Скачать или смотреть The Gibbs Nº17 adjustable razor

I'm very fortunate to have been loaned a beautiful Gibbs adjustable razor. I've thoroughly enjoyed my shave today using Abbate y la Mantia 'Don Jose' coconut and banana shaving soap - the scent is stunning.

Here is some information about the Gibbs company history, paraphrased from a thread, written by Tony SC, on the Shaving Nook forum, for which I am grateful.

The company D&W Gibbs was started in England in 1712; dedicated to the manufacture of soaps. While in England, gents used hard soap to shave the French gentilhomme where still shaving with powdered soap, until 1906, when Lucien Allègre and Pierre Thibaud, French brush manufacturers, obtained the contract for the import of British Gibbs Soaps for France and its colonies. Pierre Thibaud & Co made paint brushes, shaving brushed, and tooth brushes under the name of Gibbs and also distributed Gibbs soaps. Curiously, the first French Gibbs soaps where manufactured in Holland, with special packaging for the French market.

Between 1914 and 1918 the Lever brothers (Unilever, in the future) acquired several soap companies. Two of them are familiar to us: Gibbs and Erasmic.

Gibbs manufactured many razors, even for the French army. The best known Gibbs razors are the adjustables. To my knowledge there are three models of Gibbs Réglable known, the Nº11; Nº15 and Nº17. They can be fully disassembled to the last of its seven pieces, which permits a thourough cleaning.

The Nº17 is a substantial weight; 80g. Tolerances and fitting is quite good, with the exception of the plastic tube handle, which tends to crack if overtightened. The adjustment is graduated from 1 to 6 but, unlike Gillettes, it is continuous - without stops. This range is ample enough to cater for all preferences as it can go from a minimal gap to a uncomfortably large one.

These Gibbs razors use only propietary blades, but adapting our blades is quite simple. The easiest way I've found is to just set a normal blade on the base plate (make sure that it is perfectly aligned) and press the cap until the indentations snap off. (Note from Friendship Shaving - Please do NOT do this; in time, you'll damage your vintage razor)

Adapted blade

These little adjustables are one of the few options we have to shave with an adjustable razor if we want to move away from the usual Gillette & Mekur.

If you like the design of the Gibbs, but do not want to adapt the blade, another option is the much rarer Persona Micromatic. Essentially a Gibbs Nº 17 that accepts standard blades. Much rarer that the Persona, you may find a spanish Palmera. Again, same razor for standard blades.

Tony

http://shavenook.com/showthread.php?t...