Interview
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Your site presente many items in
connection with shaving, but what's about those which make your
collection concretely? A little all? You are rather standard collector
of one thing, of modeles in particular? (I see that seems to go from the
razor to the postcard while passing by the brushes, the advertizing, etc?)
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The beginning of this
one was more to create an Internet site by plays then of wire out of
needle... I feel like to continue with various headings with always like
discussion thread... To share the passion of the razor in all its
states, of oldest with young person, simplest with more sophisticated
without forgetting its wire... Than we sharpen in order to give again
its caress to him so that the cheeks become again smooth like the baby's
skin. Old papers, books and postcard make it possible to date the
objects and to better know this trade which was prosperous and highly
respected in old times and which nowadays fell in disuse not to name the
barber. In short, I am a collector on the topic of shaving called a "rasophile".
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The departure of your collection :
Why do you collect shaving's items or in connection with shaving? ( Is
your at the base of this collection? A blow of heart one day for a razor,
a badger, a packing? a mark? a technology? Which was the catch for you?)
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My training of chemist
does not have a direct bond with the collection undertaken except the
motivation to perhaps seek and find a such researcher. It is by a cold
Sunday of winter in Montreuil that I found this first limps chrome or
one could see oneself as in a mirror. At the interior was two cases to
receive the new and worn blades as well as an anonymous safety razor. I
thought of finding an object of medicine or of chemistry but the destiny
wanted that it was a razor. Then the lucky find of a second followed of
one... continued until now. This first physical object must be to
associate a psychic catch, Freud could help me to find this bond...
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Since how long collect some you and
how much have you (approximately) parts?
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This passion began in
1977 leaving place with the collections from childhood (stones, ball,
capsule of soda [ which was used to play football! ], soldier, stamp,
data base). It was not the number which counted at the time. Now, I
still do not like to count I say only that I collect. I am very below
large collectors. For example certain Italian has some 30 000
wrapped blades
(the first French collector holds 17 000 of them). German collects 1000
shavers. American has 800
stroppers. Another French has 850
safety
razors. I do not know those of the
straight razors
and of shaving sticks
but the tenth of each collection would be already a good beginning.
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Which is your greater satisfaction
when you contemplate your collection? (to save an inheritance for
example?)
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I am attracted by the
originality of the forms, of the matters used and of the ingeniousness
of the mechanisms used and behind the beauty of the object is hiding
place a history page. And then... I am in perpetual research of
the razor
lost ...
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Who are in general the rasophiles?
Rather people working in the world of the hairstyle, the mode? Rather
men that women, does seem to me?
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Each collector has its
own course, the average age is at the level of the half-century and is
mainly not resulting from the medium of the hairstyle. The parity is far
from being reached but it should be said that the wives very often share
the passion of their companion (or undergo it!).
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Rasophiles are they numerous in
France? Do you have much friendly's trade, meetings with foreign
rasophiles? (I see that you give many bonds towards foreign sites)
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I would say that 100
rasophiles is a real figure which one can easily doubled. I do not count
of course the hairdressers who decorate their shop but are not to be
strictly accurate collectors with some rare exception. All the bonds of
my site were contacted as well as many salesmen on specialized sites (IBazar
for the nostalgic ones, Ebay, Delcampe, Aucland, Onatoo...). Two
international meetings of collector proceeded this year, one in London
in Mars 04 and the other in Ohio, the USA in October 04. The annual
meeting of the French collectors organized by the club of Rasophiles d'
Oc and Oil (R.O.O) took place with Cournon, Puy de Dôme in April 04.
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Do you take part in many exposures?
(in France or except borders)
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I practically never
expose but took part in the development of a book (unfortunately
exhausted) on the shavers. The collection can be at the beginning an
egoistic pleasure which should open then, I hope for it, on the external
one through club, of demonstration, book or why not by creating its own
Internet site:
http://razorland55.free.fr.
That makes it possible to approach this topic with a multitude of
accessible information as well for the neophyte for the informed
collector.
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Are you useful yourselves sometimes
of your razors (or other objects of shavings) old?
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Never
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I suppose that the number of models
of each objects about which you speak on your site, if we think on a
world level, must be almost infinite?
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It is a little the problem of this
collection or the interest. It is a collection open in the way or there
is not catalogue indexing all the published articles. One finds mainly
is American books or Web sites in the form of data base of collectors
which make it possible to locate its collection. Could one of the
reasons come from the cost of the edition of a book and perhaps also of
the spirit from the French collector?
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Do there exist really extraordinary
models? curiosities ?( in any field : blade, stropper, cut-thow,
electric or straight razor , etc.)
