The Darwin Miracol razor is a special razor in the Darwin range from the 1930s. Made from bakelite, it is quite different, but no less interesting.
The Darwin Miracol's history
The Miracol was produced in the 1930s. At the time, bakelite was increasingly used for safety razors in most producer countries. This being said, the Miracol line must not have been produced in large numbers or over a long period, as they are very hard to find today. Another explanation could be that their owners threw them away over time, thinking the plastic razor was worthless. We don’t believe it was because of a flawed design or a bad quality, because the design looks well thought-off even today, and the examples we find today still look sturdy. The Miracol appeared around 1933, so the War was still a few years after, leaving quite some time for it to grow on the razor market.
Miracol comes, of course, from the word ‘Miracle’ which, in English phonetics, sounds like mi-ra-col. Darwin didn’t need to look far for a meaning, choosing names that smacked of excellence or quality: DeLuxe, Miracol, Bijou…
The Miracol certainly met a demand or a need to offer a cheaper razor than the stainless steel and cobalt Darwin razors. The Darwin Popular would also be another affordable razor.
Caracteristics of a Darwin Miracol razor
The Darwin “Miracol” razor is a double-edged safety razor that uses standard blades. It has a bakelite handle and baseplate and a nickel-plated metal cap. It is a two-piece razor (the guard is attached to the handle), with a closed comb (ridged bar). It measures 9.2 cm (rather long for its time) and weighs 30 grams.
Note: the screw on the cap descends towards the handle, as on the Popular razor. The cap is identical between these two models. The stainless steel and cobalt razors, on the other hand, have the screw at the end of the handle that passes through the cap.
Colours – the Miracol came in two colours: maroon mottled or green mottled. Unfortunately, we have no record of the green version, so if anyone has a photo of it, or would like to sell it to us, we’d love to have it at the Museum. The box of blades that accompanies it has a very pronounced art deco style, with its gaudy lines and colours.
The Miracol razor blade
Darwin’s Miracol brand was also used for a dedicated blade. It was also marketed in the 1930s, and can be seen, for example, in this advertisement from the “Bourse Egyptienne” of 1 March 1934 (opposite) at 4 piasters for 5 blades, or in this American advertisement from 1933 (below).
We know of two designs for the Miracol blade wrapper. Unfortunately, we don’t know for sure which came first. However, we believe that the version with a small Miracol and acanthus leaves on the sides was the first. This would have been followed by the version with a large Miracol and a lighter art deco fan in the background. It is also possible that one version was dedicated to the European market, and another to the American market. These hypotheses have yet to be confirmed.
According to the drawings, we can also see a three-hole version of the balde itself, and a slightly more open version (see catalogue page above).
Do you have more information about the Darwin Miracol razor, its dedicated blade or the Miracol brand in general? Don’t hesitate to contact us so we can complete our online museum!