Barnum, Boston, Dandy & The Langsdorf

[Flintstone]

These 4 razors:  The Barnum, The Boston, The Dandy, and the Langsdorf, are all the same razor with different names/brands and sellers. I have The Barnum (I missed out on the Dandy), but pictures of the 4 razors in Waits' Compendium do confirm that the razors appear identical in look and even in their packaging.   Waits does not have a lot of information on dates for these razors, but he does list a patent number which goes back to 1913.  The handle is similar in look to a Mark Cross razor, but it's lighter feeling.



The blade was somewhat proprietary -- I say somewhat, in that it apparently took a Clarks blade No. 0 (zero).  Clarks produced multiple blade sizes (and shapes) for multiple razors....for example, the Burham took a Clarks No. 1; the No. 4 fit the Autostrop, and the list continues (also a Waits' Compendium reference).   What I discovered is that a GEM modern blade will work if you do the following:

1. Remove the blade's backing (i.e., spine)
   
2. Trim the blade vertically (i.e., trim the width of the blade) -- the blade is too wide by perhaps a millimeter or two (I didn't measure it, I just trimmed until it fit.  Here's the picture of the trimmed blade (note the left side).
   

Once the blade is trimmed it slides into a slot in what appears to be a lever on the back end of the blade:


Then you push the back into place, and the side clips and blade stops keeps the blade from moving side-to-side or back and forth.  It's a very stable hold, and the razor itself is a mild shaver.  I can hear the blade working, but you get very little blade feel.  Part of it to my untrained eye is that it appears that the blade once nestled against the blade stops, it is has a neutral to slightly negative blade exposure.  But I always get in trouble with the more engineering-minded when I try to address blade exposure and gap....it's just not in my wheelhouse.
insert pic of fully loaded razor.


As to the shave, it is mild and not overly efficient.  The upside is it's comfortable to use, the downside is I definitely need a 3rd pass (and perhaps a spot touch-up) for my DFS.  If I'm going for a Close-Enough and Comfortable shave, it's a perfectly fine razor.  My net net on this razor is that I like it.  I like the simplicity of design, I like the comfort of the shave, and the blade mod is not overly onerous, although trimming the blade on the vertical axis means you have to cut into the blade's edge, but any residual roughness is "hidden" by the blade stops.  Here a another pic (it's the razor on the right   ) -- and this one shows how far back the blade is from the edge (i.e.., comb):



I seem to recall that someone had posted about the Dandy (or maybe it was the Boston) in Tost2 (or maybe it was Tost)....Tom (twhite) was it you?  Or perhaps others have one of these razors?

[Jayaruh]

We are a crazy bunch. The lengths we will go to to shave with a new and different razor. Nice Job.

[twhite]

These 4 razors:  The Barnum, The Boston, The Dandy, and the Langsdorf, are all the same razor with different names/brands and sellers. I have The Barnum (I missed out on the Dandy), but pictures of the 4 razors in Waits' Compendium do confirm that the razors appear identical in look and even in their packaging.   Waits does not have a lot of information on dates for these razors, but he does list a patent number which goes back to 1913.  The handle is similar in look to a Mark Cross razor, but it's lighter feeling.



The blade was somewhat proprietary -- I say somewhat, in that it apparently took a Clarks blade No. 0 (zero).  Clarks produced multiple blade sizes (and shapes) for multiple razors....for example, the Burham took a Clarks No. 1; the No. 4 fit the Autostrop, and the list continues (also a Waits' Compendium reference).   What I discovered is that a GEM modern blade will work if you do the following:

1. Remove the blade's backing (i.e., spine)
   
2. Trim the blade vertically (i.e., trim the width of the blade) -- the blade is too wide by perhaps a millimeter or two (I didn't measure it, I just trimmed until it fit.  Here's the picture of the trimmed blade (note the left side).
   

Once the blade is trimmed it slides into a slot in what appears to be a lever on the back end of the blade:


Then you push the back into place, and the side clips and blade stops keeps the blade from moving side-to-side or back and forth.  It's a very stable hold, and the razor itself is a mild shaver.  I can hear the blade working, but you get very little blade feel.  Part of it to my untrained eye is that it appears that the blade once nestled against the blade stops, it is has a neutral to slightly negative blade exposure.  But I always get in trouble with the more engineering-minded when I try to address blade exposure and gap....it's just not in my wheelhouse.
insert pic of fully loaded razor.


As to the shave, it is mild and not overly efficient.  The upside is it's comfortable to use, the downside is I definitely need a 3rd pass (and perhaps a spot touch-up) for my DFS.  If I'm going for a Close-Enough and Comfortable shave, it's a perfectly fine razor.  My net net on this razor is that I like it.  I like the simplicity of design, I like the comfort of the shave, and the blade mod is not overly onerous, although trimming the blade on the vertical axis means you have to cut into the blade's edge, but any residual roughness is "hidden" by the blade stops.  Here a another pic (it's the razor on the right   ) -- and this one shows how far back the blade is from the edge (i.e.., comb):



I seem to recall that someone had posted about the Dandy (or maybe it was the Boston) in Tost2 (or maybe it was Tost)....Tom (twhite) was it you?  Or perhaps others have one of these razors?



Yes I have the Boston. nice efficient shave. really nice simple razor.

[riverrun]

The patent can be found here:
https://razors.click/patents/US1076286/