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The list would take
too a long time to enumerate but one can quote the razors empires, the
"L shape or hoe type " razors (Auguste
Bain, Protector, Fontaine), the stroppers with original
mechanisms (pandora, rappidaffu, rotello, edla) without forgetting some
shavers of the beginning of XX (dynam, racine) which have a handle
containing a small engine making it possible to make vibrate a head of
the safety razor type. They are the ancestors of the shavers before the
operational razor of colonel Schick deposits his patent into 1928 before
launching it on the market in 1931.
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I notice the importance of packing
and/or boxes. They are often very beautiful. Which is? - or are - the
most remarkable sets of your collection, or more amusing. Do the box and
the packing develop the item, I suppose?
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It is true that
nickelled metal or leather jewel cases are attractive (Kindal,
Wilkinson, Roberts...). a box made some like the mahogany tree for the
development of ancient toilet bag has also its charm. The razor
remaining the principal part of this unit, the box is only the
protection of the contents and allows its development.
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It seems to exist graphics in
connection with actuality or date time's atmosphere precisely as
obviously the case for wrappred blades, isn't it? Which are most
beautiful and funniest, those which seem to us today absolutely
eccentric? (I see that this packing was rather close to l actuality and
the ambient mentality of the moment during which they were marketed -
what makes this packing of invaluable testimonys - and often of small
very artistic works)
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The wrapped blade is
really a topic of predilection for the advertising executives. Many
topics were approached such as the voyage with the boats (Ile de
France with many alternatives), the animals (elephant, parrot, the cock,
horses), advertising blade of the proprietary medical products (articio,
asthmedrine, canteïne, ephedrolenol), etc... In this connection the club
of the R.O.O republished its catalogue of the envelopes of French razor
blades decorated with some 2000 blades with indexed.
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The beauty of the boxes: what you
nowadays know createurs of these boxes (one would speak about "designer"
- for does the perfumes for example, one count great names, that the
case of the Lalique glassmaker who made bottle manufactures for Nina
Ricci...). Exist there a complete box "mythique" whose all the
rasophiles revent?
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The interesting boxes
of the weekly type are always snuffed collectors. Those were composed of
a number of blades which can go from 2 for a pair up to 7 is a blade for
each day of the week. The boxes empires are majestic but very expensive.
To remain simple, the case of the barber of Seville (or his/her
companion
Figaro) with his typical razor of the Thirties
is an appreciated part.
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Which was your more beautiful lucky
find (all confused objects)?
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The king of razors
EDLA of the Thirties is a model of originality and is an invention of
French Rivière.
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Have a clear preference for one
topics of your collection? If so, why?
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The L shape razors dating from the end of the XIX, are with my prettiest direction intermediate bus between the right razor (or cut-throws) and the safety razor (also to blade at the end of hoe but XIX, at the beginning of XX such as the taillefer, spark, perfector, jak then mechanical (appollo, bohin, famex, the razor of Eve, kabrand, the cock) to quote only these |
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When do the objects date which make
your collection?
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from - 800 BC to 1970.
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I saw that the materials which
compose the razors, the brush, etc, went from the simple components (wood
and iron) to the invaluable component (undoubtedly does exist about it
out of gold...?) Which are the objects of the large most invaluable
marks, most prestigious?
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The "tabletiers-gainiers"
produced marvellous small cases "memory" of the XVIIIème century to
sumptuous necessary of the Napoleonean period until the apotheosis of
the middle-class productions of the second part of XIXème. These boxes
were made up of acajou massive, net and trimming brass, container of
many metal "doubled" parts; money, ivory, ebony and steel. Other
swivelling hinge boxes containing the razors assembled out of ivory and
blazon money or of the protective cases in morocco with long grains
gilded with small irons. The blades can be signed Gavet which was a
cutler of Louis XVI in turn, Napoleon 1st and Louis XVIII. Razors of the
Master-coutelliers: "Gillet with Paris" 1800, MONGET in Langres Paris
circa 1810, Kindal 1900.
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Which are most required (either for
their scarcity, or for luxurious materials which composes them). - Which
item do you dream
to supplement your collection?
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In each collection, There are always rare parts which evolve/move according to your state of advance but which remains nevertheless rare. The part more coveted is always that which you do not have yet... One cannot quote all the articles so much being of an interest they are numerous. To quote only three of them, the following models are to regard as very rare: the shaver prototype Zefir de1938 of Philips and the razor of French Jean-Jacques Perret of 1762 who is the precursor of the safety razor before Gillette, in 1895, does not take up the idea with its disposable blade razor. It was written on the blade "Neither sharpening Nor setting". In the spirit, this blade was precursory concept taken again and developed by the baron Bic in 1975 of the disposable razor |
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The razors: to find and maintain them? |
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Where you find most easily what to
feed your collection: vacuum-attics? secondhand trades? antique dealers?
sale-room? exchanges? clubs and associations of rasophiles, by Internet?
