The Darwin “Adjustable” razor is one of the standard models of the time. The excerpt below shows the two-piece “Adjustable” razor in the boxed set attributed to the three-piece “Standard”. The catalogue also mentions the name ‘Standard’, which we consider now to be another model. This is the only catalogue we know of that illustrates these models, so we can only use this extract as an illustration.
Aspects of the Darwin "Adjustable" razor
The Darwin “Adjustable” razor was made from stainless steel, not cobalt. As with the other Darwin razors, there are too few sources to establish exact production dates with any certainty. This razor was considered adjustable because it had lines on the neck of the handle, which could be used as a reference when tightening the blade. It is a simple system, based solely on the tension of a thick blade. A modern, thinner blade would not allow this feature to be used. This razor is thus not a mechanically adjustable razor. Other razors of the time used this system of marks, including the direct competitor Eclipse ‘Red Ring’, and of course the Darwin ‘Popular’ razor.
The Adjutable can be recognised by its nine prongs, the guard plate attached to the handle (two-piece model) and the lines engraved on the neck of the handle with the arrow that you set against the line you want, for the shaving setting you prefer. It falls in the X9 category of the nomenclature.
Cases for the Darwin "Adjustable" razor
We know of two different boxes for this razor, although the first is common to another model.
- The art-deco blue and black box, which we prefer to attribute to the Standard model (see dedicated article).
- the “mahogany” brown bakelite case, similar to the Darlette razor’s case. We show it underneath, last picture along with a Darlette case for comparison.
Do you own a Darwin razor, but are unsure of its name? Feel free to browse our article on “How to recognise your Darwin razor“.
Do you have more information about the Darwin Adjustable razor? Please contact us so that we can complete our online museum!