Sorry, I wasn't being very clear - what I meant to say is I can't be sure when this razor was produced in relation to the others - before vs after the Deluxe. As for being a variant of the Deluxe, I suppose it is. But the head design is about as different from the Deluxe as the Standard, so I really just think of it as a variant Darwin. Regarding the cases - I have a Standard that came in a Deluxe style "coffin" case; and this variant Darwin came in a leather travel case, like the one posted above. Confusing?
Attention Darwin Razor Owners
- Thread starter ShavinBacon
- Start date
No more then I find trying to unravel any of the Darwin history. I really feel that all of the Darwins with the candelabra (for want of a better word) handles including the Bijou are made of solid cobalt steel. I believe they were made starting in 1925 when the patent was registered and no later then 1939 when WWII started. I don't think they could have continued to make them out of cobalt steel during the war. I think they involved a lot of hand work and that is part of the reason that there are so many variations from razor to razor. They may not have been made after 1932 when Paul R. Kuehnrich killed himself over financial trouble. I suspect that the Bakelite Miracol was a war time production. But I can't find any dates for that one either.
What I know of the Darwins is based way more on "I think", "I feel", and "I suspect" than any facts.
Well stated, Connie.
I'd like to figure out what magazines Darwins Ltd ran ads in and try to dig up some old ads to see if the yield any info on the history of these razors.
Another interesting thing - I have some old Darwin razor blades, and the wrappers have addresses for Darwin Razor Corp. in both New York City and Cleveland.
I'd like to figure out what magazines Darwins Ltd ran ads in and try to dig up some old ads to see if the yield any info on the history of these razors.
Another interesting thing - I have some old Darwin razor blades, and the wrappers have addresses for Darwin Razor Corp. in both New York City and Cleveland.
I thought this observation deserved another photo here:
Original - Deluxe (blade loaded) - Standard
I just had a thought... Maybe we could narrow down the age of the Darwins by checking how long a British patent last. Maybe the ones that only have Darwin on both sides of the cap were made after the patent expired. 
...... But a quick check of the Gov.UK site reads...
How long a patent lasts
A patent can last for 20 years from the date you apply for it. After youve held a patent for 4 years, you must pay to renew it every year if you want to keep it.
..... So that's not much help because it would all depend on how long they paid the renewal fees.
...... But a quick check of the Gov.UK site reads...How long a patent lasts
A patent can last for 20 years from the date you apply for it. After youve held a patent for 4 years, you must pay to renew it every year if you want to keep it.
..... So that's not much help because it would all depend on how long they paid the renewal fees.
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I just had a thought... Maybe we could narrow down the age of the Darwins by checking how long a British patent last. Maybe the ones that only have Darwin on both sides of the cap were made after the patent expired.
How long a patent lasts
A patent can last for 20 years from the date you apply for it. After youve held a patent for 4 years, you must pay to renew it every year if you want to keep it.
..... So that's not much help because it would all depend on how long they paid the renewal fees.
Those fees should be recorded somewhere - though maybe not online for older patents. Also you can look for patent pending marks, because application dates are generally available and you can often work out which patent was pending. And you can look for otherwise identical razors where the patent marks are different or missing.
...I believe they were made starting in 1925 when the patent was registered and no later then 1939 when WWII started. I don't think they could have continued to make them out of cobalt steel during the war. I think they involved a lot of hand work and that is part of the reason that there are so many variations from razor to razor. They may not have been made after 1932 when Paul R. Kuehnrich killed himself over financial trouble. I suspect that the Bakelite Miracol was a war time production. But I can't find any dates for that one either.
I was just having a look at Waits SRC. According to that source, Darwin razors were manufactured from circa 1932 to 1950s, and the date associated with the cobalt steel DE is 1933. Not sure how accurate this is, but next time I'm at the library, I'm going to have a look at some old magazines like Esquire.
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I don't know where Waits got his dates from. To me it doesn't make much sense that the patent was registered in 1925 and that they waited 7 years to start making the razors. According to UK patent law, they only could have held the patent for 4 years before having to pay to renew it.
I agree with you, Connie. You'd expect the razors to have been made at the time of or soon after the patent. Or before. How many Gillettes actually say "patent pending?" What if production didn't ramp up until AFTER Kuehnrich's death for some reason?
A mystery.
A mystery.
The cobalt steel patent dates back to 1916.
That 1932 date should likely be closer to 1926. Over at Darwin on the wiki we say the Darwin Ltd company started in 1926, and I see advertising dated to 1926. Also this pamphlet advertising the products is dated 1930. Darwin Ltd was a spinoff of an existing manufacturing company for cobalt steel products, and seems to have started as a way to market the steel. So they probably started their own manufacturing pretty quickly.
The final date was probably earlier, too. Paul Richard Kuehnrich died in 1932, around the same time the company tried a make-or-break USA launch of the "Miracol" razor. As far as I can tell that did not go very well. The last print reference I could find was 1940, and suggests that blades were becoming hard to find. Apparently the blade-making equipment was sold to a "Samuel Fox and Company" in 1945. If Darwin razors or blades were made after that point, they may have simply been using the name.
My guess is that they didn't start making them until after they got the patent registered. I have never seen one that says "patent applied for".
I think this one of yours that we call the "Darwin Original" was made very shortly after they received their registration number in 1925. The ones known as the Deluxe and the Standard have a much more refined look to them and I feel sure were made later. How much later and for how long.....
I'd love to have a look at this pamphlet. It looks like there is a digital copy at the John Johnson Collection, but I can't access it. Perhaps someone else would have some luck (looks like you need to be affiliated with a university).
Someone in the Boston area might be able to get to the copy at the Tisch library at Tufts. Apparently it is only six pages long.
I'll see if I can make it over there. Sounds interesting.
Wow, that would be great if you can, Jake! 
That would be outstanding, Jake. Here I was plotting an excuse to travel to Boston...
I'm awaiting response from the Tisch Library regarding gaining access. I'm neither a student nor alumnus of Tufts. I did gain access to the MIT library to research their old copies of the Gillette magazine from the 1920s and 1930s. Fascinating stuff. There are also copies at the Boston Public Library. Now to check Tufts for Darwin details. Will let you know what I discover.
Fantastic, Jake! Thanks going to all this effort!
I just received this message from the reference librarian at the Tisch Library at Tufts:
"You can access the item if you come into the Tisch library. If it's electronic, then you can access it via the library computers. If it is in print, then you may use while you are in the library, but as you aren't a member of the Tisch community, you are not able to check the item out."
I'll try to get there later this week or next. More to come folks.
"You can access the item if you come into the Tisch library. If it's electronic, then you can access it via the library computers. If it is in print, then you may use while you are in the library, but as you aren't a member of the Tisch community, you are not able to check the item out."
I'll try to get there later this week or next. More to come folks.
Woot!
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