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It is necessary to
diversify to the maximum the places or one can find a part. Flea market
with the vacuums attics while passing by the secondhand trades without
forgetting the antique dealers, to also think of the traditional
biddings and those of the Web are to be explored. The small
advertisements of Aladdin will supplement the grounds of investigation.
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Without giving your small secrecies:
are you a keen chinor who leaves to hunting each Sunday on several
vacuum-attics? Rather a sedentary who treats from now on his exchanges
and his purchases by Internet? Did Internet become impossible to
circumvent today to pack your collection?
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There is unfortunately
no miraculous formula. I have stories or 2 of my more beautiful parts
were found at 10h00 and midday respectively. I am despite everything one
raises early because I benefit better from the days. The nature which
rises is always beautiful to see and the odors of the morning are
incomparable...
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Between rasophiles: rather
purchases or rather of the exchanges? A balance between the two?
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Unfortunately the
circuit of trading
is weak because of the correspondence of exchange with the same object
quality is some times hard to realize for the beautiful parts. On the
other hand the exchanges of wrapped blades go good train "all over the
world".
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Can you give me an idea of the prices
on the current market? A price range on some objects (in good condition
general - let us say on a dozen items)
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It is one of the
topics of which I do not like to approach because the readers are always
influenced by appreciations of collectors which are not always objective
or go even until the higher bid! The estimates must hold account of the
mode, of the scarcity of the objects which is a function of produced
volume and to pay attention to these affluent speculators who buy the
item without the history. I am personally more for the magic of still
being able found " objects; good market " and to leave a chance with the
" small " collector... It should all the same be said that the market
was internationalized by the means of site of auction sale (standard
Ebay, Delcampe...) and that this universalization made multiplied by ten
the prices for certain part! Well on ebay is a scale of price but rather
the high fork except particular case the (big) deal is still always
possible...
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Is this an accessible collection (within
the framework of an average collection with objects of good
quality) for modest budgets?
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We can say that
this collection is accessible initially but depends thereafter on the
progress report of its collection and its motivation to found.
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Apart from the razors found
complete in excellent state, how to make repair an old razor? Can one
find easily parts? Do there exist specialized repairers? " I saw the ad
of a "hospital for razor". Does it always function?
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Best is to leave it in
its juice. A simple cleaning to preserve it corrosion will be to carry
out so that it thus finds the history which it lived. I do not know this
private clinic but I think that it repairs the shavers. Repair will cost
increasingly more expensive than to found another functioning model!
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How do you protect the objects from
your collection? (album, window, etc?) How do you maintain your objects?
What is necessary to make and especially not to make to maintain certain
major parts?
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The razor blades can
be arranged in sorter of a numismatic type with small pockets of plastic
arrangement without chlorine and by taking care of good paraffin the
blades. This precaution must be also made for certain type of right
razor to avoid oxidation. The arrangement in a dry and ventilated place
is preferable. The windows are also advised for protection against dust,
greases and to avoid the exposure to the rays of the sun as well as
moisture.
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How do you maintain your objects?
What is necessary to make and especially not to make to maintain certain
major parts?
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Their of the scouring
of certain oxidized blade of straight razor (or
cut-throat), to use iron wool zero
triple. This one withdraws rust and raye not too steel. On the other
take care in Miror to clean the blade of certain blade which contains
engravings!
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Do you copies on the market? Bad
repair items; ? So not, do you think that the market is absolutely
healthy?
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The market is
relatively healthy. Certain enamelled irons are duplications the old
ones, it is then necessary to be wary of the purchase price. On the
other hand it sometimes happens to find objects bad repaired but such
broken, to inspect your part well before acquiring it.
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Which councils (two or three) would
you completely give to a person beginner who would like to begin a
collection?
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To surf on the
wire of the website
http://razorland55.free.fr to discover
a world not at all bored!
Then to try to find the items with a good report/ratio price quality so that there is fun and to think that a collection is not built in one day. It is rather a life style which can be transformed into a passion and take the whole life... Good lucky find |
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Full Interview carried out by Sylvie Michon for ALADDIN |
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Copyright © 2003 ® [razorland55]. All rights reserved. Revised: 12/30/06. |
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