Tell your favorite razor's history

I read lots of threads, and especially like stories on the vintage ones. A recurring theme of most men (I haven't read any from female authors) is their memories of shaving with their father or grandfather and preserving their family heirloom razor. On a personal note, I was raised in a single parent home and my parting gift from my mother before I got on the bus for the military was a Braun rechargeable razor. Having never shaved before, I figured it out in basic training, even though there was technically nothing there to shave for about another year .

Of our favorite razors, there usually is a story associated with it, either from your family or the family you got it from (if you are lucky), or even how you found it and saved it from certain demise under Mrs. Melba's leaky bathroom sink.

This Old Type is my favorite. Not because it gives me joyful BBS or because it was my Dad's, but because of the story that followed it to my own shave den. The story tells itself, and I think it speaks volumes of the man that used it throughout his life. It is a 1919 Old Type # J 7742. Property of the US Army. That makes the original owner of this razor a WW1 Vet. Being a Vet, I already feel a kinship with the original owner. He is probly in his late teens, early twenties when he was issued this razor. I was living near Ogden Ut. when I found this razor in a second hand store, and the clippings confirmed it had spent the remainder of its time in Ogden until I purchased it and brought it to Illinois with me. When I bought it I noticed an old newspaper folded and laying in the box. I assumed this to be instructions or packing material as I didnt give it much thought at the time. Never did I suspect it was a solemn possession of the original owner. The dated handwriting on the news clipping was there at the time of purchase so I believe it is original to the owner.


As found.









I know this isn't the normal happy go lucky thread starter, but a razor's story nonetheless. I hope to hear other's story of their razors as time permits.

That is wonderful. I often wonder about where my razors have been, who owned them, what was life like when the razors were new, etc. Your story brings all of that to light, even with the sense of tragedy.

olschoolsteel - I plugged the names in to Ancestry.com for George W. Buchanan and Emil Olsen and found their draft registration cards.  Did one of the fathers keep these articles about their son or daughter? That is what is neat about history and chasing the backgrounds.

Cincinnatus,
I believed that this razor was owned by Orval as he would have been of prime age for the military at WW1 given that the razor was gov't issue. But it is entirely possible it could have been owned by the father of the bride or groom.
You see, I had to put myself in his place. Where could I put a small reminder of both the happiest and tragic moment of me and my spouses life together? I dont want something triggering hurt memories in my wife. Of all the hiding places in my house, where is she least likely to go? Maybe the box where I store my razor?

Aside from a few yahoo searches on the 4 names mentioned in the articles, I came up zippo. I thought about the 1940s census that were released by the US National Archives, but they arent digitized for easy searches and everything is hand written. As big as what Salt Lake area was and is, well that was too much reading for me. I didnt want to go to a pay site so I just let it go from there.

Without digging real deep - here is Orval's history.



1940 Census:

Name: Orval H Olsen
Age: 32
Estimated birth year: abt 1908
Gender: Male
Race: White
Birthplace: Utah
Marital Status: Married
Relation to Head of House: Head
Home in 1940: Provo, Utah, Utah
Map of Home in 1940: View Map
Street: Third East Street
House Number: 267 N
Farm: NO
Inferred Residence in 1935: Provo, Utah, Utah
Residence in 1935: Same Place
Sheet Number: 7B
Number of Household in Order of Visitation: 143
Occupation: Painter
House Owned or Rented: Rented
Value of Home or Monthly Rental if Rented: 20
Attended School or College: No
Highest Grade Completed: Elementary school, 8th grade
Hours Worked Week Prior to Census: 30
Duration of Unemployment: 115
Class of Worker: Wage or salary worker in Government work
Weeks Worked in 1939: 41
Income: 885
Income Other Sources: No
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Orval H Olsen - 32
Welva Olsen - 30
Hal Olsen - 9
Ronald Olsen - 4


Puts the article with the marriage announcement around May or June 1928

Name: Orval H Olsen
Gender: Male
Age: 21
Birth Date: 1907
Marriage Date: 3 Jul 1928
Marriage Place: Weber, Utah, United States
Spouse: Wilva Buchanan
FHL Film Number: 1324683


Photo of Orval Olsen - Date unknown



Obituary
Name: Orval H . Olsen
Publication Date: 18 Mar 1975
Publication Place: Utah, Utah, United States of America

Fantastic! Talk about bringing a man and his razor to life!

That is some amazing research. I guess my idea that Orval was a GI was incorrect. So maybe it was indeed his father's or another close relative that served.

I never would have found this information on my own. Thank you for helping to fill in the back story.

You are welcome - glad to help.