The Simplex

[Grassy]

Here is a razor that I've never seen before. I just won this on the bay, I haven't received it yet but thought I would ask here, while I wait, to see if anyone has any information on it.
Pictures are from the bay and it is of British manufacture, pat no. 12224/12.
I've had no luck finding anything but would be interested to know something about it.
It has an interesting approach to holding the blade and I'm hoping it might hold a wedge or Gem blade, I'll have to wait and see.


   

[Dave in KY]

Here is a razor that I've never seen before. I just won this on the bay, I haven't received it yet but thought I would ask here, while I wait, to see if anyone has any information on it.
Pictures are from the bay and it is of British manufacture, pat no. 12224/12.
I've had no luck finding anything but would be interested to know something about it.
It has an interesting approach to holding the blade and I'm hoping it might hold a wedge or Gem blade, I'll have to wait and see.

Cool score. Waits shows a bunch of variants of the unmentionable Simplex but there is one that took a wedge blade which yours shows the typical stropper for a wedge. Simplex Best Quality......Not a lot of info though and says Manufacture unknown. Not much but all I have right now. riverrun hopefully can come thru
   

[Grassy]

Here is a razor that I've never seen before. I just won this on the bay, I haven't received it yet but thought I would ask here, while I wait, to see if anyone has any information on it.
Pictures are from the bay and it is of British manufacture, pat no. 12224/12.
I've had no luck finding anything but would be interested to know something about it.
It has an interesting approach to holding the blade and I'm hoping it might hold a wedge or Gem blade, I'll have to wait and see.

Cool score. Waits shows a bunch of variants of the unmentionable Simplex but there is one that took a wedge blade which yours shows the typical stropper for a wedge. Simplex Best Quality......Not a lot of info though and says Manufacture unknown. Not much but all I have right now. riverrun hopefully can come thru

Thanks Intersting, might be a lead. Although it is a German company it could have been British made. I'm thinking it probably took a wedge although many early flat blade razors also came with a stropper. 
I'll have to Google some more.

[Old Sarge]

Cool score. Waits shows a bunch of variants of the unmentionable Simplex but there is one that took a wedge blade which yours shows the typical stropper for a wedge. Simplex Best Quality......Not a lot of info though and says Manufacture unknown. Not much but all I have right now. riverrun hopefully can come thru

Thanks Intersting, might be a lead. Although it is a German company it could have been British made. I'm thinking it probably took a wedge although many early flat blade razors also came with a stropper. 
I'll have to Google some more.

Cool score Grassy! It's refreshing to see a seller provide photos that adequately show you what you are buying. +1 to that guy! 

[Grassy]

Thanks Intersting, might be a lead. Although it is a German company it could have been British made. I'm thinking it probably took a wedge although many early flat blade razors also came with a stropper. 
I'll have to Google some more.

Cool score Grassy! It's refreshing to see a seller provide photos that adequately show you what you are buying. +1 to that guy! 

Yeah, good seller. I think he sells a few razors and had spent some time trying to get some info on this one to no avail. I asked him where he found it but he couldn't remember except to say it would have been Australia. If I find more I will let him know, I think he'd be interested.

[riverrun]

riverrun hopefully can come thru

Let's see if I can help. First of all, I searched for the patent number:

Pictures are from the bay and it is of British manufacture, pat no. 12224/12.

Turns out, that patent is for a "Drying chamber".
I looked closer at the pictures and the patent number is actually 11224/12.
Or as Britsh patents from that area are now numbered GB191211224

And here it is:

https://razors.click/patents/GB191211224/

Loeb and Twigg, the inventors, also invented the "Maws Ajusta" razor at about the same time (see Waits)

http://razors.click/patents/GB191203936/

[Dave in KY]

riverrun hopefully can come thru

Let's see if I can help. First of all, I searched for the patent number:

Pictures are from the bay and it is of British manufacture, pat no. 12224/12.

Turns out, that patent is for a "Drying chamber".
I looked closer at the pictures and the patent number is actually 11224/12.
Or as Britsh patents from that area are now numbered GB191211224

And here it is:

https://razors.click/patents/GB191211224/

Loeb and Twigg, the inventors, also invented the "Maws Ajusta" razor at about the same time (see Waits)

http://razors.click/patents/GB191203936/

I knew you could come thru

[riverrun]

Thanks Intersting, might be a lead. Although it is a German company it could have been British made. I'm thinking it probably took a wedge although many early flat blade razors also came with a stropper. 
I'll have to Google some more.

The patent is clear: the razor takes thin blades. The slot in the stropper is too narrow for wedge blades as well. I bet a modern GEM blade should do the trick.

[Grassy]

riverrun hopefully can come thru

Let's see if I can help. First of all, I searched for the patent number:

Pictures are from the bay and it is of British manufacture, pat no. 12224/12.

Turns out, that patent is for a "Drying chamber".
I looked closer at the pictures and the patent number is actually 11224/12.
Or as Britsh patents from that area are now numbered GB191211224

And here it is:

https://razors.click/patents/GB191211224/

Loeb and Twigg, the inventors, also invented the "Maws Ajusta" razor at about the same time (see Waits)

http://razors.click/patents/GB191203936/

WOW! Thanks for looking that up, that is some great information and much appreciated.
So when looking up a British patent the last number is the year and needs to be in full preceded by GB, that is useful knowledge . And check you have the number written down right (doh) I think I took that from the ebay add but I should have checked, sorry.

The patent seems to be suggesting an improvement over a clamped unmentionable razor like a Gillette and ignoring razors like the Gem Junior which already used stops and a spring at the back on a thin blade. The cap is not necessary to the design.
Anyway thanks again for the really helpful information. 

Thanks Intersting, might be a lead. Although it is a German company it could have been British made. I'm thinking it probably took a wedge although many early flat blade razors also came with a stropper. 
I'll have to Google some more.

The patent is clear: the razor takes thin blades. The slot in the stropper is too narrow for wedge blades as well. I bet a modern GEM blade should do the trick.

That would be the icing on the cake if I could just pop an unmodified Gem straight in!

P.S. if any new members have not seen the razors.click site you should take a look as there is a lot of great information. I particularly like the ASR timeline but there is much more

[Grassy]

I'm happy to say the Simplex fits a Gem blade very nicely. The original blades may have been a tad wider and a touch deeper but the Gem fits behind the stops nicely and is held firm by the springs.
I'll have to take it for a run soon.