*MYSTERY SOLVED!* Previously unknown Gillette injector?

Let's talk about single and double edged razors and the blades that they use.
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IAmTheJody
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*MYSTERY SOLVED!* Previously unknown Gillette injector?

Post by IAmTheJody »

Hi all. I snagged this on eBay and wanted to see if anyone here has any info...

This is the Gillette Contra. And it is an injector.

There is literally no information I can find on the internet anywhere and none of the more "hardcore" collectors I know have a clue and have ever seen or heard of this thing.

I was able to find trademark info for Gillette and Contra, but that's it. No old magazine adverts, no other listings anywhere, no information, no history, not even anyone on any of the shaving forums who have bought or sold one.

I have a theory that since the seller is in Massachusetts and since Massachusetts is Gillette's home, this razor was either a prototype or a extremely limited test market unit that Gillette decided not to "go with". Also notice the white X on the blade dispenser. I also notice it's aesthetics resemblance to the band-razor Gillette Techmatic.

The trademark is from 1967. Gillette did not come out with an actual injector razor until 1973, called the Twinjector and which is the one and only injector from Gillette that most of us all know and know what it looks like - nothing close to resembling this Contra.

Here is the Contra trademark information:

On Monday, April 03, 1967, a U.S. federal trademark registration was filed for CONTRA by The Gillette Company, BOSTON, MA 02106. The USPTO has given the CONTRA trademark serial number of 72268122. The current federal status of this trademark filing is EXPIRED. The correspondent listed for CONTRA is PHILIP COLMAN of PRUDENTIAL TOWER BLDG., 37TH FLOOR, BOSTON, MASS. 02199 . The CONTRA trademark is filed in the category of Yarns and Threads . The description provided to the USPTO for CONTRA is RAZORS AND RAZOR BLADES.

And this is interesting, from the instructions:

The Gillette "Contra" Blade Razor is the latest achievement of world renowned Gillette research. It is based on an entirely new principle of shaving. It's a double edge blade with a difference. The two stainless steel edges face each other. While one edge cuts the whiskers, the other edge sets them up.

And here it is. Do you know anything about this one?

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Last edited by IAmTheJody on Thu Jun 21, 2012 5:49 pm, edited 4 times in total.
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nelson
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Very interesting

Post by nelson »

I've never seen a Gillette injector razor like that. It is certainly very stylish. Hopefully there is someone else out there who can provide us with some history of this design.

nelson
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jww
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Post by jww »

I am thinking this is something of a Contra-band product?????? :wink:

Very, very cool.
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Post by Pauldog »

I've never seen it before, and I don't remember seeing a patent document for it, or seeing it in Phil Krumholz's Gillette guide. It has a prototype or test market look to it, and I would guess that it's pretty rare and valuable.

I'll search for a patent document. They filed for a trademark on "Contra" in 1967, so that narrows it down. The patents should all be older than the ones for the Trac II.
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Post by Pauldog »

Gillette's US Patent 3,488,764 from 1970 has two blades facing each other, in this kind of configuration, with the sharp edges at the top: / \
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Post by IAmTheJody »

Pauldog wrote:I've never seen it before, and I don't remember seeing a patent document for it, or seeing it in Phil Krumholz's Gillette guide. It has a prototype or test market look to it, and I would guess that it's pretty rare and valuable.

I'll search for a patent document. They filed for a trademark on "Contra" in 1967, so that narrows it down. The patents should all be older than the ones for the Trac II.
Yeah, I just realized what I have been referring to as patent info, is actually trademark info. Doh!
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Post by Whistler »

The real question is, how does it shave? :P
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Post by IAmTheJody »

Whistler wrote:The real question is, how does it shave? :P
Apparently not good since they never released it? :lol:

I won't be trying it out since it definitely seems the blades and everything are too rare. Most likely I'll never find Contra blades again.
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Post by cjc15153 »

From reading the description, I imagine that the blades are as narrow as an injector blade, but shaped like a DE- inside out- with the sharp edges on the interior and and dull edges on the exterior.

If so it almost seems like a good idea, but I can see why it didn't make it to market.
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Post by brothers »

What a neat discovery. Congrats.
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Post by Squire »

Interesting conversation piece.
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styptic screams
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Post by styptic screams »

:shock:

Who knew?...

8)
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Post by IAmTheJody »

It arrived today in the mail. I was hoping to find a date code on the razor, case, blade dispenser... somewhere. But nothing. No markings at all, anywhere, except for the white X on the blade dispenser.

The blade edges do indeed face each other which is very unique and an interesting concept.

I'll post more pics showing much better detail, later.
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Post by Rufust445 »

jww wrote:I am thinking this is something of a Contra-band product?????? :wink:

Very, very cool.
That sounds like one of the trial brand-names for the Techmatic that the marketing weenies raised up the flagpole to see who would salute it.
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Post by brothers »

Even with Pauldog's description and some marks :D I must be a visual learner because I can't imagine what it means when they say the edges are facing each other. I'm one of those guys that need lots of drawings or pictures.
Gary

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Post by Squire »

Gary that's not something I want to think about. Sounds like Dr. Dolittle's push me-pull you animal.
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IAmTheJody
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Post by IAmTheJody »

brothers wrote:Even with Pauldog's description and some marks :D I must be a visual learner because I can't imagine what it means when they say the edges are facing each other. I'm one of those guys that need lots of drawings or pictures.
Here's a picture I took today of the head with the blade injected. I brightened and enhanced it so it could be seen better. Interestingly, it is a single blade

Image

Image
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Post by brothers »

Cool! Good photos. Now I understand.
Gary

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Post by Squire »

I would like to know if whoever designed this thing ever advanced in the company.
Last edited by Squire on Tue Jun 05, 2012 9:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Post by brothers »

Squire wrote:Gary that's not something I want to think about. Sounds like Dr. Dolittle's push me-pull you animal.
Squire, after studying the way the blade looks, maybe you've hit upon the real intended use for this razor. The blade would in theory cut on the up stroke and also on the down stroke, if a guy wanted to keep the head of the razor in contact with the skin at all times, he could move the razor up and down and cut whiskers 100% of the time. Like a potato peeler, which it appears was the inspiration for this design. The name is the giveaway, contra means against or in opposition to, so this one was intended to cut while moving both ways.

Edit: see the photo that's posted immediately after this post. The red flyer in the case shows arrows pointing both left and right, indicating that was the intent. A new way to shave: too bad it didn't catch on!
Last edited by brothers on Tue Jun 05, 2012 5:06 am, edited 1 time in total.
Gary

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