This beauty is proving to be a complete mystery, as I havent been able to find anything out about either the razor or the company. It is The Grath, The Lifetime Razor made by Grath Adjustable Safety Razor Company of Los Angeles, Cal. I came across this set recently, and even though I could see it wasnt going to be a shaver, I couldnt resist the overall coolness of the thing. So, of course, I bought it.
As you can see, it is a wedge blade open comb with an ingenious adjustment feature. By loosening the two side set screws, the bottom plate can be made to slide back and forth in response to the worm drive action of the center screw. It is practically infinitely adjustable: I think you could make this as mild as a lamb, or about as terrifying as any safety razor could be. Another interesting feature is the built-in angle imparted by the slight bend at the top of the handle; a precursor, perhaps, to the angled handles of the Schick injectors? Also ahead of its time, it seemingly anticipated todays trend toward heavier and heavier razors: this thing is a beast, weighing in at a whopping 91 grams.
It came with the stropping attachments shown in the last photo, but only one blade. Alas, Im not set up, either in terms of equipment or skill, for honing and stropping, so for me, this is a showpiece only.
Anyone out there have any intelligence or history on this one?
