of the top cap would clamp down real tight on the blade ends. Do any other razors have this curve? Does it impart some torsion onto the blade edge?
The curve is very slight… it could even be caused by welding heat used to attach the blade guides either side of the threaded post .
It’s a very even radius from end to end and barely perceptible.
I wonder how this would interact
with the base plate and blade?
The heads are very thin on these razors which I love. Can get in all the awkward spots with ease.
Whatever , it is one of my top vintage razors. I have a reasonable selection of the well rated ones ( although nothing compared to some on here) and the little Souplex with all its charm is right in the running.
Souplex!


View attachment 1728745

Excellent observations there King Cleft!

There is a couple of 1934 patents on the Souplex I'm trying to track down. It may take a while.

The build quality on these razors seem excellent, as were all English branded razors of the period. I don't think the frown was some defect. I think it was built into the design.

I find the blade clamping to be superb, and I get no chatter at all. It's great for ATG work in my experience, the best OC for ATG strokes I have encountered.

The ultra thin head cap also seems beautifully made and well shaped. Better than a contemporary OC Gillette Old thin cap.

All these factors do seem to create an impression of deliberate design, and engineering thought. Even the teeth seem rather different.

In any event it creates an OC that can do serious heavy lifting of a week + growth, or equally works as a daily driver.

Its manoeverablty and delightfully thin head also makes for Tech like cornering and sheer precesion in tough and hard to get at areas.

All in all an amazing OC. We need to research it further!

 

[albsat]

Are the blade tabs covered in this Souplex razor?

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

Are the blade tabs covered in this Souplex razor?

No……but don’t let that put you off. It’s a marvellous razor. Used mine this morning and it delivered a fantastic almost BBS in 2 passes. Used the Personna med prep blade and it was smooth, irritation free, quick and efficient. Had the solid handle version today and I like it. Wipes out whiskers….
Souplex!!

 

[purecro]

Razor: Souplex
Blade: Wilkinson Sword Light Brigades (3)
Brush: Semogue Barbear Português 2023
Preshave: PAA The Cube
Soap: Tobs Sandalwood Shaving Cream
Aftershave: Tobs Sandalwood Aftershave Lotion (Splash), Tobs Sandalwood Moisturising Cream

Superb shave. Glad I used it for OCtober 2023.

 

[Lee Van Cleft]

A lovely time this morning with this set up. Omega boar brush….around a fiver!!
Somersets max glide oil and La Toja stick soap. Solid handle Souplex and Personna med prep blade.
I’ve been enjoying my shaves with this soap lately. Honest , cheap, unpretentious.
Few drops of oil massaged in to my stubble and then face lathered with the mini Omega and La Toja.
Not a load of regrowth so straight in for an ATG pass with the Souplex. Nice……smooth and efficient. Really quick and easy. Rinse off revealed an excellent single pass feel…some extra work on the neck required but if I was pushed for time it would certainly do. Lathered up again and took a bit more care this time. ATG all the way.
Got the tricky sides of the Adam’s apple very smooth. If these areas are good I know the rest will be too. Rinse and alum rub, minimal zing, rinse off.
A damn fine Souplex shave. It’s a little beauty….

 

[Alum Ladd]

Razor: 1930's English Souplex OC
Blade: Gillette Silver Blue (4)
Brush: Synthetic A La Wilko
Soap: Hampshire Lanolin Shaving Soap No.1 Original Formula
AS Balm: Nivea Sensitive

For my final shave with the GSB tonight, let's visit an airy fairy wonderland where you could purchase class A drugs over the counter at Boots, Mr Baldwin was telling us over the wireless that the bomber would always get through, and when the Gold Standard was still a thing. Great Britain in the mid 1930's, where the Souplex razor reigned and briefly roared it's superiority.

It had to be the Souplex, my finest OC and probably my most gloriously effficient and joyful razor.

So I loaded up the GSB on trip number 4 and commenced a most wonderful shave.

My idea of a pre-shave is to thoroughly wash the face, rinse and keep wet using hottish water and drawing my hand against the grain of my stubble, which I have persuaded myself helps in some way. Auto-suggestion is a wonderful thing. I never shower before shaving, for as is well known, too much bathing weakens the constitution.

I have been using a most wonderful arisan soap from Tantra, a small batch soap made in Hampshire. Made with the finest ingredients, it is an unpretentious yet magnificient performer, with all the richness, slickness and glide one could desire. I take the smallish puck in my hand and lather straight from it. It creates a fantastic result. After thoroughly letting the puck dry I stash it in an old Sho-Ka-Kola tin.

Got an excellent lather applied using the great Wilko synthetic, and set to with the Souplex.

A most glorious, efficient and deeply satisfying 3 passer resulted, leaving my skin smooth, my whiskers removed and my soul raised. I mean that's one of the main parts of shaving right?

The wonderful Souplex wins again!